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IT MAY ONLY be January, but plenty of us are dreaming of being on a beach somewhere. But which one?
Luckily, National Geographic has named their top beaches for 2017.
They include beaches for snorkeling, exploring and just lying on.
Here are some of the highlights according to the magazine:
On sunny days on Iceland’s south coast, Reynisfjara Beach’s ink black sand and basalt sea stacks are absolutely stunning.
Past the tulip fields in south Holland, between Amsterdam and The Hague, the seaside town of Noordwijk has a separate dog beach for wild gambols by the North Sea. There are walking routes for human-canine bonding, and pooch-friendly restaurants and lodgings, including Take2 Beach & Bungalows, near the entrance to the dog beach.
A swim through an opening nearly invisible from the sea reveals what locals call the “hidden beach,” encircled by an impressive rock ring forming a natural oculus for the sun and sky.
On the edge of the continent, and part of the Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage site, countless white cockleshells, up to 30 feet deep in some parts, spread for miles. Take nothing but pictures. Stop at Old Pearler Restaurant, built entirely of shells from this beach.
Ringed by reefs, Curaçao hides a Caribbean underwater wonderland, and this beach is one of the few sandy ones on the arid island, with a bar and a shop to rent snorkel gear. Slip straight into the shallow crystalline bay alive with sea fans and coral, tropical fish, sponges, sea turtles, and more.
Sculpted by the mistral wind and embellished with juniper bushes and olive trees, the Piscinas Dunes paint a mercurial backdrop on Sardinia’s southwestern Costa Verde (Green Coast). A former mining warehouse, Hotel Le Dune Piscinas sits at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea,with ample windows and lounge spots for admiring the ever changing canvas of sky, sand, and waves.
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It is just a shame that the Journal is buying into that sensationalist crap like the trashy tabloids. Unnecessarily panicking the elderly & vulnerable with misleading headlines like this. ‘Country Gripped’ in the headline, followed by ‘May get some snow or sleet’.
Cop on to yourselves lads.
+10
I blame Michael Fish with his 1987 gaff, all forecasts since then have erred on the side of caution.
Exactly, Joe. Right now, Meath is gripped by rain!
Snow here in Meath. All depends on where you are.
Don’t believe it for a second.
They use these new warnings too much and have lost their meaning.
I will believe it when I actually see snow where I live……
So we do you listen to the weather forecast then, just stick you head out the window.
Ohh I don’t know Lesley…there was a report of a snowflake in Longford there yesterday…I’m surprised it didn’t set off a red alert..
I think they prefer to er on the side of caution because if they decided “ah sure it probably won’t snow anyway let’s not issue a warning” and then if the weather did turn bad and people were hurt or worse then you’d all be complaining you weren’t warned. After all all it takes is one patch of black ice on one bad bend on one country road for someone to lose their life. If the warnings make people think and take it a bit easier on the road it might save even just one life and sure that’s the whole point.
The point is it doesn’t make people take it easier on the roads, all that happens is you step out side in your winter woolies and think “no snow, no ice… forecast wrong AGAIN (sigh)” jump into car and vrooom off you go
I never said it would make everyone take it easier…just the smart ones.
Smart drivers ha ha ha ha ha ha
Ha ha ha ha
Ha ha
Sorry poison, couldn’t help myself
Met Eireann are considering doing personalised forecasts for some of the dummies with a little location device for those journal readers who are not sure if they living in any of the following mentioned in the warning ” Connacht, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Wicklow, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Donegal, Clare, Kerry and Tipperary.”
Here’s a handy tip. The photo from the Gardai shows snow in the Dublin Mountains. The photo of Daragh above in thejournal.ie office show no snow. Hope this is of help.
I call the dog in first thing in the morning
- if wet… Raining
- if dry… Not Raining
- if white… Snowing
- if fluffy… Windy
- if contrary… Hungry
Simples!
Ice ‘grips the nation!’ Are these stories some kind of in-joke?
These weather warnings are just a joke at this stage
Lots of snow here in cavan at the moment.
Same here near virginia 3 inches fell overnight and its just started snowing heavy again
It’s hard to believe met eireann weather warnings.I’d belive yer man in Donegal before them.
Who ??…Wee Daniel?
It’s the media not the met
Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!
Felt sorry for my ten year old who was convinced he’d have no school today after the weather man told him it would snow. Think he’s on his fourth Chorus of “let it Snow” thanks mister weather man.
Yellow snow warning…..hmmmmm…I have always warned people about that!!
I’m now convinced Met Eireann forecast the weather by linking their finger and holding it in the air! Every single warning has been wrong so far.
*licking – predictive text designed to make you look stupid. (Certainly achieving it with me)
Snow in carrickmacross schools closed
Snowing in Dundalk
Irish weather unlike countries further south is very difficult to predict.In Spain and Portugal you can forcast 2 weeks ahead with a good chance of being right.Ireland however has so many different variables being at the edge of the Atlantic will always be difficult
And it changes to cm instead of inches to make it seem bigger ! I think I’ll try that too ! :)
Snowing on and off in Mullingar, but nothing to write home about.
It’s January, not July, what are people expecting?
I would have more faith in a tarot card reader than I would in the Met office, they get it wrong more than they get it right!
I blame Sinn Fein!
Snow way?
Ysee I read this crap and worry I won’t be able to drive from kerry up the country tomorrow .its hardly gonna be like new York,is it?
What do these clowns get paid for?? We all should get paid for just doing the lottery….by this reckoning.
Very windy in tralee
What colour is it?
Quick, I may need to panic!
There should be a set of alerts to deal with our weather obsession. Yellow alert – you’ll hear about it just on weather forecast and from shop workers. Orange alert – you’ll hear about it on facebook, every second article online etc. red alert – your mammy rings you to tell you to leave work early if you have to – rather than drive in blizzards
Not one flurry this morning in Dublin, though the forecast was saying snow right now at 7am. Got outside, not even wet.
Met Eireann muppets again!! Learn how to read the dials you morans!!
Organge. Phew. I was worried about the yellow snow.
Grips it where and it is not July yet lol.
Well they have added Tipperary, what a laugh, a little covering on the Knockmaeldowns and a little more on the Galtees, but nothing drastic, I would be more bothered about the biting wind so!!!
have your say