Waves of anger as Doolin denied status
A REFUSAL to designate a beauty spot as an official bathing area has sparked ‘shock and deep disappointment’ among campaigners in the area.
Locals in Doolin, Co. Clare, mounted a major 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 in September last year attracted more than 1,000 people showing their support for improved infrastructure for recreational use at the pier.
Doolin swimmer and campaign spokesman Leigh O’Connell said: ‘Doolin swimmers are absolutely gutted to receive emails from Irish Water telling us that our application to get the Old Pier in Doolin re-designated as a bathing area had failed.
‘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.’
If the swimming area was officially designated a bathing area by the council, it would mean the local authority would be responsible for maintaining the facilities and most importantly a lifeguard would be on duty. Ms O’Connell said the area was ‘very safe’ to swim but the campaign was about ‘improving’ the facilities.
‘Up until 2014 we did have a lifeguard.
This is about bringing back the lifeguard. Because of the winter storms the pier gets damaged, the rocks get broken up,’ she said.
‘Currently there’s damage done to ladders, so if you want to come up the ladders they’re dangerous, there’s railings missing, the slipway needs to be maintained because being in the sea it’s got algae, seaweed and that on it, so it needs to be maintained.
‘Now we do that ourselves but it would be a lot easier if the council would just take over and actually maintain it.’
The campaign is hoping for a seasonal but full-time lifeguard for the hundreds of openwater swimmers as well as surfers and kayakers that use the sea there.
Ms O’Connell pointed out that none of the six areas submitted to Clare County
‘Felt like an EU funding box-ticking exercise’
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 added. Clare County Council was contacted for comment.