A Lahinch councillor has said he wants the Council to power hose, clean and repair the railings on both the old and new promenade in Lahinch. He has also requested they paint the walls leading from a local hotel over to the promenade. Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) has claimed “everything is lacking” at the popular seaside resort.
Putting forward his motion at the July meeting of the West Clare Municipal District (MD) Cllr Slattery said there is no spring maintenance programme going on at the promenade in Lahinch which is especially required, and he stressed that big improvement is required in the town.
Noting the council operatives started painting on the bars, Cllr Slattery said, “There is no spring maintenance going on at the promenade in Lahinch because of the colour of the bars on the whole promenade, the painting on the promenade, the bins on the promenade; everything seems to be lacking for such a popular seaside resort of Lahinch.
“We have concrete bars and they are reinforced steel with the concrete around them and they were there for years, and they weren’t as bad looking as what is there now even though what’s there now was beautiful when it came first.
“I think the bars are only there since about 2017 but they have gone rusty, they’re gone green, and it is from the lack of maintenance on the promenade in Lahinch.”
He added that the state of the railings covered in rust and the moss recently came to his attention when he looked at the background of a couple’s wedding photographs from the prom.
However, he did acknowledge it is a difficult task because the promenade’s situation means it gets the full blast of the prevailing wind and therefore it has always been difficult to maintain the railings and the bars.
Cllr Shane Talty (FF) seconded the motion saying he had a degree of sympathy for the West Clare MD (Ennistymon).
“It is hugely frustrating that when the investment was done as recent as 2017, to get the old bars along the prom that were there for a lifetime, they were falling asunder with rust and they were a danger at that stage, so to get them replaced was critical… and here seven or eight years later they are in a deplorable state and there are sections of it in rust and moss and dirt,” Cllr Talty said.
He added the bars along the prom are “disappointing” in terms of the overall presentation of the amenity particularly when there are a lot of positives in the town like litter pickers, wardens, ambassadors, and well-kept toilets.
Cllr Michael Shannon (FF) supported the motion saying the issue is about springtime maintenance and preparing for the season ahead, but it is also about having neat and tidy facilities in the county’s villages, which is an investment in the future.
Cllr Joe Killeen (FG) also supported the motion suggesting the re-introduction of a village painting scheme which was in operation previously where €10,000 was given to painting a village, and rotated north and south.
He said it is a scheme worth continuing with, and questioned was it still in operation. He also requested the €10,000 funding in the scheme to be increased to €15,000.
In reply, Senior Executive Engineer at the West Clare MD (Ennistymon), Tony Neville said, “Cleaning and painting of the walls adjacent to the Clermont Hotel has commenced in conjunction with our seasonal beach operatives.
“Replacement of one section of railing regularly damaged due to its location at a point where access steps meets the sea has commenced. A permanent solution has been determined and includes the provision of a small concrete retaining wall.
“Localised repairs are required to the railings in general and these will continue. Cleaning of the remaining sections is also required and we are currently looking at the most effective method – power hose, chemical treatment, painting or a combination of each.”
Sharon Dolan D’Arcy covers West Clare news. After completing a masters in journalism at University of Galway, Sharon worked as a court reporter at the Sligo Weekender. She was also editor of the Athenry News and Views.