Nude At Inch

‘Let us go nude on Inch strand’

County losing out on money-spinner

By SIMON BROIJDER obroude @kerryrnafl

NATURISTS calling for the creation of a nudist beach at Inch strand are claiming the ban on nude bathing in Kerry is costing the local tourism industry thousands in lost revenue.

Ahead of last Friday’s local elections the Irish Naturist Association (INA) repeated their call on Kerry County Council to provide a “clothing optional” beach facility at Inch strand.

The organisation sent letters to the county manager and all local election candidates seeking their support for a nudist area at Inch Strand.

According to the INA, naturists have been using Inch for nude sun- bathing for years with-out any compliant from the public and now they are seeking official permission to turn a section of the popular beach into a nudist area.

INA president Pat Gallagher says that creating a naturist area at Inch could be worth a fortune to the local tourist economy “Such facilities are common place in almost all other EU member countries and are frequented by the many millions of European naturists. Naturist tourism generates billions of euros each year across Europe and is one of the fastest growing tourist segments worldwide,”

He said. “We receive numerous inquiries from naturists each year as to where it would be possible to use beach facilities as part of their holiday should they come to Ireland. We have to advise that no such facilities are provided by local authorities. We are certain that many potential tourists are lost to Ireland because no such facilities exist,” Mr Gallagher said that several beaches in Kerry are already being used for ‘au natural’ sunbathing and swimming and the most popular of these is the beach at Inch.

“Although a popular beach, it is a long beach with less than maybe 1,000 yards being used by the general public. Further on up the beach naturists have enjoyed the freedom to swim and sunbathe without clothing for many years,”

He said. “As this beach is already well established as a clothing optional beach the transition from unofficial to tolerated would require no more than a small sign letting members of the public know that,” Mr Gallagher said.

According to the INA a sign would remove the criminal “intent to cause offence” clause under which nude bathers can be prosecuted under the 1934 criminal law act.