Glass Beach — Attraction in Ireland Island South

(Update: I visited again recently and I was sickened to see that where some of the land eroded by the woods path to the beach it is all garbage underneath. It is really gross, I don't know why it was like that and why no one has cleared it up, as if garbage was buried there. Also the first time I went there only about 3 people were there and no one was walking there but this time many people were there so somehow I guess a word got out). The beach was a really nice surprise for me to find while walking, a small and unique beach and the water seemed warm. I saw no signs about taking sea glass so I took a few pieces, but now I've discovered it is not legal. That somewhat ruins it for me. I saw a pic of a sign that was there in 2017 that said taking the sea glass is stealing. That is a bit over the top. Nowhere else is picking up sea glass stealing. It is actually just glass that was tossed in the sea that becomes smooth by the ocean. Sea glass afficianados comb beaches for a few pieces but on glass beach there is a ridiculous abundance of it. I suppose someone could take it by the bucket loads if no one said anything but sea glass isn't actually valuable, just decorative. If all of it didn't land on this particular beach there wouldn't be a rule...

I have been to Glass Beach in Bermuda and honestly, it wasn’t that great. I had seen a lot of photos online and was expecting more, but the actual beach is small and not very clean. There’s some sea glass scattered along the shore, but not nearly as much as I thought there would be.

It felt more like a hangout spot than a true destination. When I was there, a few locals were drinking and playing loud music nearby. It didn’t feel unsafe, but it definitely wasn’t the peaceful beach experience I was hoping for.

The view out over the water is nice, and it’s interesting to see the old fort structure behind the beach… but overall, it felt like a quick stop, not somewhere I’d spend a lot of time.

If you’re in the area and curious, it’s fine to check out for a few minutes. But I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit. There are better beaches and more scenic places to explore...

A little disappointing, to be honest: much more could have been made of this. Its a small beach that is covered with the promised sea-worn glass, which is an interesting and unusual sight. There was a discarded concrete block in the middle of the beach and the beach itself is unappealing apart from the interesting-looking glass. Be aware that there is a certain amount of more recent, unworn and quite sharp glass also, so definitely not a place for bare feet.

If you're in the locality anyway, it is definitely worth stopping off to take a look. Its about a 20-minute walk from the Naval Dockyard through a residential area. It is a "visit, spend 15 minutes marveling at the sea-worn glass, leave" kind of place rather than somewhere you are likely to spend any significant...