06 September 2009

A walk on the beach in Skerries

The beach in Skerries provides spectacular views of the shoreline and the off-shore islands (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2009)

Patrick Comerford

Gerry’s supermarket in Skerries must have one of the happiest wine-buyers in any Irish supermarket. The range is always unusual, if not eclectic, and going through the shelves is an interesting as browsing the shelves of any of the best bookshops in Dublin.

After a late lunch across the street in the Olive Café in Strand Street yesterday afternoon, I went for a walk along the South Beach in Skerries. This is one of the finest stretches of sandy beach in Fingal, looking out towards Rockabill – which is actually two islands rather than one – down to Lambay and the smaller islands of Skerries, including Shenick, Saint Patrick’s and Colt Island.

Then it was around the rocks, and up past the Martello Tower, around Red Island – which is a tombolo and not an island – and past the Lifeboat Station to harbour and out along the pier. The tide was out, and many of the fishing boats looked lonely and marooned.

But walking back towards the sailing club, the bars and restaurants were full to the brim with customers, and despite the overcast evening, there was a lively atmosphere.

The double beach in Skerries is an unusual natural phenomenon and the walk along both shores proved exhilarating. My GP has prescribed a new inhaler and new medication to help me cope with the symptoms of Sarcoidosis. But I felt refreshed and renewed after yesterday’s walk on the beach and around Skerries.

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