Bantry to invest in man-made beach
A sandy strand is one of the high quality amenities lacking in the top tourist town of Bantry in West Cork, according to experts.
Investment in a beach would reap benefits to the community and the local economy, the Bantry Task Force was told.
Bordered by the Sheep’s Head and Beara peninsulas, the 23-mile-long sheltered deep water Bantry Bay does not have any sandy inlets. Locals and tourists in the area have to travel up to 50 miles to bathe at beach spots. The community-based task force commissioned the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre at University College Cork to investigate the unique beach concept.
The researchers, headed by Prof Tony Lewis, found the beach could be built at a reasonable cost after examining two potential locations in the inner harbour, The Abbey and the Railway Pier. Man-made beaches can be constructed using rubble-filled barriers jutting out into the sea, acting as a breakwater to stop sand being swept away.
Businessman Donal Casey, who heads the task force, said EU funding would be essential to the project. An EU funding precedent was already established, he said, as Spain, Portugal and The Canaries had all benefited from artificial schemes. In Ireland, Rosslare and Bray have man-made beaches.
