Bull Island
Encyclopedia
Bull Island or more properly North Bull Island (Oileán an Tairbh Thuaidh in Irish) is an island located in Dublin Bay
in Ireland, about 5 km long and 800 m wide, lying roughly parallel to the shore off Clontarf
(including Dollymount
), Raheny
, Kilbarrack
, and facing Sutton
. The island, with a sandy beach running its entire length, is a relatively recent, and inadvertent, result of human intervention in the bay.
. After years of primitive dredging, an attempt to maintain a clear channel more effectively was begun when, in 1715, the first piles were driven of what was to become the Great South Wall
, completed in 1830. This barrier was breached by storm action some years later, and in 1761, a stone pier was commenced, working from the Poolbeg Lighthouse, 1768, back to shore, the construction of massive granite blocks being completed in 1795. It was during this period that the building of a North Bull Wall was also proposed, and when it was seen that the South Wall did not solve the silting problem, the authorities responsible for Dublin Port
commissioned studies on the matter. Captain William Bligh
, of Bounty
fame, surveyed Dublin Bay for the Ballast Board in 1801, highlighting the potential of the North Bull sandbank.
. Started in 1820, the Bull Wall
was completed in 1825, at a cost of £95,000.
Over the succeeding 48 years, the natural tidal effects created by the walls deepened the entry to the Liffey from 1.8 m to 4.8 m. Much of the silt now scoured from the river course was deposited on the North Bull, and a true island began to emerge, with Dubliners venturing out to the growing beach. The volume of visitors was increased by the commencement of horse tram services to Clontarf in 1873, and further by the laying of a full tram line to Howth, opening in 1900, with stops in the Clontarf / Dollymount area, and a Coast Guard station was built at the landward end of the Bull Wall.
Sometime in the early 20th century, a track suitable for walking and handcarts, running from a slipway at the point where the Howth Road comes from Raheny's village centre down to the coast, was formed. Usable at low tide, this 150m track allowed access to the island for leisure and beachcombing (timber, coal and other items lost overboard from ships accessing Dublin Port were washed up on the island's strand).
Between 1906 and 1907, a new Bull Bridge was constructed – it is still standing. Then, in 1912, the Dollymount Sea Scouts (9th Dublin (2nd Port of Dublin)) were formed, taking part of the disused Coast Guard station as their den ("Crow's Nest") – the troop continues to operate from there, now called 5th Port Dollymount.
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practice. The Royal Dublin Golf Club clubhouse was used as officers' quarters and considerable damage was done to the building and, particularly due to trench warfare practice, the island environment as a whole. Late in this period, three local people started to dig golf holes at the Raheny end of the island, and after discussions with the Royal Dublin, and with Lady Ardilaun, formed a new golf club, named in honour of the Guinness estate, St. Anne's. The first drive-in at what was a nine-hole course until 1989, took place on 1 July 1921.
In 1931, a plan was proposed to develop the island and the waters between it and the coast. Called the "Blue Lagoon Scheme," this included dams and sluices at the Wooden Bridge and Sutton Channel, maintaining a high water level behind the island, which itself might hold some housing or tourism facilities. Further plans were advanced by Bord Failte, including conversion of much of the island as a theme park.
/Dollymount
) end, and by a broad causeway at Raheny
, approximately halfway along, and forms part of Raheny and Clontarf districts.
There are just a few residents, and in addition to the clubhouses of the two golf clubs, there is the newly re-built Sea Scout
den at the Clontarf end.
, after the buying-out of interests such as the Howth Estate, the exception being North Bull Wall, the breakwater beyond it, and the wooden bridge to it, which are owned by the Dublin Port Company (and closed for a day each year to ensure this remains so), and the Royal Dublin Golf Club links; St. Anne's Golf Club rent from the Council. The bulk of the island comprises the largest park owned by the city.
At the end of the North Bull Wall is the famous Star of the Sea (Realt na Mara) statue, funded by Dublin Port workers and sailors, and dedicated by the then Archbishop of Dublin in 1972.
, forming a lagoon, changing the make-up of the area's wildlife and landlocking two dinghy sailing clubs. However, the risk of this is considered small due to the strength of currents and depth of water in Sutton Channel.
, the Santry River
, Fox Stream, Blackbanks Stream and Daunagh Water. Furthermore, the city's second largest river by volume, the River Tolka
, has its estuary facing the city end of the island, into which the Wad River, and a combination of several smaller watercourses, also flow.
