Dismay Over Council Refusal to Designate Doolin Bathing

A refusal by the local authority to maintain safe swimming and sea access in Doolin has sparked disgust in the local community. The decision by Clare County Council not to re-designate Doolin as an official bathing area is causing waves of shock and dismay. The decision follows a call out issued by the council for local communities to identify bathing water locations.

The community responded by mounting a massive campaign to illustrate Doolin’s long history of close links to the sea, with more than 1,000 supporters arriving at the pier for a Call to Action day demonstrating recreational activities at the Doolin’s Old Pier, which include swimming, kayaking and fishing.

Locals collected 6,000 signatures as part of the campaign, but the council disregarded the petition submission on a technicality over its title.

Doolin has a permanent population of 820, with 419 males and 401 females. The ‘Doolin Swimmers’ group has more than fifty members, many of whom take a daily dip at the Old Pier year round.

“This is incredibly disappointing but certainly not the end of our quest. We will continue to fight for a lifeguard to be returned to Doolin Pier, we will continue to fight to get it designated so that the pier is repaired and maintained for safety standards,” campaign spokeswoman Leigh O’Connell said.

A total of 85 submission were received as part of the assessment. In its decision the council noted that the ‘most recent Water Safety Ireland risk assessment on file recommends no swimming off the Old Pier.’

However, upon inspection, the risk assessment contained multiple errors, according to Chairperson of Doolin Community Council Sarah Daly

“The risk assessment inaccurately states that swimming is prohibited as per the bye laws when, in fact, swimming is permitted. This inconsistency raises concerns about the overall credibility of the report,” she said.

Historically, Doolin village has closer links to the Atlantic and the Aran Islands than towns inland given its proximity to the sea and the use of traditional currachs as a means of transport. Strong cultural, trade, language and community links between Doolin and Inisheer are well documented.

Burgeoning tourism to the islands resulted in the building of a new pier in Doolin in 2015 and planning for that pier was secured on the pretext that the Old Pier would be retained for recreational use. Currently, the Old Pier is a busy spot attracting hundreds of daily users such as walkers, swimmers, kayakers, divers; SUP boarding, fishermen, photographers, artists, bird watchers and tourists. The new pier facilitates commercial activities including ferries to the Aran Islands.

The local authority operated a seasonal lifeguard service in Doolin up to 2014, servicing large numbers of locals and visitors using the Old Pier in summertime. Locals want that service reinstated, along with basic maintenance of the pier servicing access to the water, such as the cleaning of algae from the slipway and steps and replacement ladders allowing bathers to exit the water safely. Pier users are curious as to why the council has failed to maintain these basic safety requirements.

Doolin’s Old Pier is the only wheelchair accessible spot for swimmers and others with mobility issues along this stretch of the north Clare coast.

“Currently the ladders are corroded, damaged and dangerous, there are railings missing, the slipway requires maintenance. Why isn’t the council conducting this basic maintenance?” Ms O’Connell said.

Doolin Swimmers spokesperson Leigh O’Connell

Clare County Council received a total of six applications following its call out for designated bathing areas, none of which were approved. These include nearby Clahane, in Liscannor – one of the most popular swimming swimming spots in North Clare – Kilbaha, Lough Bunny, Brews Bridge, Rinevella and Doolin’s Old Pier.

“It kind of makes us feel that maybe the whole thing was an EU funding box ticking exercise that was never intended to actually designate a bathing area,” Ms O’ Connell said.

Aidan McDermott from Doolin has been swimming at the pier since the 1960’s.

Aidan McDermott from Doolin

“I learned to swim here at three or four years of age. It was just local people back then but now of course you see a lot more people from further afield. The pier is busier than ever. Swimming here is an absolutely glorious thing to be able to do. We need our pier, we need access to the water,” he said.

Paul Burke from Lisdoonvarna learned to swim at the pier and taught his three children (now adults) to swim there. He says the Old Pier is a ‘focal point’ for the community.

“I socialised, I met my friends, I cycled out after football training to cool down. I’ve been coming out here for years, watching currachs coming in and out. It’s been the focal point of our community for many, many years. Emotionally, it means a lot to the community,” he said.

Leigh O’Connell points to the many health and wellbeing benefits of the various outdoor pursuits associated with the Old Pier.

“In Doolin this is where we spent our summers. It’s been great to see those numbers grow over the past few years, swimming and water activities have so many important social, physical and mental health benefits,” she said.

The entire pier area at Doolin is currently earmarked for a planned visitor centre, which the council references in its decision to refuse designated bathing status. The Site Specific Assessment notes that “A Visitor Services Building is currently being planned. Waste water infrastructure will be required. Liaison with UE (Uisce Eireann, formerly Irish Water) will be required as WWTP (Waste Water Treatment Plant) infrastructure may affect the overall outcome.”

Clare County Council’s plans for the proposed visitor centre at Doolin pier, part of a masterplan for the entire village, are currently at an advance stage.

However, any future plans will require the local authority to take into account Statutory Instrument 79/2008, issued by former Minister for the Environment John Gormley.

The SI’s ‘Identification of bathing waters’ section 4

(1), states that “a local authority shall, in accordance with this Regulation, on or before 24 March in each year identify all bathing waters in relation to the bathing season in that year and shall notify the EPA.

(2) The bathing waters to be identified by a local authority shall be all elements of surface water where the authority expects a large number of people to bathe.”

Paul Burke, Lisdoonvarna