Dismay Over Council Refusal to Designate Doolin Bathing
Clahane, Kilbaha and Lough Bunny also rejected
Locals have expressed shock and deep disappointment over the decision not to designate Doolin as an official bathing area. The community mounted a massive campaign to secure official bathing status at Old Doolin Pier last year, with a petition of more than 6,000 signatures submitted to Clare County Council. A ‘Call to Action’ day attracted more than 1,000 people showing their support for improved
infrastructure for recreational use at the pier.
“Doolin swimmers are absolutely gutted to receive emails telling us that our application to get the Old Pier in Doolin re-designated as a bathing area had failed,” Doolin swimmer and campaign spokesperson Leigh O’Connell said.
“This is incredibly disappointing but certainly not the end of our quest. We will continue to fight for a lifeguard to be returned to Doolin Pier, we will continue to fight to get it designated so that the pier is repaired and maintained for safety standards.”
Ms O’Connell pointed out that none of the six areas submitted to Clare County Council through Irish Water’s online petition for designated bathing areas received a designation. These include Clahane, Kilbaha, Lough Bunny, Old Pier Doolin, Brews Bridge and Rinevilla.
“It kind of makes us feel that maybe the whole thing was an EU funding box ticking exercise that was never intended to actually designate a bathing area,” Ms O’ Connell said.
In a rebuttal letter to a risk assessment of the pier, Chairperson of Doolin Community Council Sarah Daly said the assessment contains multiple errors.
“The risk assessment inaccurately states that swimming is prohibited as per the bye laws when, in fact, swimming is permitted. This inconsistency raises concerns about the overall credibility of the report,” she said.
Local businesswoman and regular swimmer Trish White described the news
as ‘bitterly disappointing.’
“The council’s own Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in 2012 very clearly stated that the New Pier would offer separation of users so that the Old Pier could be used exclusively for recreation. Fast forward ten years and they seem to hope that the community has forgotten this.”
“I can’t help but feel the council is willing to trade a few more golden eggs for the goose that is the fabulous land and seascape and culture of County Clare. I just don’t feel they value it as much as the community do,” she said.
Councillor Liam Grant said he would be asking the council to reconsider this decision:
“I think it’s vital that places like Old Doolin Pier and Clahane are designated bathing areas because that means we can put in infrastructure around those bathing areas like new ladders and changing areas. Doolin Pier previously had a lifeguard; I would like
to see that brought back.”
Previously :
Six thousand sign to save Doolin's Old Pier
Six thousand people have signed a petition seeking bathing water status at Doolin. Among them is Tom Doherty (pictured), who remembers learning to swim and row currachs to the Aran Islands at Doolin’s Old Pier: The petition of 6,000 signatures seeks the re-designation of Doolin Old Pier as an of…
Let's be reasonable, after we had to spend 750 million on facilities and payments for the influx of new residents recently, we can't expect there to be any resources left for facilities for locals.
However, if it could be shown that migrants (who we LOVE) will also be swimming .......