300,000 tons of sand needed to save beach

It would require 300,000 tons of sand to bring the beach back at Courtown; that is according to Senior Executive Engineer Ger Forde who was responding to members questions via-video link at last Tuesday’s monthly meeting of Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council held in Gorey Library.

300,000 tons of sand required to restore beach at Courtown.

The discussion was prompted by the recent withdrawal of the Blue Flag status from Courtown in An Taisce’s International Awards 2020 with six Blue Flags and nine Green Coast Award recipients located around the Wexford coastline.
Mr. Ian Diamond, Coastal Awards Manager with An Taisce’s Environmental Education unit, stated that “due to the lower than normal beach sand levels Wexford County Council had no option but to withdraw the Blue Flag awarded to Courtown for the time being.”

A number of issues were raised by Cllrs Andrew Bolger and Cllr Diarmuid Devereux. It was said that the town was suffering by losing the Blue Flag, there were broken seats, dilapidated buildings and a hotel that need to be demolished. It was added the illegal camping continues to be a problem.

Cllr Fionntán Ó Suilleabháin instanced a situation where a fisherman was “frustrated and angry” because he could not enter Courtown Harbour on a calm day.

He recalled the dredging project costing €60,000 a year and the sand was taken a distance away at great cost. “Why wasn’t the sand deposited where the beach used to be?” asked Cllr Ó Suilleabháin. Blue Flags were awarded to Ballymoney North, Morriscastle, Ballinesker, Curracloe, Rosslare and Carne, while Green Coast Awards includes Cahore Point, Old Bawn Beach, Culleton’s Gap, St. Helen’s Bay, Ballyhealy, Cullenstown, Baginbun, Booley Bay and Grange.

Enniscorthy Flood Relief Scheme delayed

Members of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council were shocked to learn that Enniscorthy Flood Relief Scheme will be delayed by six to twelve months after the Department of the Environment ordered a review of the design at a cost of €0.5 million.

Details were provided to the June meeting, held in social distance guidelines at the Presentation Centre, in the monthly report by Project Engineer Larry McHale.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Kathlen Codd-Nolan expressed disappointment at the delay in the update, as did all members in attendance, and Cllr Jackser Owens asked why the project was eight years with Wexford County Council and only signed over to the OPW in December 2019?

Mr McHale outlined that Wexford County Council had concluded all the preliminary work that was requested and it was the Department who ordered the review of the design. “We (Wexford County Council) will be ready to go when the Department gives the go ahead,” he concluded.

Cllr Barbara-Ann Murphy was critical of Carlow County Council extracting water from the River Slaney at Rathvilly resulting in ‘not sufficient water flowing through Enniscorthy.” Cllr Jackser Owens said it was possible to “walk across the Slaney at present” due to extreme low water levels.

Members discussed recent ‘supply disruptions’ to the water supply in Enniscorthy. John O’Rourke cited problems in the Shannon area with taps almost dry and families were concerned at a lack of water “not enough for cooking or to flush the toilet.”

Ironically, the next day a cloud burst over Enniscorthy saturated the streets with torrents of water cascading down Main Street and Irish Street resulting in businesses temporarily closed in Market Square. The damage is estimated to be considerable.

Senior Executive Enginer Tagh O’Corcora said there were plans for a new intake of 4,500 litres “which is enough for the moment” but added that there are plans to double the capacity to 9,000  litres per day. The first priority is to fix the bad pipes.

Cllr Cathal Byrne agreed with Cllr Murphy that “the entire water network” in Enniscorthy be replaced, and he also focussed on major refurbishment  of reservoirs at Bree and Ballyhogue where bulk water tanks were operational.

A contractor  has been appointed at both Bree and Ballyhogue, however, due to Covid-19 regulations plans to commence on the Bree reservoir have not been finalised. Work at Ballyhogue has been completed.