Dublin Resurrects Outdoor Baths From 1800s

Ireland’s Clontarf Baths and Assembly opened in 1886 in a seaside town on the north side of Dublin. They originally included a large seaside pool jutting from a promenade into Dublin bay, and the attraction was popular for 100 years before it closed in 1996.

Now, the attraction has been reborn and restored for the 21^st century. They opened the first week of March with a modern restaurant and bar sporting sea views.

The baths are owned by a local family, who refurbished the area with a €2.4 million investment and years of work. The restaurant includes views of the sea along with dinner and drinks; plans are to introduce breakfast, brunch and lunch in the future.

The baths are available for public swimming starting in late spring. Local swimming and polo clubs will have a special entrance.

The pool is 900 square meters, and fed with seawater filtered through a special system. That means the pool is only around one–two degrees warmer than the sea itself, which averages about 53 degrees Fahrenheit. The baths have changing facilities and hot showers, too.