| NUDE BATHING IN DUN LAOGHAIRE |
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Ireland is the only country in Europe which still bans nude bathing. Being naked in a public place is currently illegal in Ireland, but hundreds of people break the law every year by stripping off at the beach. The police won't give you any hassle as long as you behave in a responsible and considerate manner. If you wish to swim or sunbathe nude please use one of the beaches or bathing places listed here or a suitable secluded area. Please use discretion and common sense at all times. The 40 Foot
Vico Road
CAUTION: The path to the bathing place is steep. The path to the cove has been eroded and is very narrow, so be extremely careful. This location is not suitable for children or for elderly or disabled people. Brittas Bay
Turn off the main Dublin - Wexford (N 11) road nine miles south of Rathnew at the signpost at Jack White's Cross.There is a pub (Jack White's) on the corner. Go down this road until you can go no further. Turn right and follow the coast for about 1¾miles until you come to a collection of fir trees and gateposts marked Buckrooney at a road junction. At the junction there is is a small green gate. Walk through the gate and follow the path to the naturist part of the beach. Alternatively you can drive on until you come to a small car park beside a path down to the beach. Once you are on the beach turn left and walk until you see fencing up on the dunes past the sixth in a line of life buoys. Between the fencing and the stream further along the beach is the naturist area. You can swim, sunbathe and walk around in comfort on the beach or in the dunes. Please do not go nude outside this area. CAUTION: Beware of currents. Always swim parallel to the beach. |
Named not for its size but because the 40th Foot Regiment of the British army who used to be stationed in a battery above it. The hardier swimmers use this rocky, natural swimming pool all year round, and the hardiest of them all at the traditional Christmas-morning dip. The Forty Foot was a men-only swimming hole for years, where nude bathing was the rule. Times being what they are, women and families are now allowed and the bathing place has now assumed a new atmosphere - and a new modesty ensues! A nearby sign reads: "togs required - by order". If you still want to bathe au naturel, note that a small section is reserved for nude swimming.
This is a small bathing place just outside the village of Dalkey, not far from Dun Laoghaire. In Dalkey turn onto Sorrento Rd. and then turn right onto the coast road (Vico Rd). The bathing place is sign-posted. Walk across the footbridge and follow the path. To the left is a path down to the changing huts and diving board. This clothing optional bathing place is used by naturists and there is a good tolerance between the naturist and textile bathers. There is also a rocky cove around to the right suitable for sunbathing.
Brittas Bay in Co. Wicklow is a popular camping and caravanning resort. The main beach is textile. The naturist beach is located almost 2 miles south of the main beach and is the most popular naturist beach in Ireland. It is long and sandy, backed by large dunes but with a stony strip between the dunes and the water (sandals are recommended!).