Bird life on the island has been protected by legislation since the 1930s, and it was designated a national nature reserve
in 1988. It is listed by UNESCO
as a biosphere reserve
. Bird species on the island include Pale-bellied Brent Geese
, Eurasian Curlew
s, Eurasian Oystercatcher
s, Grey Plover
s Northern Shoveler
s, Little Egret
s, Reed Bunting
s and Little Tern
s.. There are six terrestrial mammal species on the island: Brown Rat
s, Red Fox
es, field mice
, Irish Hare
s, hedgehog
s and European Rabbit
s. The hare has been in decline for many years and faces an uncertain future. During a study of hares on the island during the 1990s it was concluded that poor breeding success due to disturbance from people and dogs was the main cause of the drop off in numbers. The rabbit was also once much more numerous than it is today. In 1991 myxomatosis
entered the population and caused devastating losses. Shortly after this, in 1992, rabbit hemorrhagic disease was also found in blood samples taken from sick rabbits. Common Seal
s and Grey Seals are also found in the surrounding waters and can regularly be seen hauled out
on sand at low tide at the tip of the island near Howth. Harbour Porpoise
can also be seen sometimes out in the bay.
The island is also home to many species of plants including the Bee orchid
, Pyramidal orchid
and common spotted orchid
s. There is an interpretative centre at the end of the causeway on the right hand side which has displays and information on the flora and fauna of the island, and there are also information signs to either side of the causeway access, and on the roundabout where the causeway road approaches the beach.
Many Dubliners learned to drive on the firm flat sandy foreshore at low tide; there are even (very low) speed limits posted on the beach. Today, access by car is limited to a portion of the island near the Bull Bridge access and two sections reached from the causeway at Raheny.
status was obtained, and swimming numbers grew somewhat, though to nowhere near historic levels. Then, in 2007, significant algal blooms developed on a large part of the seashore, causing the strand to lose its Blue Flag (2007).
.jpg)
In recent years Bull Island has also become popular with kite-surfers, with a declared kite-surfing launch area near the Bull Wall, accessed from the Wooden Bridge. The shallow water and long stretch of straight beach allows for safe kite-surfing. This has encouraged many beginners to take up the sport on the island.
s, the more famous belonging to the Royal Dublin Golf Club, and the newer to St. Anne's Golf Club.
's Michael Collins
and Stephen Frears
's The Van
.
Dublin Bay
Dublin Bay is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland. The bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south...
in Ireland, about 5 km long and 800 m wide, lying roughly parallel to the shore off Clontarf
Clontarf, Dublin
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...
(including Dollymount
Dollymount
Dollymount is a coastal suburban area on the north coast of Dublin Bay, within Clontarf, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland, just East of St Anne's Park.-Dollymount Strand:...
), Raheny
Raheny
Raheny is a northern suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is an old area, centred around an old village, and is referenced back to 570 AD but after years of light settlement, with a main village and a coastal hamlet, grew rapidly in the 20th century, and is now a mid-density...
, Kilbarrack
Kilbarrack
Kilbarrack is a residential suburb of Dublin, Ireland, running inwards from the coast, about from the city's centre. Modern-day Kilbarrack is within the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council, with part of its old lands now in Donaghmede, and part in Bayside under Fingal County Council...
, and facing Sutton
Sutton, Dublin
Sutton is a residential suburb of Dublin's Northside, Ireland, at the base of Howth Head, the peninsula which forms the northern edge of Dublin Bay.-Location and geography:...
. The island, with a sandy beach running its entire length, is a relatively recent, and inadvertent, result of human intervention in the bay.
Background
In times past, Dublin Bay had a long-running problem with silting, notably at the mouth of the River LiffeyRiver Liffey
The Liffey is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.-Name:The river was previously named An Ruirthech,...
. After years of primitive dredging, an attempt to maintain a clear channel more effectively was begun when, in 1715, the first piles were driven of what was to become the Great South Wall
Great South Wall
The Great South Wall , at the Port of Dublin, extends from Ringsend nearly four miles out into Dublin Bay. It was the world's longest sea-wall at the time of its building, remaining one of the longest in Europe...
, completed in 1830. This barrier was breached by storm action some years later, and in 1761, a stone pier was commenced, working from the Poolbeg Lighthouse, 1768, back to shore, the construction of massive granite blocks being completed in 1795. It was during this period that the building of a North Bull Wall was also proposed, and when it was seen that the South Wall did not solve the silting problem, the authorities responsible for Dublin Port
Dublin Port
Dublin Port is Ireland's biggest sea port. It has both historical and contemporary economic importance. Approximatively two-thirds of the Republic of Ireland's port traffic goes via Dublin Port...
commissioned studies on the matter. Captain William Bligh
William Bligh
Vice Admiral William Bligh FRS RN was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. A notorious mutiny occurred during his command of HMAV Bounty in 1789; Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to Timor, after being set adrift in the Bounty's launch by the mutineers...
