The Irish question
What are the challenges facing naturists in the Emerald Isle? We talk to the president of the Irish Naturist Association.
INTERVIEW: LETICIA MEDINA ANDRÉS
The Irish question
What are the challenges facing naturists in the Emerald Isle? We talk to the president of the Irish Naturist Association.
She might be Spanish, but Leticia Medina Andres has obviously been in the country long enough to know how to ask a typically Irish rhetorical question.
“What motivates people to get in touch with us?” muses the president of the Irish Naturist Association (INA).
“Curiosity, certainly,” she says, answering herself. “We have had some very positive media coverage over the last couple of years, and as a result have opened many people’s eyes to the opportunities for naturism in Ireland. Somebody might have read an article in the newspaper about naked yoga on Dublin beaches, listened to an enthusiastic naturist in a radio interview, or have been forwarded - even if only in jest by a friend - one of our posts on social media.
“But it has whetted the public’s appetite and stopped them thinking that being naked in public is something that Irish people only do abroad on a Mediterranean beach. Naturism. Do people even do this in Ireland? And, more importantly, is it legal?
The answer to both questions, says Leticia, is ‘yes.’
“Our main goal is to normalise naturism in the country,” she explains, “which in simple terms means increasing the social acceptance of naturist activities, both outdoors and indoors. Growing membership is only secondary for us. We are happy to cater for non-members when the capacity of the venues allows for it, and also understand that people might have different degrees of naturist commitment and identification. We embrace all possible labels: naturists, nudists, skinny dippers, sauna-goers…”
As such, she has a simple message for would-be naturists. “You might not be comfortable labelling yourself a naturist, at least initially. That’s perfectly OK. You don’t need to call yourself a naturist or a nudist in order to participate. We have set out to be an all-enveloping organisation that caters for all tastes, ranging from naked lifestyle lovers to home nudists, people who want to try skinny-dipping, women who just want to avoid tan lines when sunbathing on the beach, and sauna aficionados who are constantly frustrated by the lack of a true naked sauna culture in this corner of Europe.”
Outlook
Leticia’s background is perhaps a key to her outlook. “I’m originally from a fairly traditional part of Spain, where I had a similar upbringing to Irish people with regard to nudity, but Germany became my second country from the age of twenty. I became a regular sauna-goer there, although I would never have labelled it as naturism. My first naturist experience took place many years later, in El Templo del Sol, one of the best nudist campsites in Spain, where we were on a family holiday as a compromise to my eldest daughter - who absolutely demanded a camping experience - and myself, who wanted to add a somewhat unique or intriguing angle to mere camping, which sounded boring to me! That holiday changed my life, and I would never again go on a non-naturist vacation. And after a second nakation the next summer, in Arnaoutchot, I told myself I wouldn’t wait another year. Having moved to Ireland with my work in the education sector, I started to look for naturist opportunities here. I joined the INA and volunteered as an event organiser and social media manager. The organisation grew, and when Pat Gallagher announced his decision to retire after years of dedicated service in 2020, I accepted the presidency.”
Leticia is keen to point out however that the INA is not a one-woman band. “Colm O'Keeffe is the bastion of the association,” she maintains. “Treasurer and Secretary for the last few decades, he’s also our webmaster and an almost irreplaceable committee member. He deserves all the praise in the world for his commitment to Irish naturism.
“We also have a series of committee members who help with administration, social media, the website, press relations and events, as well as local representatives for our different outdoor meetups. We are all volunteers offering our time, and work according to our personal circumstances. We also take pride in having a multi-voiced blog on our website, with a very varied range of authors who regularly send us their naturist experiences, reviews or thoughts. And we even have our own Irish Spencer Tunick, the artist and photographer Ciara Patricia Langan, who was the creative force behind the Coastal Bodies Project of naturist images.”
Rise
INA membership figures have been on the rise for the past few years, with the current number sitting at just under 500. In a relatively small (and conservative) country like Ireland, it’s a considerable achievement.
While admitting that the old, almost Victorian attitudes towards nudity might have been reinforced through a conservative religious mindset, Leticia also thinks other factors have conspired against the normalisation of social nudity in Ireland. Not least is the small population size and interconnected Irish society, which makes the element of anonymity a difficult one.
“Our impression is that many people would be more open-minded towards naturism if they could feel free and unjudged,” she explains. “Here in Ireland many are always worried they might be seen by acquaintances. Perhaps the lifeguard at one of our swims knows them, or a colleague might see them on the way to the nudist part of a beach.
“This being Ireland, there’s also our national obsession to contend with - the weather. You can understand the appeal of stripping off when the mercury edges into the high twenties or thirties. But that’s a rare event in this part of the world! Those who have braved the elements have a different story to tell, but even so, words like ‘refreshing’ and ‘invigorating’ are commonly bandied about.”
Naturism is possible in a small but growing number of locations, and the INA website lists some of its favourite spots, including Knocknagin Beach north of Dublin; White Rock Beach in Dalkey, south of the capital, and the venue for regular naked yoga sessions; and Lough Ennell in Co. Westmeath. “It’s the first inland location where we are working at building and strengthening a naturist tradition,” says Leticia. “We meet up at a less popular access point to the lake, and we are very keen on promoting it because it is disabled-friendly - the only one so far from the places we use and know.”
And the legal situation?
“Whilst naturism is legal in Ireland, many people are still not aware of it, so it falls upon us to make naturism more visible in Irish society,” concludes Leticia. “There has been a fundamental change in the law on public nudity, and the situation is now similar to England and Wales, with the law stating that for an offence to be committed, the person ‘exposing’ him/herself must intend to cause fear, distress or alarm to another person. In other words, being naked in itself is not illegal. Although the new law has not yet been tested in the Courts, it is our opinion that, in effect, it legalises naturism and protects genuine naturists from any threat of prosecution as a result of being naked in a public place. We strongly encourage all naturists however to use discretion and common sense when practising naturism.”
And for those who are still unsure about braving the elements (or risking upsetting the Garda), the INA also organises regular indoor events by privately booking pools and leisure centres across the country for a series of naturist swims.
At least the water’s a little warmer.
© Paul Rouse 2022
