County council defends Cregg Beach decision

Clare County Council has defended its decision to carry out works at Cregg Beach near Lahinch following the very significant deposition of stone as a result of tidal activity over winter and stormy periods.
There has been a mixed reaction from a local public representative and the community council to efforts by the county council to improve access for the general public at Cregg Beach, which is not a local authority-run amenity.
The issue first arose at a recent Ennistymon Electoral Area meeting where Councillor Bill Slattery proposed the council should divert the water coming from the Moy River to its original position at Cregg Beach to allow access for the public onto the beach.
Area engineer, Steve Lahiffe, recognised the recreational and amenity value of Cregg Beach to the local community and pledged that, funding permitting, he would endeavour to carry out the requested works.
“Cregg Beach is a popular recreation area for the general public. From time to time, a combination of erosion and deposition by the sea and river causes the river to alter its course. At present the entrance to the beach has been cut off by erosion,” he said.
When the council commenced work on this beach a few weeks later it was stopped following opposition from a local businesswoman, who wasn’t happy with the nature of the work and felt other alternatives should be pursued.
Councillor Slattery stressed all he was trying to achieve was to divert the water in the best possible fashion to make the beach accessible once more.
He told The Clare Champion he was approached by a number of locals and visitors who couldn’t get access to the beach because of the water flowing from the river.
“I just want to get the water diverted. I don’t mind how it is done, it simply has to be done,” he said.
Senior executive engineer, Seán Lenihan explained while the necessary machinery was in the area on a roadworks project at Cregg Bend on the N67, the council commenced the works as requested at Cregg Beach.
“Local knowledge was used to inform what work was necessary and all that was intended was to reinstate the river as heretofore. That being said, it is accepted that there may be other measures with less of an impact that should improve public access to the strand area. These can be tried but given the nature of the area there, ongoing maintenance will be required.
“Works are necessary there due to significant deposition of stone as a result of tidal activity over the winter and stormy periods. The result is that the course of the River Moy has essentially changed over the years from its original course to the sea and this is clearly apparent from, looking at the older maps and aerial photographs.
“The current route of the river cuts right across the bottom of the boreen resulting in access to the strand area being quite difficult and dangerous,” he said.
Mr Lenihan said he met with a number of people from Lahinch Community Council recently and outlined the background to the situation.
He stressed the Moy River has to and always flowed to the sea at Cregg Beach.
“Different people have different ideas as to the best route that it should take. Traditionally, local landowners carried out drainage works there and it should be pointed out that the council does not own any land at Cregg.
“While the public enjoy and fully utilise long-standing access to the beach, there are four private landowners that own to the high water mark. The council was simply trying to facilitate improved and safer access to this much-loved and much-used amenity in North Clare and that remains its position,” he said.
Donagh O’Loughlin of Lahinch Community Council has called on the council to clarify the nature and extent of the works at Cregg Beach. He claimed the recent works which were started by the council a number of weeks ago had made it more difficult to access the beach and felt a local businesswoman was right to stop these works as a result of her genuine concerns.
He said if the council proceeded with cutting a gap on the rocks in the middle of the beach, it would create a gap, which could result in flooding of land elsewhere and would be very difficult for people to cross.
He called on the council to carry out proper works that would render this beach passable again for the public.