Tramore, Co. Waterford is probably the best-known seaside town in Ireland and the translation of its Irish name Tra Mhor is ‘big strand.’ I feel extremely privileged to reside in the town and to live just a few minutes away from the beach which has such natural appeal and beauty.

Yesterday evening, a tweet from someone looking for solutions to writer’s block caught my eye and my response was: ‘ go to where there is water, ideally the sea, and let the ripples gently re-ignite your creativity. See it as cleansing! The person tweeted back early this morning to saying: ‘ love this idea, and will be running my bathroom taps asap! too wet outside to go out!!! thank you x.’
This little exchange was on my mind this morning as I headed down to the beach in Tramore. The sun was blazing, and the tide was out. It seemed to me that the three miles of golden sand were like nature’s page presenting infinite angles and ideas and touching every sense imaginable.

I knew that the tide would be perfect for a swim at around tea-time and also that a whole new vista would present itself when I reached the Prom. The comforting arms of the Bay, as I always think of them, Brownstown Head and the Metal Man, seemed to be much closer than earlier; there were more people around ; and the miles of sand were now covered with the full tide.

While I was thinking of how the waves were turning the page of the sands of morning, the sky drew my eyes toward an intense rainbow over the Bay revealing a full range of colour which was almost too much to absorb.

Swimming in this bliss, I wondered if the bath had sorted out my Twitter friend’s writer’s block or if she should get on a plane or train and come to Tramore Beach tomorrow where I know that more and more wonders and inspirational beauty will unfold.