The lure of the sea during lockdown
Updated / Wednesday, 14 Apr 2021
07:59
Analysis: Lockdown has caused many to rediscover the joy of the sea with many of the activities we associate with it either beginning or gaining popularity in the nineteenth century.
The easing of restrictions in Ireland brings with it for many the prospect of a return to the sea. In eager conversations between those not living in the sea's locality, there is a desire to see again the waves rolling on a beach, to walk anew the strand, to watch once more vessels appear and disappear beyond the horizon.
This pull is not an unprecedented one, despite the times we are living through and, yet, research suggests that we did not always associate the coast with such pleasures. So, how have we come to think of the sea in this way and why do we so desperately want to return to it?