Local election candidates were surprised to receive a letter this week from Club Aquarius with an address at South Frederick Street, Dublin - not unfortunately, the same premises as the PD headquarters, urging local councils to bring us in line with the rest of Europe by designating a small section of isolated beach as a clothes-optional or naturist area. Ireland, the letter says, is the only EU country without such a facility and it is unsatisfactory that both citizens and tourists risk prosecution for sunbathing or swimming nude on unofficial beaches.
One candidate who received the letter is FG's Nora Owen. It arrived, she said, on the coldest day recently and she couldn't think of anything worse than being on a beach with her clothes on, let alone with them off. But she is not against the idea if people want it, as there are many lovely beaches in Fingal. She supported Councillor Myles Tierney in the 1980s when he called for naturist beaches. Watch this space.