Beach that washed away 33 years ago REAPPEARS overnight after freak tide returns hundreds of tons of sand and covers up rocks

Beach that washed away 33 years ago reappears overnight after freak tide dumps hundreds of tons of sand right back where it used to be

The beach on the island of Achill, western Ireland, vanished after storms in 1984 

Only rock pools were left behind, devastating the local village's economy  

But a freak tide in April dumped hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sand 

The beach is now 300 metres long and locals are hoping it sticks around

The beach re-appeared after hundreds of thousands of tonnes were dumped on the beach during a freak tide over ten days 


A beach that was washed away 33 years ago has reappeared in the small Irish village of Dooagh, on the island of Achill. Locals have been left delighted by the freak tide that deposited hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sand on the beach over ten days in April (pictured right). For three decades the beach was nothing but craggy rock pools (pictured inset) following severe storms in 1984, which washed away all the sand. With the beach all but decimated, all the villages' hotels, guesthouses and cafes shut down. Now that the stunning 300m long beach has reappeared, locals are hoping it will stay for long enough for the stretch to be awarded blue-flag status during next year's inspection.

During the storm of 1984 the beach was completely destroyed, leaving only rock pools

The villagers are delighted to have their beach back, and say it's an example of the 'power of nature'  

The beach has created an influx of tourists to Dooagh from all over Ireland 

The beach allegedly once vanished in the 1890s but returned within three decades 

Sand along the Irish coast is in a constant state of flux and moved by storms, waves and wind