Outdoor Laois saunas 'the new pub' in a changing social culture

Saunas are “the new pub” in Laois, with outdoor saunas popping up all around the county as people young and old turn to the extreme temperature therapy. 

There are two outdoor saunas in the Laois Slieve Bloom Mountains, at the Catholes and at Glenbarrow waterfall carpark. There is another in Kilabban and two in Stradbally, including a large facility at Stradbally lake owned by a Laois company that also imports and sells saunas.

The enthusiastic man behind the wood fired mobile barrel sauna that pops up at weekends in the Catholes wild swimming spot, is Dan ‘DandSaunaman’ Slevin, a proud Killenard man, youngest son of the late Dick and Lilly Slevin. 

Dan Slevin with his sauna on a visit to the Irish seaside.

He fell for sauna culture during summers in Germany 30 years ago. 

“I took every opportunity to enjoy the calming effects. It’s like an overall massage for the mind, body and soul,” he told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

Dan who is a heat loss surveyor at Snughome.ie, bought a four person wood fired barrel sauna with his nephew Matt in 2021.

“It was for personal use, to visit swim spots and beaches. I did it because I had found myself getting up at 5am to exercise in nature and catch the sunrise only to have to enter a building to enjoy a sauna, often waiting hours for one,” he explained.

Before long Dan found he was being followed, and not on socials.

“People would quite literally follow me and ask me if they could join in. For a time I tried to keep it for personal use, as I had enough on with my busy job and young family. 

“Once I hit the Catholes, I started parking up once a month for family and friends,” he said.

Dan Slevin's son DJ inside his sauna at The Catholes in the Slieve Bloom Mountains. 

Dan now rents out the sauna every weekend, to groups and individuals. A bigger replacement is coming, with permission greenlit from Laois County Council he said.

“This spring we will have a new sauna, a converted 20ft shipping container fitting up to 18 people, with a panoramic three metre window. It’s a big investment, €50,000,” Dan said.

The customers are happy.

“I have had no negative comments, except people asking why I don’t open during the week, or wishing there was more room.

“I see people in bad form when they come in and smiling when they are leaving. It’s a game changer. One person told me that their skin condition cleared up. 

“It’s the new pub. I’ve had better conversations with complete randomers, with none of the negative aspects of drink. People are looking after themselves better. And conversations flow because phones won’t work,” Dan said.

He has his own idea why saunas have become so popular.

“For all its negatives, Covid forced us as a species to stop, take a breath and reconnect with nature. Saunas in nature are the perfect way to do that,” Dan said.

He gives back to a Laois charity too, “we donate all proceeds from takings on St Stephen’s day to the Cuisle Cancer Support Centre, we raised €1429.40 this year”.

Jonathan Bowes from Rosenallis visits the Catholes sauna weekly, often joined by his brothers who travel from Dublin.

Jonathan Bowes cooling off in the snow at the Catholes sauna.

“I go for wellness, it’s good for the soul. It’s just a stress reliever.  It’s a great way to relax and catch up for a couple of hours. It’s so rejuvenating, the hot and the cold. I’ve been to another sauna with a cold tank but the water is static. Here it’s fresh off the mountains, always ice cold, in such a lovely setting. It was 4 degrees last week,” he said.

Viktorija Sirvaitis with husband Andrus and his brother Marius, all Lithuanians living in Laois, are the trio behind Sauna Experts who import and sell saunas in Ireland, and own the sauna in Stradbally.

It has two big saunas, a hot tub, and soon a small health focused coffee shop, with steps down into the chilly river and bucket showers.

The wood fired sauna at Sauna Sessions in Stradbally.

“We started up in business six years ago, now we employ 12 in Sauna Experts and three staff at Sauna Sessions. We supply loads of commercial and private saunas and give advice to handymen to build their own.

“When we started off the sauna during the steam rally it was quiet, it’s unbelievable how it’s grown. We had 200 people last Sunday. It’s really nice.

“We offer the traditional Finnish sauna with a wood fire, it gets hotter, you can see and smell the fire.

Andrus and Marius Sirvaitis, coowners of Sauna Experts and Sauna Sessions in Laois. 

“I have a sauna at home, your body is asking for it, you just feel better overall. In Lithuania every second house has a sauna, it’s like a second Finland. I’ve been going since I was a baby. In Ireland unfortunately the rules are no under 15s, but for a runny nose it works magic for children. 

“Locals would ask why there was no sauna in Laois even though we live here, so we felt we should open one.

"At first most of our customers were Eastern European, now I’d say 95% are Irish, it’s really good. They come because they heard from somebody and then keep coming back,” Viktorija said.

Friends Brigid Comerford and Sarah Doheny from Abbeyleix are regulars at the Finnish sauna at Stradbally lake.

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“I like the relaxation and we get an hour together as well. I just think holistic treatments, anything natural is better for the body. I started coming because I was sick a few weeks ago and now we’ve made it a regular thing,” Sarah said.

“I started going last year to one in Naas, then the one in Glenbarrow in the Slieve Blooms. They’re a good place to relax and to catch up with a friend. The cold dip is lovely as well. You sleep like a baby after,” Brigid said.