Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
SAUNAS HAVE “EXPLODED in popularity” in recent years, according to one small business owner.
Tom Connolly has been running a sauna in west Kerry since March 2024 after identifying a gap in the market along the scenic coastline.
Sona Sauna is a wood-fired barrel sauna that heats up to about 100 degrees and is based by the sea in Ceann Tra/Ventry, a few minutes outside Dingle, Co Kerry.
“It’s based on the Lithuanian barrel sauna, which is a traditional sauna that has no insulation.
“A lot of modern saunas would have insulation and be quite fancy, where this is kind of more ‘back to basics’ – I guess like a shed with a stove in it, which is the way saunas traditionally were.”
Sauna attendance is on an upward trend, especially when combined with the popularity of sea swimming.
Mentally, it feels great. It totally blows away the cobwebs.
Connolly said sauna usage has a range of health benefits associated with heat-shock protein development.
Speaking to the PA news agency, he added: “It’s good physically and mentally, it feels great. It totally blows away the cobwebs.
“If you’re in any way stressed or or hungover, hop in the sauna for half an hour, 45 minutes and you just kind of feel like you can take on whatever your day has in front of you a bit more.
“Or if it’s in the evening, you can decompress.”
Connolly, originally from Dublin, moved to Dingle “spontaneously” with his partner three years ago.
At the time, he was able to continue working in the creative department of an advertising agency on a remote or manageable hybrid basis, which saw him return to Dublin occasionally.
However, Connolly said that he “really missed” having access to a sauna when he arrived in Dingle as he was used to going to one after a sea swim several times a week in Dublin.
After initially thinking about opening one on a part-time basis, a change in his work circumstances allowed him to pursue running the sauna as an almost full-time role.
“Basically since St Patrick’s weekend last year, it’s just been full on.”
I speak Irish every day now, it has improved to a level it has never been before. Everyone has been super friendly and accommodating.
Connolly said the sauna is used as both a local amenity and a tourist attraction.
“They both complement each other. Sauna culture has grown so much in Ireland, it has kind of exploded in popularity over the last number of years.”
There is also some evidence of an ancient Irish tradition of “sweathouses”, suggesting that our relationship with a type of sauna culture is not entirely new.
Connolly explained that there are observations from the 18th century of Irish people using heat therapy in small stone huts to treat a range of ailments.
Sona Sauna is located in the heart of the Gaeltacht, but Connolly admits he had a very low level of Irish when he started the business.
However, he said he made a concerted effort to learn Irish over the last year, adding: “I speak Irish every day now, it has improved to a level it has never been before. Everyone has been super friendly and accommodating.”
Connolly frequently posts humorous business updates on the sonasaunaventry Instagram, including turning his trials and tribulations into song, along with announcements on availability and weather developments in Irish and English.
I think regardless of what you’re doing or selling, people just want to laugh when they’re on a break on social media.
He added: “I felt that diving into it would be the best way and I use social media because if I’m online, I can ask people ‘what’s the best way to say there’s a blanket of snow on the ground’ or whatever and it’s very interactive.
“I think regardless of what you’re doing or selling, people just want to laugh when they’re on a break on social media.”
On a fresh, frosty, windless morning under clear blue skies, Connolly said he has become a “sabshsai” – an Irish word for a person who works outdoors in all weather.
“You’ve caught me on a high because this is sauna season – it looks like Finland today.
“But if it was four days ago, I would be in a different mood because it was just lashing rain and intense – so a difficult part of it is that I am constantly analysing the weather on an hourly basis.”
Sona Sauna opened on Christmas Day as part of a fundraiser for Kerry Hospice and West Kerry Care of the Aged.
Connolly said one of the greatest joys he gets from the sauna is seeing people enjoy something he set up and the “sense of community” he has developed.
“It’s just been slowly building a sauna community, which is what I wanted because it’s what I really missed in Dublin.”
He added: “We have people who base their week around coming to the sauna, which is just really nice.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The new coffee shop in a horse box
@Niall Boyle: Where is it? I’ll meet you there and after we can go have a sauna together.
@Basildon Joe: Saunas, too.
@Basildon Joe: stick with your jimmy saville gags
@Pól Pot: There’s a portable one in Windy Arbour- just Milltown in Dublin. Fair play to them but as far as I know it’s coffee only!!
Saunas, ice baths and sensory deprivation chambers too….tis good to see people look after their own well being.
I wanted to buy a camouflage towel for the sauna, but I couldn’t find one.
No Housing but plethora of Sauna’s, what a relief for the 15,000 Homeless & all the young people still living at home with their parents, the new Ireland.
@SV3tN8M4:
People buy their own.
It’s their choice,and their expense.
@SV3tN8M4: is your entire life dedicated to the homeless?
@SV3tN8M4: there is more to life than being permanently miserable
@SV3tN8M4: Cool story, do you help them or just moan?
Yeah, the later.
@SV3tN8M4: Wrong article.
@SV3tN8M4: get a job whiner
@SV3tN8M4: Your need to be a whinging sheep so that you can feel part of a cause has somehow caused you to relate two things that have nothing to do with each other whatsoever.
You are a whinger on this site who does absolutely nothing for homeless people other than use them as a political football.
