Tag Archives: Lahinch beach

On the advice of the HSE, Clare County Council has this morning raised a Red Flag at Lahinch Beach, indicating a bathing prohibition at this location until further notice. The restriction has been introduced after the results of routine bathing water samples showed elevated levels of bacteria. In accordance with An Taisce’s Blue Flag programme, the Blue Flag at this bathing area will be removed until such time as the water quality improves. Red flags have been issued at Lahinch on a number of occasions in recent years.

CLARE Water Safety Committee has produced a new safety leaflet for Lahinch beach, which has been circulated to tourism related businesses for the benefit of visitors and locals to the west Clare resort. People are advised in the leaflet to always swim between the red and yellow flags. If the lifeguards can’t see swimmers, they can’t help them. Swimmers are warned not to enter the sea when the red flag is up because it is too dangerous to swim. If unsure, people are urged to ask a lifeguard or seek local knowledge. People can also refer to Clare County Council’s Facebook page for advice about the conditions at other lifeguarded beaches. Children should be kept under constant supervision when in or near the water. Entering and leaving the water at full tide can be extremely dangerous due to the risk of impact on beach rocks. People should check tide times at the lifeguard station or online. In Lahinch, the tide …

Clare County Council, on the advice of the Health Service Executive (HSE), has today (Friday) lifted restrictions relating to public bathing at Lahinch beach. Bathing advisory notices were erected on Lahinch beach earlier this week due to an increase in the levels of bacteria found in a routine bathing water sample.  The excessive rainfall of recent weeks and resultant runoff from land surrounding Lahinch Bay had led to the detection of a greater concentration of bacteria levels.  The HSE subsequently advised Clare County Council, as the local authority responsible for the county’s bathing water locations, to erect notices advising beach users of the potential increase in bacteria levels in the water. Restrictions have today been lifted after further water testing indicated a reduction in bacteria levels.  Lifeguards are on duty while the Blue Flag is once again flying at the beach.

Hundreds of people are expected to gather for a climate justice event in North Clare this Sunday. Part of a worldwide movement, people from around the county will gather in Lahinch to send a message about global warming to world leaders. “The tide will be out and hundreds of people will come together from all over the county, including children, especially those involved in An Taisce’s Green-Schools programme. We will write #EarthToParis, which is a hashtag people are using all over the world at similar gatherings on the same day, in the sand. I have a drone camera and will take an aerial photograph of the event and everyone gathered around the writing and tag it and Tweet it,” explained Róisín Ní Ghairbhith, event organiser. “World leaders are meeting on December 7 and 8 in Paris to discuss climate change and we are sending them a message that we want them to come up with good decisions and good solutions. …

The search for a Polish man feared drowned off the Clare coast has been officially stood down. The 34-year-old man, who had been living in Killaloe, was reported missing on January 10 last, after his family became concerned for his safety. His car was subsequently found by gardaí, parked near the lighthouse at Loop Head. The early days of the search involved the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter and the Kilkee unit of the Irish Coast Guard. However, deteriorating weather conditions greatly restricted the extent of the search operation at sea, on the shoreline and along the clifftops. Gale force winds exceeding 100kmh hampered the early search efforts and volunteers of Kilkee Coast Guard launched whenever they could and when it was safe to do so. In recent weeks, family members and friends of the missing man had travelled to the area to conduct their own searches. Elsewhere, Doolin Coast Guard has been called out three times in February so …

A South-East Clare community is in mourning this week after a Broadford pensioner died suddenly at Lahinch beach on Sunday afternoon. He has been named locally as Patrick O’Connell, Doon Road, Broadford. The 72 year-old man was paddling in shallow water about six to eight inches deep when he collapsed suddenly and fell down with what is believed to a suspected heart attack shortly after 3 pm.The incident took place about 30 yards out from the shoreline at the north end of the Lahinch promenade. According to Lahinch Search and Rescue secretary, Tomsie O’Sullivan two women and a man pulled the man in from the water on the beach where one of them, who was a qualified nurse proceeded to give Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Mr O’Sullivan recalled he was contacted by the Valentia Coast Guard service to confirm that an incident had taken place that required assistance and he confirmed this with two lifeguards who were aware of what had …

Two to three hundred women will take part in a special sporting festival in North Clare this weekend. Mermaids, the Irish Surfing Association’s national women’s weekend takes place in Lahinch and will feature surfing, yoga and belly dancing among other things. The Mermaids weekend is an opportunity for women of all ages to learn to surf or to improve their skills – under the watchful eyes of some of Ireland’s top female surfers. Skilled female surf instructors, alongside past and present female members of the Irish Surf team aim to give participants a fun, safe and inspirational surfing experience. “We would expect 200 to 300 women and girls to take part depending on the weather then we have a team of the top women competitive surfers in the country who will come along and help with the teaching. They are role models within the sport and they will bring all the information you would need whether you are starting out …

MONEY allocated this week for work at the promenade in Lahinch should be used to make the beach accessible for people with disabilities, according to the county’s Centre for Independent Living (CIL). The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine announced it is providing €333,000 for capital works projects in marine leisure and tourism infrastructure in North Clare. This funding will go to two projects, the upgrade of the promenade in Lahinch and the redevelopment of Liscannor pier, and will be 75% funded by the department, with the remainder coming from the local authority. Responding to the funding announcement, Clare CIL is calling on the local authority and public representatives to ensure the development on the promenade in Lahinch is suitable for people with disabilities and wheelchair users. Clare CIL wants Lahinch beach to be made more accessible with the new funding. The 2000 Equal Status Act and 2005 Disability Act states that public places must be accessible for people …