For me, pulling on the shorts and letting the air get between those paler-shade-of-white toes, is sheer ecstasy in weather like this. However, that doesn’t cut it for everyone.

The Irish Naturist Association (INA) has been in existence for over 40 years and is currently campaigning for the provision of officially approved clothing optional beaches. Roughly 5,000 people in this country are calling for town and city councils to erect signage at designated “nude beaches.”

Pat Gallagher is a naturist and he tells me about the status of Irish naturism, which beaches are unofficially “nudist” and why stripping off appeals to him.

JOE: So Pat, why do you like being nude on a beach?

Pat Gallagher: At this stage of my life I don’t feel comfortable having to wear a bathing suit on a beach. I’m gone past that stage in my life.

I just don’t want to do that and I don’t feel like I have to. That’s why I wouldn’t pick a (holiday) destination where I couldn’t go on a beach (nude).

JOE: You say, “at this stage of your life.” Does that mean there is a particular age bracket for naturists?

PG: Somewhere between 25 and 65 I suppose. And then you can have younger and older. But I suppose around the 50 mark would be the mainstay.

JOE: So you think people in their fifties are the most comfortable with nudity? Why is this the case?

PG: I think people discover later on in life, after they’re married, after they’ve had one or two children, they go abroad on holidays, they find a beach down in the canaries or somewhere. They are a bit amused for a day or two, then by the end of the week or the end of the holiday they’re lying on the beach. They’re the nudies on the beach then.

They’re more comfortable because they’ve grown into it more if they started it when they were 25 or 30. By the time they are 50 they are well into and they insist on going to places where they can go nude on holidays. They won’t go to regular destinations. They will only go regular destinations if there is a naturist beach nearby.

I wouldn’t consider a holiday anywhere in the world unless I knew there was a nude beach nearby within a taxi ride that I could use.

JOE: What beaches allow nudity in Ireland?

PG: We are the only EU country not to have an official nudist beach specifically designated by any local authority or council.

Not all beaches in Ireland are used by the general public so we (the INA) go to areas that members have sussed out for themselves. There are a number of them around the country and anyone can view the list and get directions by going to www.irishnaturism.org.

JOE: Are peeping toms a problem?

PG: Well you know I’ve been on beaches all over Europe and I’ve even been to Brazil, it isn’t a problem. Sure, you might get the odd one here and there and I know some of the beaches we use in Ireland from time you look up to the sand dunes and you see their heads popping up and down. So some days we just look back at them and point the camera for the craic of it.

JOE: And you’re not breaking any laws by letting it all hang out on these beaches?

PG: Well, you know, we consider this to be a bit of a grey area because a number of laws to a specific community go back to the 1840s and they wouldn’t stand up in court these days anyway.

The one law that may stand up in court is the Public Order Act of 1935 but under that it would have to be shown that there was intent to offend. So going down to Dollymount Strand, stripping off and running up and down flashing yourself would probably be deemed as intent to offend!

JOE: So what does the INA want the authorities to do about it?

PG: One of the avenues we’ve been approaching has been writing to various councils. At the moment we have written to Kerry and Wicklow again, trying to prompt them to help us with signage for beaches.

We sent them some facts and figures on naturist tourism. We’re not saying people will come here for naturism. They’ll come to Ireland for fishing, play a bit of golf, have the craic in the pubs and see the scenery but they will (also) come to Ireland provided that there may be somewhere they can enjoy a day on the beach without clothing and without facing prosecution.

We carried out an online survey recently to the European naturist communities on all their websites and 82% responded yes to the question, ‘Would you consider Ireland as a naturist tour destination?’

JOE: Thanks for all the information Pat. Enjoy the summer.

PG: Oh we will. Bye.

This is the most up to date guide that I know of, the closest you can come to traveling with the actual internet in your hands. Grate photos, good descriptions and up to date web sites for more information. Every naturist should have a copy not only for planning your next vacation but also to learn what places are out there. This may not be a complete guide, there never could be, but it is a wonderful reference tool.

South East Tenerife – Playa de la Tejita, El Médano

Lying barely a hop, skip and a jump from the Tenerife Sur airport and a short drive from the main southern resorts, Playa de la Tejita is a long wide pale golden sand beach. Although naturists can be found along the length of the beach most tend to congregate in the lovely little cove at the foot of the Red Mountain (Montaña Roja). The Mountain is popular with walkers as well and encountering visitors taking advantage of being able to top up the tan as they walk in the nude is not uncommon. In fact various naked events are held at the beach. 2010 saw the first 3km naked race on Playa de la Tejita.

The downside to Playa de la Tejita is that it lies on the south east coast and is often windswept. Little stone windbreaks dotted along the length of the beach are evidence of sunbathers trying to prevent the wind from snadblasting them.

North East Tenerife – Playa de Las Gaviotas, Santa Cruz

The beach lies beyond Tenerife’s golden jewel in the crown, Las Teresitas beach about 12 kilometres from the capital city Santa Cruz. It’s natural black sand and has spectacular views along the north eastern tip of the island. Because it is located a long distance from the tourist resorts, most of the beaches unclothed users aren’t visitors, so it’s a good beach to get to know the natives. The beach has a small car park and a basic beach bar which serves food.

The downside to Playa Las Gaviotas is that during summer months when Spanish mainlanders descend on the island it can become very, very busy. Finding a spot to shed the clothes can be quite a task.

North Tenerife – Playa de los Patos, La Orotava

One of three lovely coves hidden in the cliffs. Playa de los Patos lies only a few kilometres outside of the main northern tourist resort of Puerto de la Cruz, yet is unknown by the majority of the town’s visitors. Access is via a narrow road then a path which links the three black sand beaches of Playa Bollullo (the main beach), Playa de los Patos and Playa Ancón.

There’s a rough car park at Playa Bollullo as well as a restaurant. There’s also a laid back beach bar serving snacks and tapas on the main beach as well.

Again because of its ‘hidden’ location, most of the people who use it are Canarios and the more adventurous tourists. Playa de los Patos is also popular with surfers and often people camp unofficially on the beach during summer months.

The downside to the beach is the access, some scrabbling across rocks is necessary, and the fact that the waves here are impressively huge, so swimming isn’t always an option.

East Tenerife – Los Abriguitos, Arico

Los Abriguitos isn’t one of Tenerife’s official nudist beaches, but as being naked in Spain isn’t illegal, the ‘official’ tag usually just means most popular. It’s located on a quiet area of the east coast and has pale golden sand and lovely aquamarine seas. There’s a small modern housing development near the main beach where there are a couple of cafés and restaurants.

Sunbathers who want to strip off completely usually head to the cove beyond the main beach. There’s an interesting deserted former lepers’ colony behind the beach worth exploring when the sun gets too hot.

The downside to this beach is that the modern housing development near it is a bit of a blot on the landscape.

South Tenerife – Playa Callao, Los Cristianos

Again, not officially a naturist beach, but visitors staying in the south of Tenerife who prefer to sunbathe ‘au natural’ head to this pleasant beach at the base of Montaña de Guaza. It’s far, but not too far, from the resort’s madding crowds. The beach itself is a mix of sand and pebbles and, despite it’s proximity to the popular resorts of Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas, usually remains quite quiet and feels relatively secluded.

The only downside is that climbing Montaña de Guaza is a popular walking route, so sunbathers may find a steady stream of hikers gawking at them.