‘The stench is overwhelming’ – how growing pollution has choked a beloved Louth beach Residents say what was once an area of beauty is now too dangerous for swimming ‘The stench is overwhelming’ - How growing pollution has choked a beloved Louth beach Priests’ Beach in Blackrock, Co Louth was once an area of natural beauty. But parents no longer let their children swim there. Set in a special area of conservation, locals say it has been treated as anything but.