Portmarnock by the Sea
The Velvet Strand (31K-JPEG)
Portmarnock is a very popular beach for swimming, sun-bathing and horse-riding. It is five miles long and stretches all the way to Baldoyle and adjoins Malahide beach.
It has a lovely view of the Dublin mountains and Howth Harbour. It also has a clear view of Lambay island and Ireland's Eye.On clear days, especially week-ends you are able to see yachts racing.Along the beach there is a path which takes you into Malahide and it is used by many people each day. It is a great way of exercising whether you're walking, cycling or even roller blading you can enjoy the beach while you exercise. In Portmarnock there are two National landmarks. The Martello Tower and The Kiosk, which is one of only three in all of Ireland. The Kiosk is a great shop for sweets, ice-cream and beach needs. The village of Portmarnock has a population of roughly 10,000 and is surrounded by Golf Courses on all sides.
Aviation History at Portmarnock
Our beach was always popular, but it became the focus of world attention in the early ninteen hundreds because of the part it played in avation history. On twenty third of June 1930, Kingsford Smith and his crew crossed the the Alantic ocean from east to west in the now famous aircraft, "The Southern Cross". Preparation had begun at Baldonnel, but the crew decided that Portmarnock beach offered a better site for take off. Many local people remember it well. Crowds came from everywhere and a lot of them were foreign tourists. Some came well prepared, with foodstuffs and other things. They lit campfires and didn't seen to mind the drizzle at all.
Some reports said that the crowd was as big as ten thousand. It was four in the morning when the Souhtern Cross took off. The guards had an awful job keeping the crowds back in excitement. Even when the plane had gone, there was a great celebration.
The other great aviation memory was the nineteenth of August, nineteen hundred and thirty-two, when the Mollisons, Jim and Amy, arrived with their plane, "The Heart's Content". The plan was for Jim Mollison to make a return solo flight across, starting at Portmarnock beach. Locals remember that day.
The weather was very summery. Crowds kept arriving from all over the place, by motor car, bus and train, as well as on foot. There must have been a couple of thousand people there, and a lot of guards keeping an eye on the crowd.
Madge Martin from the village delivered the telegrams of good wishes to Mr Mollison before he took off. Other people gave him all sorts of souvenirs to take with him, like a St Christopher medal, a Jameson whiskey souvenir, and sandwiches. The Lord Mayor, Alfie Bryne, was there too, and gave him letters to take with him.
The plane took off before midday. Some people celebrated into the night, but most had to get back to work. Mrs Donnelly's tea rooms did a great trade that day.
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