The Weird Tale of Ireland’s ‘Lost Beach’
Located on Achill Island’s Dooagh beach in Ireland, a massive piece of their land returned. This may sound like a premise to an old wives tale, but this small community…
HARRIS, SCOTLAND – MAY 15: A general view across to Luskintyre beach on May 15, 2014 in Harris, Scotland. The Isles of Lewis and Harris lie in the Outer Hebrides and make up the largest island in Scotland and stretch for 100 miles. The Isles of Harris and Lewis will vote along with the rest of Scotland in the referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent country on September 18, 2014. Harris and Lewis’s economy is a mix of traditional businesses like fishing, weaving and farming, with more recent influence of tourism, the popularity of Harris and Lewis has grown steadily over recent years.
Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty ImagesLocated on Achill Island’s Dooagh beach in Ireland, a massive piece of their land returned. This may sound like a premise to an old wives tale, but this small community is celebrating the return of their missing beach. In the summer of 1984, a massive storm hit the town washing away the piece of land.
Sean Molloy of Achill Tourism told the Irish Times that “it’s enormously significant”. Nearly thirty-three years ago, the destination was once home to hotels and guest houses. However, Molloy went on to tell the newspaper that the strong winds “must have transported eroded material in form elsewhere.”
Needless to say, this small piece of land has gained some instant attention. Emmet Callaghan from Achill Hill Tourist Office told the BBC that “Yesterday we had gridlock here in the village with cars and camper vans and people are coming from all over Ireland and the UK to see our new beach.”
Emmet went on to say that “The people here have always spoken about their days on the beach and how they enjoyed it as children and now have it back with their kids is unbelievable.”
Not only do the parents in the area speak about the missing beach, but it has also been a part of literature. As reported by Huffington Post the author Graham Greene would often spend time at the beach. Most of his novels including, The Heart of the Matter and The Fallen Idol were inspired by the area.
Alan Gielty, a restaurateur in the area told the Guardian that “We have a beautiful little village as it is, but it is great to look out and see this beautiful beach instead of just rocks. Since people have seen the news of the beach, we have had plenty more visitors from the middle of the country.”
Not a local legend anymore!
Sarah Harley is a Hufflepuff living in NYC. When she is not traveling or talking to random animals, she is working as a script writer. Tweet her at @lumpyspacederp
