Sizzling sausages and 15 nude men

IT wasn’t just sausages that sizzled at a beach barbecue in the West Clare resort of Kilkee.

A group of 15 middle aged and elderly gentlemen gathered for the party — all in the nude.

After completely stripping off they feasted on sausages, puddings, pigs feet and pork ribs which they charcoal cooked on the beach.

It was all washed down with quality wines and crates of chilled beer.

The nude barbecue took place at Burns Cove, a traditional male only bathing preserve on the outer section of Kilkee bay.

Regulars at Burns Cove usually bathe in the nude.

But the weekend fry up is believed to have been the first nude barbecue.

One man who asked not to be named and who was present said: “Most of the men at the barbecue at Burns Cove were from Limerick and would be well known in business. One of them came down with a disposable barbecue and the party took off.”

He said the nude partygoers included one very well known public figure from Limerick who tucked into the cooked pigs toes.

He said: “As text messages went out on mobile phones that an al fresco party was taking place on the beach, more arrived, stripped off and got stuck into the food.”

As well as Burns Cove, the Third Pollack Hole on the other side of Kilkee Bay was also a traditional men-only preserve where swimmers skinny dipped.

For decades women were confined to the First and Second Pollack Holes.

However, a number of women moved into the Third Pollack Hole some years ago and the men retreated to Burns Cove.