Funding sought for Doolin ‘safety hazards’

FUNDING has to be secured to provide a footpath and public lighting in Doolin to safeguard its status as an international tourist attraction, local county councillors have warned.
Councillors predicted at a recent Ennistymon Electoral Area meeting that Doolin’s tourism appeal would be hindered unless a footpath and public lighting is provided in one of its tourist hot spots.
Councillor Richard Nagle urged Clare County Council to provide a footpath and public lighting between Roadford and Fisher Street adding that the current situation is causing “severe difficulties and severe safety hazards for pedestrians”.
In response, Clare County Council is to investigate the possibility of land purchase and to look at where the
council has sufficient space to provide a footpath that does not require the purchase of land between Roadford and Fisher Street.
Councillor Nagle recalled locals were previously assured that these facilities would be provided once a new sewerage scheme is put in place. However, since the small sewerage schemes for rural villages went off the radar, residents and thousands of tourists who flock to this area on an annual basis are left without a footpath or public lighting.
The Fianna Fáil councillor said people should not be asked to wait indefinitely for the badly-needed facilities to be completed because of a sewerage scheme that isn’t likely to happen in the foreseeable future.
“These facilities are necessary to ensure someone isn’t seriously injured or hurt. People from all over the world come and visit Doolin. This route is used by a huge number of pedestrians. There is hardly a busier section for pedestrians in North Clare.
“Funding needs to be found for this project, even if it is on a phased basis. Rates are being collected from Doolin people for water and other services and they feel they are getting nothing in return,” he said.
Electoral area chairman, Councillor Michael Kelly pointed out local businesses have spent a lot of money promoting and marketing Doolin to attract tourists into the locality and he feels they should be supported.
Councillor Kelly warned it is hard for motorists to see pedestrians who don’t have luminous jackets using this route on a dark night.
Councillor Bill Slattery stressed something has to be done to secure funding to ensure Doolin’s status as a major tourist attraction isn’t adversely affected.
“This is an international attraction, which brings tourists into the whole county of Clare,” declared Councillor Michael Hillery, who stressed some provision would have to be made to invest in Doolin’s infrastructure.
Acknowledging the council is constrained in terms of its finances, Councillor Nagle noted excellent work was done on roads and this now had to be repeated for footpaths.
Following the local area meeting, representatives of Doolin Tourism met with the local area engineer Stephen Lahiffe, highlighting their concerns and “reinforcing the need for footpaths and public lighting to be provided as a matter of extreme urgency”.
“The upshot of the meeting was that the area engineer agreed to investigate the possibility of land purchase and also to look at where the county council has sufficient space to provide a footpath that does not require the purchase of land between Roadford and Fisher Street,” Councillor Nagle concluded.