"You have the real extreme version, you close it off. But again, locals have been going to the beach for decades … they’re not the ones that get into the accidents there. It's mainly tourists."
Meanwhile, as the years pass, many people who used to enjoy going there, now hesitate – reluctant to risk the 60 steps down without even a decent handrail.
This challenge, epitomised by Clontarf, is cropping up all over Ireland and likely to become more common as efforts ramp up to adapt to climate change.
A documentary maker’s memoir explores his relationship with the aquatic world, with tales of shallow dives and far-flung adventures that break on gentle waves of poetry and images of coast and wildlife.
The Environmental Protection Agency rates the water quality at Sandymount Strand and Merrion Strand as “poor”. The council and others are looking more closely at what, or who, is to blame.
In this evocative video, Aoife Hester captures the nostalgia of summers at Bray Beach. It’s the latest in our series on works by contemporary Dublin artists.
Fire performers meet regularly to practice on Sandymount Strand, which is well-suited for the purpose, with a large body of water nearby in case something goes wrong.
The members of the Irish Naturist Association think they should be able to swim naked, and our reporter went along with them to do just that on Saturday at a pool in Dublin.
