Streedagh beach: Concerns over access and sand dunes
CONCERNS about the future of Streedagh beach because of damage being caused to the dunes there by erosion and people lighting fires and also about access to the beach were expressed this weekend.
Local councillor Marie Casserly, who lives near the beach, had a motion at a Sligo-Drumcliffe Municipal District meeting asking that an environmental survey be carried out at Streedagh beach to ascertain what damage and erosion is happening and has happened over the past 20 years and after that a plan be put in place to protect and repair the entire area of the beach for future generations.
And fellow Grange councillor Donal Gilroy, who lives not far from Cllr Casserly, had a motion asking for an update on the provision of access from the car park to the main beach at Streedagh “to make the beach accessible to all and especially parents with children and people with disabilities”. In reponse to Cllr Casserly’s motion, acting director of services Emer Concannon said that recent inspection shows little evidence of coastal erosion at Streedagh beach, such as wave action erosion. However, she said there was evidence of some dunes being worn down by pedestrian traffic. Ms Concannon said that it would not be feasible to carry out a retrospectic survey on Streedagh to see what damage has been done in the last 20 years, as there needed to be a baseline study done first and there was no record of such a survey ever having been done at Streedagh.
She said a formal study covering areas such as wave action, climate change, etc would cost a five-figure sum.
But she said given that there was no infrastructure (such as houses) at risk there would really be no economic cost benefit involved and therefore funding from outside agencies would not be forthcoming.
However, Ms Concannon said the council would seek an opinion from a relevant professional and could also look at erecting sand dune fencing to protect the sand dunes in due course.
Cllr Casserly said that she realised that a survey would be very expensive but she said there were farms and a holiday farm that would be affected.
She said she accepted that the depletion of the sand dunes was due to people walking on them and she said she had noticed a lot of children on body boards sliding down them.
“I know it is great fun but it is eroding the dunes and I think if fencing was erected it would help,” she said. The Independent councillor also referred to a lot of camping there last summer and people not using the portaloos.
Cllr Gilroy agreed with Cllr Casserly that this was a very important issue. He said the travel guide Lonely Planet had described Streedagh as one of the 10 best beaches in the country but if action was not taken “it is not going to be there for the next generation”.
“If that beach is washed away then the beach moves further inland and there is land that will be affected.” He pointed out that the council had a role there as it was a part owner of the commonage there.
Cllr Gilroy also referred to fires being lit in the dunes and he said they “need to be stamped out”.
He admitted that he cooked sausages on fires there where he was a teenager but he said it was a threat to the dunes.
“One of these days a fire is going to take off in the marram grass and if the grass is burned off there is nothing to hold the sand,” he said.
On his motion in relation to the car park, Ms Concannon told him that as the beach was a special area of conservation any significant works would require planning and resources and this would be a case for the provision of a disables access.
She said that a meeting was to take place at the beach with the water safety development officer, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Clean Coasts group and council members in the next few weeks to discuss any issues or concerns. Cllr Gilroy said there was a trench cut through to get the lifeguard’s hut up to where it is and there was a path to that.
He said that it was a struggle to get beach wheelchairs onto the beach and older people also found it difficult to get to the beach.
Cllr Casserly said that she had seen photos of temporary structures that could be put in place to make access easier for people and she asked if these could be looked at.
“It is a pity that beach wheelchairs cannot be utilised at Streedagh,” she said.