Irish man 'very wary' after Sydney shark attack

Sydney's Coogee Beach has reopened under the watchful eyes of lifeguards and drone surveillance, after a shark attack over the weekend left a woman critically injured and prompted a safety review at Australia's popular shorelines.

The 35-year-old victim was swimming about 30 metres from the shore on Saturday morning when she was bitten by a 3-4m shark, sustaining serious injuries to her arms and lower left leg.

She remains in hospital in stable condition.

Coogee, south of iconic Bondi Beach, hosts one of the largest Irish populations in Australia.

Some locals, like Irish man Ryan Brady, have been hesitant to go back into the water.

"I'm very wary. I wouldn't even dip my toe in at the minute," he said.

"I used to do a few lengths across the beach but I'd always have in the back of your mind 'Is there sharks around?

"But after the weekend, no, it's kind of a nail in the coffin for me, I won't be getting back in for a while anyway."