Anger at delay with beach bylaw signs

ALTHOUGH the Kilkee beach bylaws came into force on June 1 last, town councillors have expressed their amazement that signs indicating that the bylaws are in place were only erected in late August, towards the end of the summer season.
Councillor Lily Marrinan Sullivan told this week’s Kilkee Town Council meeting that she had seen people bringing dogs swimming during the summer months. Dogs are supposed to be kept on leads in accordance with the bylaws and are not allowed onto the beach at all between 11am and 6pm.
“I witnessed some of the dogs urinating on people’s clothes while they were gone in for a swim,” Councillor Marrinan Sullivan revealed.
“We may as well have never passed the bylaws,” she added, referring to the delay in erecting the signs.
Councillor Elaine Haugh Hayes raised the same issue at the July meeting of Kilkee Town Council.
“We look like idiots, given that we had no signs up,” she observed. The issue was also addressed by Councillor Paddy Collins at the same meeting.
“They (signs) have been ordered,” town clerk, John Corry replied on July 5 before telling the meeting that a “common sense” approach has been adopted by the town council with regard to penalising people who flout the bylaws, which they may not know exist.
“They should be up,” acting Kilkee town manager Nora Kaye acknowledged at the time.
“We’ll follow it up during the week,” she assured the July meeting. The signs were subsequently erected in August.
The bylaws stipulate that between 11am and 6pm, during the summer season, it is illegal “to bring onto or ride, wash, drive or lead any horse, pony, donkey, ass, mule or other animal of the equine species on the beach. Before 11am and after 6pm horses may be brought onto the beach if they are supervised. An exemption has been made for the annual Strand Races in Kilkee.”