@SV3tN8M4: WOW, that comment didn’t land like you thought it would did it?!??
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: On the contrary actually, landed as I intended. You see unlike many of the posters on here who are Govt Shills, or Party loyalists/activists, NGO’s, Journalists or the plethora of multiple identities who operate here under names other than their actual identity or hide cowardly behind fake identities, I am actually non party, working individual who sees the shite hawking that is going on all around us & use the forum to highlight it. I don’t operate under a fake id, or for a Party or NGO or post for likes, I say what I see & couldn’t give a toss for any of those who disagree with me, life is too short to be worrying about losers trying to needle you. But what needs to be called out is when you accept 4600 Children living in Emergency Acc
@JoeJoe Kilbride: not a bad cause to follow besides being a nodding dog wage slave on obesity meds and anti depressants
@John Mc Dermott:
99% of us have a home.
Calm down. Things are not as bad as you think.
It’s great to see individuals recognise the opportunities and desperate lack of provision in coastal bathing areas, these services plus the ‘coffee in a horse box’ are much welcome in any of the places I’ve been, places that have long been deemed unworthy of investment by lantern-jawed local government, in a proper economy with people who have initiative and vision there could be some incredible facilities on our coast lines, instead of the rusty shipping containers we’re used to.
The word sauna is from the Finnish language. There is over 2 million of them here in finland. Most people have them in their home. You mostly go into the sauna naked here and have a beer while grilling sausages. They have sauna cars , boats and even ones on the train. Even the helsinki eye has a sauna in one of the chambers.
@tony hilton: I spent a few months in Finland. They generally don’t have mixed naked saunas (or bastus), you left that part out. Germany’s sauna culture is far better in my opinion. People stroll around naked in thermes facilities, maybe different saunas, steam rooms and various temperatures. There is a really good one in Ehrenfeld, Cologne.
@Carl Valderrama: well I guess you know more than me after spending a couple of months here and me only living here years.
Fad, will be gone in couple years
@Joe Beirne:
In the words of Darryl F. Zanuck (Co founder of Twentieth Century Fox)
“TV is only a fad, people will get fed up after 6 months looking at a plywood box”
@P. J.: Commercials and programs use dubious mass control mechanisms based in the psychological work of Freud and one of his relatives whom later worked for all types of 3 letter gov orgs. Operation mockingbird is also another reason why TV became so prevalent in the 20th century
@Joe Beirne: but the bum rash won’t. Mankey kips.
@Tom L: Edward Bernays was the master of it all…amazing that he was special adviser to every sitting US government from the 1920s to the 90s….his family own Netflix too.
@Tom L:
Riiiiggghhhtttt.
@Dere: ‘Century of the Self’ is really underrated imo.
I love a good sauna
Just don’t see why you would want to do this. Then jump into freezing water.
@Dave c: try it and see
@Dave c: Health benefits include.. Boost Energy Levels,Increases Circulation,Enhances Immune Function,Promotes Faster Muscle Repair,Burns “Brown” Fat for Weight Loss,Improves Skin Health,Reduces Stress..
@Brian: if using traditional coals it’s bad for people and the environment
@Dave c: It’s an acquired taste, but hugely beneficial for both body and mind!
@Argus Romsworth: The only thing bad for the environment is you.
@Alex: are you a climate skeptic?
@Dave c: I did it for the first time a while back. You really need to try it. The feeling of well being afterwards is amazing.
@Brian: actually it slows down muscle repair according to the newest science. Inflammation after exercise is necessary for healing, if you reduce post exercise inflammation you slow down healing
@Argus Romsworth: so you didnt read the article, wood fired stove, any ive seen are wood fired.
@Dave c: it’s not obligatory to jump into freezing water afterwards dumbo
@Argus Romsworth: “I’m going to ignore the text of the article and just imagine it said something so I can go off on a tangent and complain about it and pretend it’s relevant”…
……
why don’t you just RTFA ffs!
@colm: you don’t go into a sauna after training ye mad thing ye
@Dave c: the sea isn’t cold after baking in a sauna. It’s refreshing
Saunas in Ireland but we cannot comment on the daily slaughter of babies,children and women by the Israelis and their terrorist backers the USA. How sick the world has become.
@tim butler: can’t do cartoons now either , as bad as fatty Cowan with his jugs out
@tim butler:
Hand back the Jewish Children and Women held hostage by the filth.
How simple is that?
I might try a private one but never a pubic one, you could be alongside weirdos looking for some carnival knowledge.
@Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson: pubic what?… there’s nothing.
@Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson: don’t go to Germany then. It’s unisex let it all hang out. It’s awesome
@Thesaltyurchin: oops, public
Well the saunas will be good for sweating out all the porter the lads consumed the night before
@Ned: Paddy is getting sophisticated whoop whoop
45 minutes in a sauna???? This guy knows nothing about saunas!
Wouldn’t trust any Shinners around a public sauna!
Too much inappropriateness….
@Paul: or a FG senator
Nothing worse than sitting in wet swimwear in a sauna
Lot to be said for the European way of just sitting naked on your towel to relax in the heat
It’s definitely more civilised
@denis silver: As I understand it’s only really Germans that go in naked generally.
Shirley at Bosca Beatha been doing this for years from Wicklow to Cork. A joy.
have your say