*Wind surfers in Fanore.
Clare’s attraction as one of the country’s leading staycation destinations is what the local economy needed, a county councillor has stressed.
To cater for the influx in visitors to the county, additional resources were implemented across popular beaches including Kilkee, Spanish Point, Lahinch, Fanore and White Strand Miltown Malbay with full-time cleaners at the toilet facilities.
Extended hours have been worked by Clare County Council’s outdoor crews to deal with large scale clean-ups, toilet blockages and ongoing issues. Additional lifeguards were also employed by the local authority with additional bins installed in Kilkee and Lahinch while new toilet facilities were put in place at Fanore and Kilkee plus extra parking at Spanish Point.
Acting senior executive officer with the West Clare Municipal District, John O’Malley detailed that there has been a close working relationship with An Garda Síochána on traffic safety. The main road to Loop Head Lighthouse was listed as an example of the “significant road improvements”.
O’Malley stated, “There are ongoing challenges to meet the demands placed on the West Clare MD by being in an area that attracts large numbers of staycationers with additional pressures in places such as Doolin, various parts of the UNESCO Burren Geopark, Seafield and other popular locations. One of the main challenges in having such an attractive offering from the Flaggy Shore to Loop Head and the Shannon Estuary Way, is having the resources both in terms of staffing and finances to maintain these areas to the level required”.
Planning for the season has been ongoing for a year, Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) maintained. “This is what we want, this is what we market for, this is what the beauty of our area is for, we’ve never experienced this volume before but this is what our economy needs”. He was adamant that greater funding and resources must be provided “if our area is going to be the destination for the country”.
Swiftness in how Council crews have responded to issues such as tar meting on the road in Doonbeg were cited by Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) as some of the positive actions undertaken over the summer.
