Irish Beach Gets its Sand Back After 33 Years

 

This is What’s Trending Today.

Many people on an island in western Ireland are excited.

They are celebrating a new beach. But actually, it is the return of an old beach.

The people live in Dooagh, a small community on Achill Island.

Older residents of Dooagh remember traveling down to the coastline and walking on the sand.

But during a storm in the 1980s, the beach washed away. All that remained were rocks, seaweed and small pools of water.

In recent weeks, the beach returned.

Sean Molloy works for the Achill Island tourist office. He told reporters that the sand began returning to Dooagh Bay last year. He said the water seemed brighter because there was more sand below.

Then this year, after a series of storms in April when the wind was blowing hard, the sand appeared along the coastline.

Residents woke up one morning after low tide to see 300 meters of soft sand.

A local restaurant owner told The Guardian¹ newspaper that people heard about the beach’s return and are visiting Dooagh to take a look.

“We have a beautiful little village as it is, but it is great to look out and see this beautiful beach instead of just rocks,” the man said.

Achill Island is one of the western-most parts of Europe. A bridge connects the island with the rest of Ireland.

On Facebook, many people are posting videos and photographs of what Dooagh looked like for the past 33 years next to photos of what it looks like today.

People are talking about “the power of nature.” One Canadian tourist called Dooagh his “home away from home.” He was excited to see the changes.

A college professor in New Zealand called the Dooagh Beach story “a spectacular² example of the way beaches change over time.” He said the loss of the sand was a product of changing weather conditions and erosion³. Sometimes the sand moves up the coastline. Other times, it moves out to sea.

The Achill tourist office is happy to have new visitors. It is now busy releasing photos of crowds coming to see the returned beach.

Sean Molloy said he hopes the beach becomes the sixth Blue Flag beach on Achill Island. That means the areas must meet high standards for being clean, well-managed and environmentally friendly.

And that’s What’s Trending Today.

Words in This Story

tide – n. the regular upward and downward movement of sea levels

spectacular – adj. causing wonder

erosion – n. the gradual destruction of something by natural forces, such as water, wind, or ice; the process by which something is washed or worn away

beach – n. a coastal⁴ areas covered by sand or rock particles

resident – n. someone living in a place for a length of time

standard – n. something established as a model or example

1 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

2 spectacular   

adj.引人注目的，出色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• This is a spectacular film.这是一部场面壮观的电影。
• This is the most spectacular financial crash of the decade.这是10年里最引人注目的金融破产事件。

3 erosion   

n.腐蚀，侵蚀，磨损，削弱，减少

参考例句：

• The erosion of beach here is serious.这里海岸的腐蚀很严重。
• Drought and soil erosion had long been a major problem.干旱和水土流失一直是个老大难问题。

4 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。