The last beach walk of the year

Darkness closes in on New Year’s Eve on the beach in Bray (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

I had my last walk on a beach for the year 2009 in Bray, Co Wicklow, on New Year’s Eve. Surprisingly, there was no snow covering Bray Head or the Sugarloaf Mountain. But dusk was descending quickly in the afternoon as I finished lunch in Palazzo and walked across the Promenade and down onto the windswept beach.

A double espresso in Palazzo (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2009)

This is the worst winter in Ireland in my memory. The strong north arctic winds had swept in from the Irish Sea against the east coast and had scattered sand, pebbles and seaweed up onto the promenade walk from the beach.

Despite the chilling, biting temperatures, it was dry and it was impossible to resist a walk on the beach before darkness settled in. The strong wind was churning up the waves, and I couldn’t but feel sorry for the poor crews working on two ships I could glimpse out on the horizon.

A beautiful winter afternoon on the beach in Bray (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2009)

Winter is not my favourite time of the year, but this beach walk was a beautiful and awe-filled way to end the year, and to look forward to 2010 … with many more beach walks on the horizon hopefully.

I have really appreciated my beach walks this year; they have helped me cope so well with sarcoidosis, so that while I may have sarcoidosis, sarcoidosis will never have me.

Happy New Year. May 2010 be full of blessings for you.