, of Bounty
HMS Bounty
HMS Bounty , famous as the scene of the Mutiny on the Bounty on 28 April 1789, was originally a three-masted cargo ship, the Bethia, purchased by the British Admiralty, then modified and commissioned as His Majesty's Armed Vessel the...
fame, surveyed Dublin Bay for the Ballast Board in 1801, highlighting the potential of the North Bull sandbank.
Bull Bridge, North Bull Wall and the beginning of Bull Island
A wooden bridge, the first Bull Bridge, was erected in 1819 to facilitate the construction of a stone wall, based on a design by Ballast Board engineer, George HalpinGeorge Halpin
George Halpin , was a prominent civil engineer and lighthouse builder, responsible for the construction of much of the Port of Dublin, several of Dublin's bridges, and a number of lighthouses; he is considered the founding father of the Irish lighthouse service...
. Started in 1820, the Bull Wall
Bull Wall
The Bull Wall, or North Bull Wall, at the Port of Dublin, extending from the estuary of the River Tolka and the district of Clontarf out nearly 3 km into Dublin Bay, is one of the two defining sea walls of the port, and faces the earlier-constructed Great South Wall...
was completed in 1825, at a cost of £95,000.
Over the succeeding 48 years, the natural tidal effects created by the walls deepened the entry to the Liffey from 1.8 m to 4.8 m. Much of the silt now scoured from the river course was deposited on the North Bull, and a true island began to emerge, with Dubliners venturing out to the growing beach. The volume of visitors was increased by the commencement of horse tram services to Clontarf in 1873, and further by the laying of a full tram line to Howth, opening in 1900, with stops in the Clontarf / Dollymount area, and a Coast Guard station was built at the landward end of the Bull Wall.
Growth and early usage of the island
The island continued to grow in extent, from the Bull Wall towards Howth Head. In addition to picnics and swimming, the island was used for shooting practice, and in 1880, an international rifle match between Ireland and the USA was held there, with an audience numbering several thousand. In 1889, the Royal Dublin Golf Club, then located at Sutton, sought and received permission of Colonel Vernon and the Dublin Port and Docks Board to lay out a golf course at the city end of the island, and construct a clubhouse.Sometime in the early 20th century, a track suitable for walking and handcarts, running from a slipway at the point where the Howth Road comes from Raheny's village centre down to the coast, was formed. Usable at low tide, this 150m track allowed access to the island for leisure and beachcombing (timber, coal and other items lost overboard from ships accessing Dublin Port were washed up on the island's strand).
Between 1906 and 1907, a new Bull Bridge was constructed – it is still standing. Then, in 1912, the Dollymount Sea Scouts (9th Dublin (2nd Port of Dublin)) were formed, taking part of the disused Coast Guard station as their den ("Crow's Nest") – the troop continues to operate from there, now called 5th Port Dollymount.
1914 to 1961
The British Army commandeered the whole island on 5 September 1914, for military training – primarily as a firing range but also for trench warfareTrench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
practice. The Royal Dublin Golf Club clubhouse was used as officers' quarters and considerable damage was done to the building and, particularly due to trench warfare practice, the island environment as a whole. Late in this period, three local people started to dig golf holes at the Raheny end of the island, and after discussions with the Royal Dublin, and with Lady Ardilaun, formed a new golf club, named in honour of the Guinness estate, St. Anne's. The first drive-in at what was a nine-hole course until 1989, took place on 1 July 1921.
In 1931, a plan was proposed to develop the island and the waters between it and the coast. Called the "Blue Lagoon Scheme," this included dams and sluices at the Wooden Bridge and Sutton Channel, maintaining a high water level behind the island, which itself might hold some housing or tourism facilities. Further plans were advanced by Bord Failte, including conversion of much of the island as a theme park.
Access and occupancy
The island is connected to the mainland by the Bull Bridge, today a one-lane wooden road bridge (with weight and height restrictions) at the southern (ClontarfClontarf, Dublin
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...
/Dollymount
Dollymount
Dollymount is a coastal suburban area on the north coast of Dublin Bay, within Clontarf, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland, just East of St Anne's Park.-Dollymount Strand:...
