Tag Archives: Seafield

Local efforts to promote and protect plants and wildlife in West Clare have been given a huge boost with a local sand dunes conservation group receiving its first grant funding for its biodiversity work. Seafield Conservation Forum €5,000 grant is to support the future development of its community biodiversity action plan, according to Caroline Egan, Co-Moderator of the Forum. The voluntary association is dedicated to addressing coastal erosion, and to the restoration and conservation of Seafield’s sand dunes. It plans to work with experts, the local community and land-owners to implement actions which not only respond to the biodiversity emergency but will also provide a template to help protect the sand dunes at Seafield as a natural resource for all people. Welcoming the recognition of the forum’s work, Ms Egan said: “Seafield Sand Dunes has been a haven for bird life and an abundance of nature for millennia. Given the biodiversity and climate crisis that threatens unique sand dune habitats, …

A WEST Clare pool lifeguard has been hailed a “hero” after rescuing a young girl who fell into the water at the rear of Seafield Pier in Quilty. Leah Peters (7) was visiting Seafield pier, in Quilty, West Clare, when she fell from the pier into the water. Her mother, Julie, has described the incident as her “worst nightmare”. Patrick Mungovan (25), was walking his dog along the pier last week when he heard the girl’s mother calling for help. The mother-of-three had a baby in a pram and another older child. This was the first time that Mr Mungovan had to use his life-saving skills in an emergency situation. “I was just there for a walk with the dog, I saw this lady screaming and crying. She was lucky I just happened to be there in the right place at the right time. Mr Mungovan has been a lifeguard since he was 16 years of age, and was providing …

FIANNA Fáil TD for Clare, Cathal Crowe has this morning welcomed €445,00 in funding for six harbours in the county. The fund, sanctioned by Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine will go towards repair and upgrade works at harbours located at Bournapeaka, Seafield, Doolin, Carrowmore, Doonmore and Carrigholt. 75% of the awarded funding will come from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with the balance being met by Clare County Council. Deputy Crowe said, “This comes as a welcome and timely boost to the fishing industry in our county. The funded works will ultimately enhance some our county’s main fishing harbours but it will be construction workers and supply chain businesses in the communities in which the harbours are located that will, hopefully, derive the initial benefit. “Brexit and Covid have made the past few months extremely challenging for the families in Clare that make their livelihoods from fishing. Next week I look forward to …

Clare County Council will provide updates on conditions at the county’s Blue Flag beaches on its Twitter and Facebook accounts from Saturday next. The updates will feature latest sea, water quality and weather conditions, as well as tide in and tide out times for Ballycuggeran (Killaloe), Cappa, Fanore, Kilkee, Lahinch, Mountshannon, Spanish Point, Whitestrand Doonbeg and Whitestrand Miltown Malbay. The updates coincide with the commencement of lifeguard cover at County Clare beaches this June Bank Holiday Weekend. Lifeguard cover will be provided at Clare’s Blue Flag beaches from 11.00am to 7.00pm this Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Cover will continue on Saturdays and Sundays during the month of June, while there will be full-time time cover at these locations as well as at Bishops Quarter (Ballyvaughan) and Seafield Quilty during the months of July and August and the first two weekends of September.

An Taisce has awarded a record nine prestigious International Blue Flag to County Clare’s beaches, as well as two Green Coast Awards. The Blue Flag award is a prestigious environmental eco-label awarded to more than 80 beaches and a small number of marinas in Ireland.   The award represents high standards in water quality, environmental information and education, environmental management and safety, services and facilities. The Flags were presented  by Alan Kelly TD. Minister for the Environment Community and Local Government, at a ceremony held at Ballinskelligs Beach in Kerry. Blue Flags were awarded to Whitestrand, Miltown Malbay, Ballycuggernan, Whitestrand Doonbeg, Mountshannon, Cappa, Fanore, Spanish Point, Kilkee and Lahinch. Speaking following the award ceremony, Councillor John Crowe, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, expressed his delighted that Clare had for the first time been awarded 9 blue flags, as well as Green Coast Awards for beaches at Bishops Quarter at Ballyvaughan and Seafield, Quilty. Councillor Crowe also noted the significance of Clare’s …

Funding has been approved for a coastal erosion and flood risk management study along a 1.5km stretch of coastline in Doolin. Informed of the funding by Minister of State, Simon Harris, Senator Tony Mulcahy said that the study will cover the length of coastline shown from Crab Island, located south of Doolin Point, to the mouth of the River Aille. “Doolin was badly affected by the succession of storms that battered the county during the period from late December 2013 to February 2014. The carpark area and access road to the pier were particularly badly affected. In light of the shortly to be completed €6m pier at Doolin, it is imperative that steps be now taken to minimise the risk of flood damage in the future. “This funding announcement is particularly welcome considering it follows on foot of an announcement by Government last week of a similar coastal erosion and flood risk study for the section of coast from Quilty …

By Peter O’Connell RESIDENTS in Seafield and Cloghauninchy are happy that as much temporary defence work as possible has been undertaken in advance of this weekend’s high tide, which is expected to reach 5.9 metres. Minister of State Brian Hayes visited West Clare last Friday where he saw firsthand the damage caused by the recent high tides and storms. “The work commenced last Wednesday. It’s on a temporary basis and Minister Hayes gave an assurance that he would look for funding. Some of it will have to come in from Europe. The defences put in place last week are temporary and not a long-term solution. The Seafield houses are protected by bags of crushed stone and rock armour,” Cloghauninchy Action Group chairman, Michael Neenan said. “I’d be fairly confident that it will hold out the sea but with a high tide of 5.9 metres, along with the waves we’ve had, it would be very hard to keep that out with …

THE human side of the new-year storms, which caused extensive damage along the coast, has been neglected, according to a group representing 15 households in West Clare. At a meeting last week, Michael Neenan was elected chairman of the Clohaninchy Action Committee. He wants to see some protection in place for people in vulnerable areas on the coast. “The 15 houses that were under threat, nothing has been done for them. There is no emergency funding coming for the protection of their homes in particular,” he said. Mr Neenan said while Clare County Council has been very supportive in relation to the clean-up in the area, not enough has been done for the people worst affected. “The human side of all this has been neglected,” he said. “The council did a lot of work on the piers and prom in Lahinch and so on but no work has been done for the families and people in the 15 houses yet …