FACILITIES at Fanore beach “are lacking when compared with other popular beaches in the county,” a councillor has claimed.
Greater priority is needed when it comes to the planned upgrades at Fanore beach, Cllr Liam Grant (GP) stated. In a proposal before the West Clare Municipal District, he asked that the improvements be expedited. “Proper toilets, showers, lifeguard station, water fountain and electric car charging point are all required. Fanore beach is very busy, and it needs upgraded facilities to cater for the amount of visitors,” he outlined.
Senior executive engineer, Enda MacNamara detailed that “significant funds” were spent by Clare County Council on upgrades in 2021 prior to the summer season, he did not provide an exact breakdown on the costs incurred. Phase one upgrades included the installation of new posts and rope plus signage around the protected dunes, damaged fencing was removed, new timber posts and railing was added plus a new level path from the car part to the access steps, in a bid to avoid congestion around the car park new line-marking was also installed.
Work is ongoing for the second phase with the West Clare MD engaged with the General Design Office in the preparation of a design for the upgrade of the existing toilets. “Once the design is finalised, a suitable funding source will need to be identified to progress this project,” MacNamara commented.
A request has also been submitted to the ESB to consider installing an electric car charging point at Fanore. Upgrades to showers and a lifeguard station will be reviewed in future phases, the senior engineer added.
While he acknowledged the recent work, Cllr Grant highlighted the appetite for further improvement. The addition of a water re-fill point is “really important” in his view, “having been there a lot lifeguarding when people go to the beach for the day they often run out of water, unless you have a vendor there selling something then you actually can’t get drinking water, a lot of people go there for the day and end up having half heatstroke or sun burn going around looking for water”.
Presently, lifeguards “don’t have any access to clean drinking water,” in Fanore, he claimed. “A lot of the rubbish dumped there is reusable bottles or cups and stuff, we should be encouraging people to use their own water bottles and fill it up might help with litter as well,” Grant observed. He recalled that over the 2020 August Bank Holiday weekend, “the toilets were closed, there was 3,000 people on the beach because Kilkee and Spanish Point were closed, it was like a warzone with running water or toilets”.
“Transformative” work has taken place in Fanore, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) maintained. The rope has been observed to protect the dunes while an application to develop a playground at the school site will also lead to community use, he said. The Lisdoonvarna man admitted he was of the impression that the upgrade of the toilets “was set in stone” and referenced MacNamara’s comments that a funding source is needed. “We need to upgrade those facilities as a matter of urgency. Lest I forget, the turnstile that was installed, you can’t get a buggy through it, it is inaccessible”.
Calls for improvements have “recurring” for the past three years, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) remarked. He welcomed the improvements made. “It is no harm to keep an eye on what’s happening,” Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) commented, “Fanore is getting huge numbers, we need to keep progressing and upgrading the facilities in there to control the influx so that they can enjoy their stay and come back themselves but encourage their friends and neighbours to come back to North Clare”.
Regarding the toilet upgrade, senior executive officer, John O’Malley explained that a more detailed plan is now being considered which requires a full redesign “so we’re looking at a more long-term project”. He added, “The costs have escalated, the costs of work planned had doubled, the original budget set aside the costs have doubled. The costs were included in Budget, I’m pretty confident that Fanore is seen as vital cog, it is a Blue Flag beach. I am confident we’ll get funding to cover the works but it is significant funding”.