) end, and by a broad causeway at Raheny
Raheny
Raheny is a northern suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is an old area, centred around an old village, and is referenced back to 570 AD but after years of light settlement, with a main village and a coastal hamlet, grew rapidly in the 20th century, and is now a mid-density...
, approximately halfway along, and forms part of Raheny and Clontarf districts.
There are just a few residents, and in addition to the clubhouses of the two golf clubs, there is the newly re-built Sea Scout
Sea Scout
Sea Scouts are members of the international Scouting movement, with a particular emphasis on water-based activities, such as kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and rowing. Depending on the country and the available water these activities are on lakes, rivers or sea in small or large ships. Sea Scouting...
den at the Clontarf end.
Situation
Most of North Bull Island is property of Dublin City CouncilDublin City Council
Dublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...
, after the buying-out of interests such as the Howth Estate, the exception being North Bull Wall, the breakwater beyond it, and the wooden bridge to it, which are owned by the Dublin Port Company (and closed for a day each year to ensure this remains so), and the Royal Dublin Golf Club links; St. Anne's Golf Club rent from the Council. The bulk of the island comprises the largest park owned by the city.
At the end of the North Bull Wall is the famous Star of the Sea (Realt na Mara) statue, funded by Dublin Port workers and sailors, and dedicated by the then Archbishop of Dublin in 1972.
Continuing development
The island continues to grow and it is a possibility that within the next half-century continued deposition may lead to its merging with the mainland at Red Rock in SuttonSutton, Dublin
Sutton is a residential suburb of Dublin's Northside, Ireland, at the base of Howth Head, the peninsula which forms the northern edge of Dublin Bay.-Location and geography:...
, forming a lagoon, changing the make-up of the area's wildlife and landlocking two dinghy sailing clubs. However, the risk of this is considered small due to the strength of currents and depth of water in Sutton Channel.
Nature
The island is primarily a sand structure approximately 5 km long and 1 km wide. The southeast facing side is a flat beach, backed by marram-grass-anchored dunes, scrub and marsh. On the northern side of the Bull, between the island and the mainland, is a large linear saltmarsh complex backed by mudflats all of which are covered at high tide. Several of the city's small rivers and streams enter the bay here, notably the Naniken RiverNaniken River
The Naniken River is a minor river on the north side of Dublin city, Ireland, one of more than forty watercourses monitored by Dublin City Council...
, the Santry River
Santry River
Santry River is a fairly small river on the north side of Dublin city, one of the forty or so watercourses monitored by Dublin City Council.-Course:...
, Fox Stream, Blackbanks Stream and Daunagh Water. Furthermore, the city's second largest river by volume, the River Tolka
River Tolka
The River Tolka is one of Dublin's three main rivers, flowing from County Meath to Fingal, within the old County Dublin, and through the north of Dublin city, Ireland. It is one of Dublin's three main rivers, the others being the Liffey and the Dodder...
, has its estuary facing the city end of the island, into which the Wad River, and a combination of several smaller watercourses, also flow.
Bird life on the island has been protected by legislation since the 1930s, and it was designated a national nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
in 1988. It is listed by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as a biosphere reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
. Bird species on the island include Pale-bellied Brent Geese
Brent Goose
The Brant or Brent Goose, Branta bernicla, is a species of goose of the genus Branta. The Black Brant is an American subspecies. The specific descriptor bernicla is from the same source as "barnacle" in Barnacle Goose, which looks similar but is not a close relation.-Appearance:The Brant Goose is...
, Eurasian Curlew
Eurasian Curlew
The Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia...
s, Eurasian Oystercatcher
Eurasian Oystercatcher
The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the Common Pied Oystercatcher, or just Oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western Europe, central Eurasia,...
s, Grey Plover
Grey Plover
The Grey Plover , known as the Black-bellied Plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding....
s Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler
The Northern Shoveler , Northern Shoveller in British English, sometimes known simply as the Shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia...
s, Little Egret
Little Egret
The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted....
s, Reed Bunting
Reed Bunting
The Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae....
s and Little Tern
Little Tern
The Little Tern, Sternula albifrons or Sterna albifrons, is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It was formerly placed into the genus Sterna, which now is restricted to the large white terns . The former North American and Red Sea S. a...
s.. There are six terrestrial mammal species on the island: Brown Rat
Brown Rat
The brown rat, common rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Brown Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat is one of the best known and most common rats....
s, Red Fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
es, field mice
Apodemus
Apodemus is the genus of Muridae which contains the Eurasian field mice. Related to the Ryūkyū spiny rats and the prehistoric Rhagamys – and far more distantly to Mus and Malacomys –, it includes the following species:*Striped Field Mouse, Apodemus agrarius*Alpine Field Mouse, Apodemus...
