‘We look like idiots’ claims Kilkee councillor

A KILKEE town councillor has claimed that all nine councillors and the entire executive “look like idiots”, following news that signs indicating that Kilkee beach bylaws are in place have yet to be erected. The beach bylaws came into effect in Kilkee on June 1 last.
However, there is no sign on the Strand Line informing local people or visitors of the existence of bylaws. Yet Kilkee town clerk, John Corry told Monday’s meeting of Kilkee Town Council that the beach bylaws are being “policed”.
“We look like idiots, given that we have no signs up,” Councillor Elaine Haugh Hayes observed. The issue was also addressed by Councillor Paddy Collins.
“They (the signs) have been ordered,” Mr Corry replied before telling the meeting that a “common sense” approach has been adopted by the town council with regard to penalising people who flout the bylaws that they may not know exist. If they are breaking the bylaws, members of the public are asked to desist and have not yet been fined immediately.
“They should be up,” acting Kilkee town manager Nora Kaye acknowledged.
“We’ll follow it up during the week,” she assured the meeting.
The newly adopted Kilkee Town Council Beach ByLaws came into force on June 1. They were adopted at a meeting of Kilkee Town Council last April.
As a result, dogs and horses are banned from Kilkee beach from 11am to 6pm and will only be allowed onto the beach while under supervision or on a leash, during designated hours.
The bylaws stipulate that between 11am and 6pm, during the summer season, it will be illegal “to bring onto or ride, wash, drive or lead any horse, pony, donkey, ass, mule or other animal of the equine species on the beach”. Before 11am and after 6pm, horses may be brought onto the beach if they are supervised. An exemption has been made for the annual Strand Races in Kilkee.
Dogs will be banned from the beach during the same hours and will only be allowed to walk the beach, during designated hours on a leash and as long as they are not “causing annoyance, danger or nuisance to any people using the beach or worrying, chasing, injuring or disturbing any animals, birds or other creatures on the beach.”
The draft bylaws had been on public display from March 12 to April 12 but no submissions or observations were received by Kilkee Town Council during this period.