People ‘forced to use the sand dunes as toilet’ at tourist hotspot
BUSINESS owners in the popular seaside village of Fanore fear their livelihoods are at stake due to a water shortage from the ongoing drought.
“It is a disaster, it is terrible. We will be shut down if the weather doesn’t improve and by that I mean some rain,” said local shop owner Mick O’Toole.
He said the shortage of water for businesses, homes and livestock in the north Clare village is “very stressful”.
B&B owner Gill McNamara said that the situation in the village reached ‘crisis point’ on Sunday and Monday when there was no water coming through the taps.
Noel Walshe, owner of
the Rocky View Farm B&B in the village, said tourists were confounded when he was forced to close Sunday and Monday as well and had to turn away guests.
“We’re on the Wild Atlantic Way and it’s a major stop for tourists. They can’t get over it,” he said of the lack of water.
O’Donohue’s pub was also forced to close but reopened on Tuesday after the water supply returned, albeit at a low pressure.
Pub owner Pat O’Donohue last night said he is taking it day by day, but closing for the busy weekendattheheightof tourist season was not good for business or tourism.
“I’m back in business but it’s dodgy,” he said of the water supply. “If I get full, I can’t stop people going to the loo. But I could have to close again tomorrow.”
Large tankers of water were outside the pub for locals to use while portaloos were placed at Fanore beach after the public toilets were forced to close.
Mr O’Toole said people are asking for plastic bags in order to use the local dunes as a toilet because there is no where else to go. “That is shocking,” he said.