I love taking photos on the beach at Youghal, especially at sunset. This is from a few days ago when the sun was really low in the sky, and it was shining directly along the beach, rather than from behind the beach as it is during the summer!

Youghal (pronounced “Yawl”) has one of the longest sandy beaches in Ireland, stretching for about 5 kilometres along the east Cork coast. The town itself has a remarkable history. It was once one of the most important ports in Ireland and served as Sir Walter Raleigh’s home in the late 16th century. Legend has it that Raleigh planted the first potatoes in Ireland in his Youghal garden, though historians debate whether this is true. What’s certain is that the town’s beach has been a beloved destination for Cork families for generations, and those old wooden groynes dotting the strand are remnants of various attempts over the centuries to manage the ever-shifting sands.