Diving board removal sparks national interest

ONE of the biggest talking points of the summer in West Clare was Clare County Council’s decision to remove both Kilkee diving boards for five weeks on June 9, citing health and safety concerns.
In July, the diving boards, which are located at Newfoundout in the West End, were returned to their former plinths. Clare County Council put the boards back in place that morning at 7am. The only significant difference was the presence of new signs at the location and a new handrail, which is situated between the upper and lower boards.
Both boards were removed by the local authority before being temporarily restored for the duration of an Irish Water Safety risk assessment report, only to be taken down again.
Acting Kilkee town manager Nora Kaye, who informed the monthly meeting of Kilkee Town Council on June 8 that the boards were to be removed, subsequently acknowledged that the health and safety audit should ideally have been carried out the previous September, before the boards were taken down for the winter.
“I think that was brought to light, certainly by the [town council] members in Kilkee and indeed by diving enthusiasts, that the timing wasn’t appropriate. I would agree with it, I suppose. It would have been better all round if it had been highlighted or known to me back in September, October [2009] or during the winter months,” Ms Kaye told The Clare Champion on July 14.
Diving boards have been located in Newfoundout for more than 70 years. New diving boards were installed in May 2009 and were launched by 78-year-old Limerick man Cyril Downes, who had 73 years diving experience behind him.
The new diving board mountings were designed by Tom Byrne, who expressed shock at Clare County Council’s decision to remove the two privately funded diving boards.
“Under AOB, the decision by Clare County Council to remove the diving boards from Newfoundout was taken without any consultation, nothing. They said that their insurance wouldn’t cover them. There has never been a claim, there has never been an accident. They take them away for the winter and they put them back up for the summer. That makes them liable but there’s never been a claim,” he told The ’Champion.
However, the boards were returned following an Irish Water Safety report, which made a number of safety recommendations, including the installation of a handrail.
“Thankfully, we’re at a stage now where the assessment has been done. We have got the green light and a number of recommendations have been made by Irish Water Safety,” Ms Kaye said.
Questioned about the presence of a ‘no diving’ sign beside the restored diving boards, Ms Kaye said the sign was in place to encourage people to desist from diving from the grass bank near the boards. “This was clarified with Irish Water Safety on Monday. There is a specific sign that says ‘no diving’ but that’s from the grassy area. There is no diving from that point,” Ms Kaye explained, adding that diving from the boards should only happen at high tide.