Tourism fears after landslide prompts Slea Head closure

PARTS of one of the country’s most popular tourist routes, the Slea Head Drive, were yesterday closed to traffic after a section of cliff supporting the road collapsed into the sea.

The landslide occurred close to Dunquin graveyard, where a 10m-wide section of cliff between the road and sea simply disappeared.

The road itself did not collapse, but it was left with several cracks. With the tourist season getting underway, any disruption to traffic would have serious implications for the area.

Acting Kerry county manager, Tom Curran, and council engineers were at the scene yesterday, assessing the damage.

There will be diversions for coaches and other traffic using the circular route, which commands spectacular views of the Blasket Islands, for the remainder of the tourist season.

County council spokesman Padraig Corkery said the badly damaged section of road would not be reopened.

“We realise this road is crucial to tourism and the council is already preparing plans to have access restored as quickly as possible.

“Clearly, a new section of road has to be built and we’ve already started to approach local landowners,” he said.

Local people reported hearing an “unmerciful bang” and cracking noises at the time of the collapse of the 150ft cliff at around 7pm on Sunday.

A similar collapse occurred there about 25 years ago.

Micheal de Mordha, manager of the Blasket Interpretive Centre in Dunquin, said locals appreciated the prompt response of the council and gardaí and called for the matter to be treated with urgency.

“This route is vitally important for tourism in An Daingean, throughout the peninsula and all over Kerry. Hotels, restaurants, B&Bs, potteries and other businesses depend on it,” he said.

“Business people will now be getting together to devise alternative routes so that coaches and visitors in general will continue to have access to the route, which is the mainstay of the local economy.”

The Slea Head route is in the constituency of Tourism Minister John O’Donogh-ue, who is to be asked to lobby for Government funding to replace the damaged roadway.

The county council has convened a meeting in the Skellig Hotel, Dingle, at noon today, at which local businesses will be briefed.