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This is one of the beaches in the town where I grew up. Here, I would play with cousins, bulid sand-castles ant torment crabs in the rock pools. As a teenager there were wild parties with huge bonfires and lots of drink. This is where I learnt to swim. The Black Rocks to the left is where we would colect periwinkles when the tide went out. The Castle ruins was where my great-grandfather would climb and sing when he’d had a few too many.

The two main beaches in Ballybunion, Co. Kerry, Ireland, are named The Men’s Strand and The Ladies Strand. The beaches are separated by a cliff, atop which stands the ruins of a promontory fort, Ballybunion Castle.

The names date back to the Victorian era when it was seemly for ladies and gents to bathe in different areas. The names are still used, but the gender restriction has not been observed for many a decade.