The Clare Champion carried this photograph on page 3 last week. It followed a call out from the local swim group letting members know that photographer John Kelly was heading for Doolin pier. He issued instructions for us to adopt a grumpy puss and nicknamed us the ‘sour faced swimmers’ as we attempted to convey our distaste at the arrival of curious new signage, pointed up here by local councillor Liam Grant.
Former Coastguard member and Doolin native Tom Doherty summed up the situation in one sweet sentence. “This is where we swim.”
This is where I swim, every morning, as regular readers know. I’m not alone in that. Kelly’s superb picture captures how the pier currently works, with ferries running to and from the Aran Islands from the new pier and the rest of us dipping and boating and fishing and kayaking from the old pier.
That was demonstrated by a Call to Action day organised by the local community last September, whereby everyone that uses the pier gathered to stake our claim.
I wrote the piece below, published by Gript and with thanks to the reader that supplied the information about the Statutory Instruments mentioned in the closing paragraph. It’s one of the beautiful things about Substack, that as independent writers, we have a loyal little community who care about the same things we do. I took video footage at the Call to Action day and would like to make a three minute mini-documentary, if anyone has skills to offer?
In the meantime, thanks for all your signatures and support. I’m linking an article from last year on the magic of what I call The Underwater Burren and the incredible beauty of a world beneath the waves here on the west coast of Ireland:
Leigh O’Connell on maintenance issues at Doolin’s Old Pier:
Paul Burke from Lisdoonvarna says the pier is a ‘focal point’ for the parish:
Aidan McDermott from Doolin chats about a lifetime swimming in Doolin:
On Gript.ie: Dismay Over Council Refusal to Designate Doolin Bathing
Locals shocked by decision
A refusal by the local authority to maintain safe swimming and sea
access in Doolin has sparked disgust in the local community. The
decision by Clare County Council not to re-designate Doolin as an
official bathing area is causing waves of shock and dismay. The
decision follows a call out issued by the council for local communities to identify bathing water locations.
The community responded by mounting a massive campaign to illustrate
Doolin’s long history of close links to the sea, with more than 1,000
supporters arriving at the pier for a Call to Action day demonstrating
recreational activities at the Doolin's Old Pier, which include swimming, kayaking and fishing.
Locals collected 6,000 signatures as part of the campaign, but the
council disregarded the petition submission on a technicality over its
title.
Doolin has a permanent population of 820, with 419 males and 401
females. The ‘Doolin Swimmers’ group has more than fifty members, many
of whom take a daily dip at the Old Pier year round.
“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,” campaign
spokeswoman Leigh O’Connell said.
A total of 85 submission were received as part of the assessment. In
its decision the council noted that the ‘most recent Water Safety
Ireland risk assessment on file recommends no swimming off the Old
Pier.’
However, upon inspection, the risk assessment contained multiple
errors, according to Chairperson of Doolin Community Council Sarah
Daly
“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.
Historically, Doolin village has closer links to the Atlantic and the
Aran Islands than towns inland given its proximity to the sea and the
use of traditional currachs as a means of transport. Strong cultural,
trade, language and community links between Doolin and Inisheer are
well documented.
Burgeoning tourism to the islands resulted in the building of a new
pier in Doolin in 2015 and planning for that pier was secured on the
pretext that the Old Pier would be retained for recreational use.
Currently, the Old Pier is a busy spot attracting hundreds of daily
users such as walkers, swimmers, kayakers, divers; SUP boarding,
fishermen, photographers, artists, bird watchers and tourists. The new
pier facilitates commercial activities including ferries to the Aran
Islands.
The local authority operated a seasonal lifeguard service in Doolin up
to 2014, servicing large numbers of locals and visitors using the Old
Pier in summertime. Locals want that service reinstated, along with
basic maintenance of the pier servicing access to the water, such as
the cleaning of algae from the slipway and steps and replacement
ladders allowing bathers to exit the water safely. Pier users are
curious as to why the council has failed to maintain these basic
safety requirements.
Doolin's Old Pier is the only wheelchair accessible spot for swimmers
and others with mobility issues along this stretch of the north Clare
coast.
“Currently the ladders are corroded, damaged and dangerous, there are
railings missing, the slipway requires maintenance. Why isn’t the
council conducting this basic maintenance?” Ms O’Connell said.
Clare County Council received a total of six applications following
its call out for designated bathing areas, none of which were
approved. These include nearby Clahane, in Liscannor – one of the most
popular swimming swimming spots in North Clare – Kilbaha, Lough Bunny,
Brews Bridge, Rinevella and Doolin’s Old Pier.
“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.
Aidan McDermott from Doolin has been swimming at the pier since the 1960’s.
“I learned to swim here at three or four years of age. It was just
local people back then but now of course you see a lot more people
from further afield. The pier is busier than ever. Swimming here is an
absolutely glorious thing to be able to do. We need our pier, we need
access to the water,” he said.
Paul Burke from Lisdoonvarna learned to swim at the pier and taught
his three children (now adults) to swim there. He says the Old Pier is
a 'focal point' for the community.
“I socialised, I met my friends, I cycled out after football training
to cool down. I’ve been coming out here for years, watching currachs
coming in and out. It’s been the focal point of our community for
many, many years. Emotionally, it means a lot to the community,” he
said.
Leigh O’Connell points to the many health and wellbeing benefits of
the various outdoor pursuits associated with the Old Pier.
“In Doolin this is where we spent our summers. It’s been great to see
those numbers grow over the past few years, swimming and water
activities have so many important social, physical and mental health
benefits,” she said.
The entire pier area at Doolin is currently earmarked for a planned
visitor centre, which the council references in its decision to refuse
designated bathing status. The Site Specific Assessment notes that “A
Visitor Services Building is currently being planned. Waste water
infrastructure will be required. Liaison with UE (Uisce Eireann,
formerly Irish Water) will be required as WWTP (Waste Water Treatment
Plant) infrastructure may affect the overall outcome.”
Clare County Council’s plans for the proposed visitor centre at Doolin
pier, part of a masterplan for the entire village, are currently at an
advance stage.
However, any future plans will require the local authority to take
into account Statutory Instrument 79/2008, issued by former Minister
for the Environment John Gormley.
The SI’s ‘Identification of bathing waters’ section 4 (1), states that
“a local authority shall, in accordance with this Regulation, on or
before 24 March in each year identify all bathing waters in relation
to the bathing season in that year and shall notify the EPA.
(2) The bathing waters to be identified by a local authority shall be
all elements of surface water where the authority expects a large
number of people to bathe."
Warm thanks to those that continue to support my work, it is much appreciated.
Doolin Swimmers spokesperson Leigh O’Connell on Clare FM
The Little People must be told what they may and may not do. It's quite simple, and I simply can't understand why anyone's still confused about this... You might say I'm confused as to why there is confusion.