CORK city’s main waterway came alive on Saturday as 300 brave souls entered the water for the annual Lee swim. The rain proved no deterrent to swimmers, who travelled from the UK, the Channel Islands, the US and all over Ireland to make the splash.

Up to 5,000 spectators lined the banks of the Lee as swimmers entered the water at the Old Distillery on the North Mall, and followed it through the city before completing the 2,000m circuit at the boardwalk at Lapp’s Quay.

Sponsored by Vibes and Scribes bookshop, the swim is organised by the Cork Masters Swimming Club and the Cork Lions Club, which nominated the Alzheimer’s Society as the main beneficiary of this year’s event.

Dublin swimmer Shane Drumm completed the gruelling circuit first to clinch the winner’s trophy, followed by 16-year-old Owen O’Keefe from Fermoy, while Gerard Mangan (22) from Glounthane in Cork finished in third place. O’Keefe, who swims 40km per week and trains in the River Blackwater, described the water as “pleasantly surprising . . . The current is strong once you turn the corner to come back up the river to the boardwalk but I really enjoyed it.

“There’s no serious rivalry ... You meet so many people with a shared love of the water,” he said.

Gerard Mangan said the water was much cleaner than in previous years: “It’s hard work but it’s a lovely swim. You can’t help swallowing some water but after a hot shower we will have a few whiskeys tonight to flush any bacteria out of our systems.”

The swim was an annual event in Cork from 1914, but was discontinued in 1985, possibly because of water-quality issues. The event was given a new lease of life in 2005 during Cork’s year as European Capital of Culture, when 150 people took part.

That figure swelled to 300 this year, and there are plans for 400 entry places next year, as the event was oversubscribed.