*Photograph: John Mangan

LAHINCH BEACH has reopened to swimmers with the lifting of a prohibition on bathing.

Clare County Council lifted the red flag at the popular coastal spot on Thursday afternoon, the notice had been in place since Tuesday. The prohibition was removed on the advice of the HSE.

Prohibitions on swimming at Lahinch were also issued in August 2019 and August 2020.

Over the past four years, there have been ten separate do now swim notices issued for Lahinch, Kilkee, White Strand (Miltown Malbay), Spanish Point and White Strand (Doonbeg). In 2019, 2020 and 2021, Kilkee was hit with swimming bans lasting a combined 21 days. Two of these notices were directly attributed to a malfunction at the sewage pumping station caused by a burst in the rising main.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Senator Roisin Garvey (GP) highlighted, “It’s a serious situation when you have to close a beach, it makes people not have faith in swimming, Lahinch is a hugely popular tourist destination and for locals who want to swim”.

Senator Garvey warned, “It is a huge health issue, we know of people who have got e-coli poisoning and have been sick for days, it can affect pregnant women and people oith existing health challenges, a young woman who got kidney failure is still in treatment, we need to see more regular testing. This is a huge issue and we have to solve it. What do the local authority need, they don’t want to be closing down the beach and want their blue flag beach maintained, we need action”.

“It is a reoccurring issue but nothing has changed, the local authority will close the beach and put up signs, they will carry out testing but the problem will not be fixed,” the Inagh native stated. “This is the third or fourth year in a row that this has happened, what is happening with the local authority with regards to dealing with this, they need to outline what supports they need to stop this”.

That the Environmental Protection Agency only has eleven enforcement officers around the country when it is recommended they have 65 is another issue, Senator Garvey maintained. “There are some agricultural practices undermining the water quality, if you don’t have enforcement or proper investigations”.

She added, “One of the things is the expanding size of holding tanks, the holding tank holds the raw sewerage until it is treated but the storm water also goes into the tanks, they are getting full sooner”.

Related News

dr daly park tulla 1
Tulla GAA lodge plans for astro-turf, all weather pitch & indoor hurling wall
shannon group clare crusaders little blue heroes 1-2
Clare Crusaders & Little Blue Heroes chosen as Shannon Airport Group's charity partners for 2025
jim enright 1-2
Scór long-service award for Cratloe's Jim Enright
st brendan's road lisdoonvarna 1
Corofin developers lodge plans for 60 houses in Lisdoonvarna

Advertisement

Latest News
carrigaholt roundabout kilkee plinth 1
'Money won't be an issue' - Keating confident of Strand Line improvements in Kilkee
tulla utd v bridge utd 26-04-25 simon kilker 1
Tulla inflict the Kilker blow on Bridge to seal historic Clare Cup final appearance
dr daly park tulla 1
Tulla GAA lodge plans for astro-turf, all weather pitch & indoor hurling wall
shannon group clare crusaders little blue heroes 1-2
Clare Crusaders & Little Blue Heroes chosen as Shannon Airport Group's charity partners for 2025
jim enright 1-2
Scór long-service award for Cratloe's Jim Enright
Premium
newmarket celtic v fair green celtic 25-04-25 dean hegarty tadhg noonan 2
Dean Hegarty delivers man of the match display to send Newmarket Celtic back into Clare Cup final
clare v limerick minor 25-04-25 evan crimmins 2
Clare minors lower Limerick to set up do or die tie with Waterford
ambulance 1
Clare 'always suffering on health front' - Cllrs seek Dáil committee to examine emergency response times
clare v waterford 19-05-24 ken ralph 2
'Clare were disrespected in commentary before start of championship' - Ralph
clare v tipperary 19-04-25 peter keane 2
'We're opening doors' - Keane praises Clare for kicking on but stresses goal chances must be taken

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.

Advertisement