No sign of third coming of The Rock

CLARE County Council water safety officer, Liam Griffin, told last week’s meeting of Kilrush Town Council that the local authority cannot risk replacing The Rock in Cappa, as it could result in council liability if somebody sustained an injury there.

The Rock in Ballynote West, Cappa, was a swimming spot for generations in Kilrush before it fell over earlier this year. Despite a number of calls for it to be replaced, that has yet to happen. It was replaced many years ago when the original rock disappeared.

“I’m coming from The Irish Water Safety perspective. The Irish Water Safety Association designates bathing areas throughout the country. Each bathing area has strict criteria including parking, emergency service access, lifeguard provision, safety equipment and first aid equipment. Unless you hit all those requirements you don’t get designated bathing area status,” Mr Griffin explained at last Thursday’s meeting.

“We cannot guard or police every stretch of water in the county. In Clare, we’ve selected 12 designated bathing areas, 10 on the west coast and two in Lough Derg. Cappa here in Kilrush is a Blue Flag beach. What we’re taking about here as regards The Rock, is a quarter of a mile from Cappa. You can’t be just designating bathing areas at every stretch just because a number of people might like to swim there. The point is it has to meet the criteria that I have mentioned. For example you’d never get lifeguards to work at The Rock,” he added.

Councillor Liam O’Looney, who raised the issue at town council meetings earlier this year, said he wasn’t seeking a bathing designation for the area. He simply wants The Rock restored.
“I don’t think we want designated status. It is a bathing area however. A couple of years ago Clare County Council did a great job out there and redid the path right out to the bathing area, to make it accessible for swimming. All we really want to do was put up The Rock for safety. I don’t thing we’re looking for lifeguards,” he said.

“If you do any work and somebody was injured, or worse, the local authority could become liable,” Mr Griffin stated, adding that he has visited the site three times, including just before last week’s meeting. He said about 12 cars were parked there causing a “bottle neck”.

On the liability front, Councillor O’Looney felt the county council is already liable. “They are liable as it is because the council did the works previously and now the works have broken down. If someone falls off The Rock in the position it is now, the council is liable,” the John Street publican said.

“From my point of view as Safety Officer, I saw it two weeks ago at a low tide. When the tide comes in, it’s a foot over it and you can’t see the end of the footpath. The fear is that someone will walk out, expect the rock to be there and they will fall off it,” Councillor Ian Lynch said.

“If you fall off and you can’t swim, that’s it. Because Clare County Council has constructed a footpath and now we’re refusing to put The Rock back, we would feel we’re more exposed than if we do put The Rock back,” he added.

However, Liam Griffin pointed out the return of The Rock is not up to him. His concern is related to designating safe swimming areas.

“Originally there was another rock there, going back a long time. That was washed away but the council, 30 or 40 years ago I’m led to believe, put a bit of concrete (The Rock) together to replace it. I’m hoping that Clare County Council might do the same thing again. It’s synonymous as a bathing area and a lot of locals would like to see The Rock being replaced,” Councillor O’Looney said at last February’s meeting when the matter was first raised at town council level.