Displaying items by tag: Ivana Bacik

8th December 2021

Dáil Bill Proposes New ‘Dublin Bay Authority’

A new bill proposes establishing a dedicated statutory authority for the conservation of Dublin Bay, as the Dublin People reports.

The bill has been introduced to the Dáil by Dublin Bay South TD Ivana Bacik, who said: “We need to act now to ensure that the environmental protection of Dublin Bay is a priority, not an afterthought.”

It’s intended that the Dublin Bay Authority would draw its membership “from elected members of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly and others with a special expertise or interest in the future protection of Dublin Bay”.

It will also “have a mandate to improve access and facilities around Dublin Bay”, with the Labour TD noting the “crumbling dereliction of the old Sandymount and Blackrock baths”.

“These are the type of public uses that we need to see back at Dublin Bay,” Bacik said. “They are projects, not just for one local authority, but for the whole of Dublin.”

The Dublin People has more on the story HERE.

Published in Dublin Bay

Tagged under

Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.