Rosses Point retains Blue Flag – but can’t fly it due to works at Second Beach
ROSSES POINT has this week retained its Blue Flag but can’t fly it at present because of coastal protection works which are going on at it’s Second Beach.
The resort is the only Sligo beach to have a Blue Flag (one of the world’s most recognised eco-labels) and has also retained its Green Coast Award, which recognises beaches for their clean environment, excellent water quality and natural beauty. It is one of only six beaches in the country to have both Blue and Green flags.
Two other County Sligo beaches, Dunmoran in west Sligo and Streedagh in north Sligo, have also kept their Green flags.
When the awards were announced by An Taisce on Tuesday, there was a note to the Rosses Point award. It stated: “Coastal protection works are ongoing at Rosses Point addressing erosion issues. While works are ongoing, the site is not fully compliant with all of the awards’ criteria and therefore, neither the Blue Flag nor the Green Coast Award flag may be flown at the beach during this time. Once works are completed and the site is in compliance with all award criteria, the flags may then be raised and flown.” Sligo County Council has said that due to the ongoing coastal works there will be restricted access to Rosses Point Second Beach over the next fortnight, with access fully closed off this week from Tuesday until today, Thursday. Access to the ‘First Beach’ is unaffected and it remains fully open as usual.
Some local residents have expressed concern about the works being carried out and previous work carried out by County Sligo Golf Club to prevent part of its course being eroded by the sea. Their concern us about the potential knock-on effect of these works on other unprotected parts of the coastline.
One person who contacted the Sligo Weekender referred to the previous work by the golf club and was concerned about its “knock-on effects on the entire coastline and public amenity of this area which is designated as a Special Area of Conservation”.
They said the rock armour “will force the huge energy of the sea further down the coastline so that it eats away at the remaining dunes”.
They claimed the “combination of concentrated wave action and lack of source sand on the remaining section of sand dunes, will cause the accelerated destruction of those sand dunes, thus causing the rapid eating away of the lower section of the beach”. In relation to the work presently being carried out, Sligo County Council told the Sligo Weekender this week that the path down to the Second Beach was partially undermined due to winter storms in early 2020. Funding was obtained from the Office of Public Works for “necessary remedial works”.
Design of the current scheme was by local Sligo firm Jennings & O’Donovan and local firm Carty Contractors won the contract to carry out the works. The council said that work “involves the construction a short 35m length of rock revetment which will protect the path from further erosion. It also includes reconstructing a short length of damaged path”.
The council said the work “follows on from adjacent major coastal protection works completed earlier this year by County Sligo Golf Club” and it is anticipated that work will be substantially completed by the June Bank holiday weekend.