Welcome grant for Fenit boards but campaigners fear Council delays

FENIT locals fighting for the restoration of the diving boards in the seaside community are worrying they might lose funding if Kerry County Council fails to give the project the go-ahead soon.

The warning comes just as the project received a grant of €3,500 towards the cost of the new diving boards from Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM); welcomed by all in the Restore Fenit Diving Boards Campaign as a major boost in the battle to restore the boards.

Fenit had diving boards for almost a century until a lawsuit at the turn of the millenium led Kerry County Council to remove the boards in a bid to protect the authority from liability; having taken over responsibility of the boards from the local swimming club as a direct result of the suit. Campaigners now say it is high time to restore them, with authorities in other parts of the country operating similar facilities at resorts with little legal and insurance difficulties.

Irish Water Safety is meanwhile believed to be signing off on a safety assessment of the designs the campaigners drew up for the new boards – which they fervently hope Kerry County Council will now adopt and progress as soon as possible.

“We understand that the safety assessment is very positive and supportive of the campaign to restore the diving boards. The meeting between Kerry County Council and the RFDBC delegation which was scheduled for last Monday was deferred as Kerry County Council requires some time to study the safety assessment,” campaigner Billy Ryle said, adding:

“With two major national bodies, BIM and IWS endorsing the project, we are confident the Council will not unduly delay rescheduling the meeting with the RFDBC delegation. Despite our delight in securing the BIM grant, we are becoming increasingly concerned that other committed funding might be at risk unless Kerry County Council gives the project the green light to go ahead.”

Billy Ryle