The beach is not just for summer and is great for a brisk walk on a cold day.
That's according to Outsider.ie Co-editor Heather Snelgar, who was speaking after the Irish Independent comprised a list of Ireland's top 10 beaches for 2023.
She told Newstalk Breakfast the beach is getting a new lease of life.
"I don't think the beach is just for summer any longer," she said.
"I think that applies to all ages and all uses.
"You'll see now, especially post-lockdown, that we've people who are enjoying the beach and they're swimming all year round and they're in their dryrobes.
Curracloe Beach in Co Wexford, seen in this June 2016 file photo, was made famous as a stand-in for Omaha Beach in the film 'Saving Private Ryan'. Picture by: mauritius images GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo"We are a family who swim in the sea, but we also bring our kids to the beach on the weekends.
"Dryrobes and good kit, waterproof kit for the kids, they're no reason why you shouldn't enjoy the beach.
"Is there anything nicer than a brisk walk on a cold winter's day on the beach?"
The top 10 beaches are:
- Keem Bay, Co Mayo
- Curracloe, Co Wexford
- Inch, Co Kerry
- Dog's Bay, Connemara
- Lahinch, Co Clare
- Inchydoney, Co Cork
- Ballybunion, Co Kerry
- Enniscrone, Co Sligo
- Tramore, Co Waterford
- Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow
'Wide, open beaches'
Heather said the best views are usually from the water.
"One thing I really noticed about this list: it definitely favoured the big, wide-open beaches," she said.
"For me it's all about gorgeous scenery when you go out into the sea, and you're having a swim, and you look around.
"Lahinch has that. If you ever go surfing in Lahinch, it can be really busy on the beach, and you go off into the water and look around it's beautiful.
People relaxing on Burrow Beach in Sutton, Dublin on August 2022. Picture by: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie"I think it's all about the sand, and I actually don't mind rocks or sand if they're nice smooth rocks or really nice soft sand.
"A nice clean beach, and then I think it's all about the water as well.
"You want nice, clear water – either if you're a swimmer or a surfer or whatever you like to do," she added.