, Irish Hare
Mountain Hare
The Mountain Hare , also known as Blue Hare, Tundra Hare, Variable Hare, White Hare, Alpine Hare and Irish Hare, is a hare, which is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. It is distributed from Fennoscandia to eastern Siberia; in addition there are isolated populations in the Alps,...
s, hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
s and European Rabbit
European Rabbit
The European Rabbit or Common Rabbit is a species of rabbit native to south west Europe and north west Africa . It has been widely introduced elsewhere often with devastating effects on local biodiversity...
s. The hare has been in decline for many years and faces an uncertain future. During a study of hares on the island during the 1990s it was concluded that poor breeding success due to disturbance from people and dogs was the main cause of the drop off in numbers. The rabbit was also once much more numerous than it is today. In 1991 myxomatosis
Myxomatosis
Myxomatosis is a disease that affects rabbits and is caused by the Myxoma virus. It was first observed in Uruguay in laboratory rabbits in the late 19th century. It was introduced into Australia in 1950 in an attempt to control the rabbit population...
entered the population and caused devastating losses. Shortly after this, in 1992, rabbit hemorrhagic disease was also found in blood samples taken from sick rabbits. Common Seal
Harbor Seal
The harbor seal , also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere...
s and Grey Seals are also found in the surrounding waters and can regularly be seen hauled out
Hauling-out
Hauling-out is the behaviour associated with pinnipeds , of temporarily leaving the water between periods of foraging activity for sites on land or ice...
on sand at low tide at the tip of the island near Howth. Harbour Porpoise
Harbour Porpoise
The harbour porpoise is one of six species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest marine mammals. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries, and as such, is the most familiar porpoise to whale watchers. This porpoise often ventures up rivers, and has been seen...
can also be seen sometimes out in the bay.
The island is also home to many species of plants including the Bee orchid
Bee Orchid
The Bee Orchid is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Orchidaceae.-Etymology:The name "Ophrys" derives from the Greek word "ophrys", meaning "eyebrow", while the Latin name of the species "apifera" refers to the bee-shaped lip.-Description: The Bee Orchid grows to a height of ....
, Pyramidal orchid
Pyramidal orchid
The Pyramidal Orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis, is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Genus Anacamptis of the family Orchidaceae...
and common spotted orchid
Common spotted orchid
The Common Spotted-orchid is acommonly occurring species of European orchid. It is widely variable in colour and height, ranging from 15 to 60 cm in height. The flower colour can vary from white to pale purple with purple spots. The lip has three lobes...
s. There is an interpretative centre at the end of the causeway on the right hand side which has displays and information on the flora and fauna of the island, and there are also information signs to either side of the causeway access, and on the roundabout where the causeway road approaches the beach.
Dollymount Strand
Dollymount Strand, the 5 km beach on the island, is a popular walking and recreational area for Dubliners. Walking of dogs is also popular, though they are supposed to be kept under control, due to the Wildlife Reserve status, and in particular to fears of attacks on rabbits and hares.Many Dubliners learned to drive on the firm flat sandy foreshore at low tide; there are even (very low) speed limits posted on the beach. Today, access by car is limited to a portion of the island near the Bull Bridge access and two sections reached from the causeway at Raheny.
Swimming
The strand is historically a popular swimming spot but usage fell sharply as pollution rose in the 1980s. Later, Blue FlagBlue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
status was obtained, and swimming numbers grew somewhat, though to nowhere near historic levels. Then, in 2007, significant algal blooms developed on a large part of the seashore, causing the strand to lose its Blue Flag (2007).
Kite-surfing
Golf
The island has two golf courseGolf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s, the more famous belonging to the Royal Dublin Golf Club, and the newer to St. Anne's Golf Club.
Movies
Its been used as a location in many Dublin themed movies such as Neil JordanNeil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.- Early life :...
's Michael Collins
Michael Collins (film)
Michael Collins is a 1996 historical biopic written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Liam Neeson as General Michael Collins, the Irish patriot and revolutionary who died in the Irish Civil War. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival....
and Stephen Frears
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
's The Van
The Van (novel)
The Van is a 1991 novel by Irish writer Roddy Doyle and the third novel in The Barrytown Trilogy, continuing the story from The Snapper . It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize . -Premise:...
.