Life’s a real beach – when it comes back

VILLAGERS are delighted after an entire beach that was washed away 33 years ago has reappeared virtually overnight thanks to a freak tide.

The beach near the Irish village of Dooagh on Achill Island vanished in Spring storms of 1984 after waves washed away all the sand.

With nothing more than rock pools left behind, almost all the village’s hotels, guesthouses and cafes shut down.

And the picturesque stretch is still in place, with residents hoping it sticks around long enough for the beach to be given blue-flag status during next year’s inspection.

Achill Tourism manager Sean Molloy said: “Before it disappeared, the beach had been there for as long as living memory, almost continuously, until 1984-85.

“During that time there were some big storms that really destroyed the beach and it was completely washed away and 1984 was the last time the beach was there.

“Then in April when we had that cold snap over Easter, the wind was coming in from the north. “It was very constant and steady and it must have transported eroded material in from elsewhere.”

He said the bulk of the sand was deposited in just over a week, leaving residents delighted.

“It’s so nice for the villagers to have their beach back. It is an incredible example of the force and power of nature and how the coast can change in a matter of days.”

Alan Gielty, 48, who runs Gielty’s Bar and Restaurant, said the beach had brought with it an influx of tourists.