Brittas Bay

Brittas Bay (Irish: Cuan an Bhriotáis) in County Wicklow, Ireland is a 4 km stretch of beach on the Irish Sea coast. The beach is accessed from the R750 regional road which runs parallel to the beach, separated from it by extensive areas of sand dunes. The beach and associated dunes are very popular as they are close to Dublin and are one of the most frequented beaches by residents of the capital during the summer.

Brittas Bay is in the civil parish of Dunganstown in the barony of Arklow on the southern coast of County Wicklow.

There was a Christian settlement in Threemilewater prior to St Patrick's arrval in Ireland. This settlement was presided over by a Roman prelate Palladius. He was assisted by two monks named Sylvester and Solinus. Later St Baoithin ruled over a monastery in the area and one of his pupils was St Kevin who founded the Christian settlement in Glendalough. This settlement became world famous as a refuge for learning during the Dark Ages.

A 17th Century smuggler and pirate Captain Jack White operated from Jack's Hole, a secluded cove where he intercepted goods from British merchant ships and imported goods from France to the annoyance of Crown authorities who were thus deprived of customs revenue. His accomplice Charles Acton, the Sheriff of the Grand Jury, felt the bold Captain was being less than forthright in his dealings with him and had him tried and hanged and his body thrown into the sea off the cliffs at Mizen Head. A local pub which was a coachhouse on the present N11 road where Jack White distributed his booty is named after him. There is a reputed copy of an arrest warrant on the wall in the pub.

Brittas, as it is commonly known (there is a place of the same name on the Dublin/Kildare/Wicklow border; see Brittas, Dublin), has been a summer holiday home for Dubliners since the 1950s. It brings together a mix of permanent residents and day trippers.

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