It might sound like a strange concept as we enter the long autumn and winter months, but it is possible some Irish cities are about to get a whole lot sandier.

Dun Laoghaire is looking like it could host a long-term artificial seaside. An urban beach in the town would be worth €1m a year to the local economy according to Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company. They’re planning to build a floating, heated and outdoor pool in the town’s harbour by 2015.

The proposed urban beach project would include a café and seating area, with planners hoping 140,000 people will visit the site every year. It might not just be one beach either – a second adjacent beach is planned to handle the demand. It’s not without precedent: a temporary urban beach in Dublin’s Docklands was said to have attracted 45,000 visitors back in 2008.

Certainly Irish weather is not as reliable as some climates that have successfully integrated long-term mini-beaches, although artificial heating should help partially confront that problem.

Alternatively, Dun Laoghaire 'beach' could operate on a seasonal basis. The popular Paris-Plages project, for example, sees the local authorities change areas along the banks of the Seine into mini-beaches for the summer months – complete with palm trees, sand and parasols. Paris-Plages attracts millions of visitors every year.

Similar projects have sprung up everywhere from Toronto to Shanghai. It’s not just warmer countries that can enjoy the luxury, either. Closer to home, the Nottingham Riviera and Cardiff Bay Beach projects have proven to be successful initiatives.

Whether the Dun Laoghaire project will go ahead as planned remains to be seen. However, as soon as 2015 visitors and locals alike might be able to experience that ‘seaside feeling’ without even leaving town.

(Image: Wikimedia Commons / PeterEastern)