Basking in the long-setting winter sun in Loughshinny and Skerries

The setting sun casts its rays across the beach at Loughshinny (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2016)

Patrick Comerford

The post-Christmas crisp winter weather continues. Around mid-day, the grey clouds pushed back, and there was a clear blue sky with few clouds over Fingal in north Co Dublin.

Two of us planned to go to Skerries for a walk on the beaches and a late lunch in the Olive. But our way was blocked by a Garda patrol at Loughshinny, where we were told the coast road was closed between Loughshinny and Skerries.

Not to be deterred from our plans for an early afternoon beach walk, we turned down to Loughshinny and parked the car overlooking the horseshoe-shaped beach and the small fishing harbour.

The tide was out and there were no trawlers at work in Loughshinny this afternoon (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2016; click on image for a full-screen view)

The tide was out, there were no trawlers at work, and there was just a handful of people walking on the beach and along the quay wall.

Although it is observable that the days are beginning to stretch out a little in the late evening, the sun was already beginning to set slowly, sitting like an orange balloon above one of the promontories, and casting its rays across the calm, still waters.

As we prepared the leave, a large family group was on the beach, playing with their dogs, and the lights and colours of the long-setting sun cast a sepia-like set of tones across the scene.

Clear blue skies and blue waters at Skerries Harbour this afternoon (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2016)

The police checkpoint was still blocking the coast road from Loughshinny to Skerries, and instead we made a circuitous way by Baldongan and by the Hills Cricket Club into Skerries.

We walked along the South Beach and up around the harbour, where the lights of the long-setting sun were still casting their rays across the Harbour and the North Beach.

Back in Skerries, we had a late lunch in the Olive and two double espressos, before being joined by two friends from Balbriggan. By the time we got back to the South Beach for another walk on the sand, the sun had already set and grey clouds were beginning to fill the sky.

The afternoon sun was taking a long time to set in Loughshinny this afternoon (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2016; click on image for a full-screen view)