Ireland introduces its first-ever nudist beach at Hawk Cliff.

Ireland is famous for many things—pubs, rain, shamrocks—but beaches and public nudity aren’t usually among them.

Yet, the Emerald Isle is combining both with its inaugural nudist-friendly beach, set to officially open at Hawk Cliff in Dalkey, south Dublin, this April.

The image above shows the steps leading down to the Viko Bathing Place, located at Hawk Cliff.

While this news may surprise many visitors to Ireland, it turns out that naked sunbathing has been quietly growing in popularity across the country for years.

Pat Gallagher from the Irish Naturist Association shared with BBC's Good Morning Ulster, 'People have been visiting beaches across Ireland for nude bathing as long as I can remember.'

'Many people might not openly admit it, but they often travel abroad to enjoy nude beaches or stay at nudist resorts during their holidays,' Gallagher added.

'A significant achievement for Ireland'

After a long campaign, the Irish Naturist Association finally saw success when Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council agreed to install signs at Hawk Cliff warning about nude sunbathers—a first for the country.

'Every other European country already has these types of signs,' Gallagher continued. 'This is a milestone for Ireland.'

Gallagher mentions that Hawk Cliff is already a popular spot for naturists, as well as for those who prefer to keep their swimsuits on, so the introduction of nudist-friendly signage is unlikely to cause major disruptions.

This decision follows a recent change in Ireland's public nudity laws, which now state that it is only an offense if someone is 'intending to cause fear, distress, or alarm,' or engages in sexual behavior in public.

While the news of Hawk Cliff's new status is exciting for Ireland's nudist community, it has not been universally welcomed.

'We are not officially designating this as a nudist beach,' explained a spokesperson from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

'However, we will be putting up signs in the area to inform the public that they may encounter nude bathers.'