Fears as sand dune erosion worsens

A further 35m of sand dunes have disappeared at a popular south Kerry beach area in the past year.

A new island was created at the tip of the erosion-hit Rossbeigh peninsula after the sea breached fragile dunes during a high tide and stormy conditions in Dec 2008.

The gap between the island and the peninsula continues to widen and is now more than 400m — with a further 35m vanishing in 2012, according to locally-based councillor Michael Cahill.

“The situation is getting worse and it would cost millions of euro to remedy but no worthwhile money has been available for many years to deal with coastal erosion in Ireland,” he said.

“At the moment, I am inquiring into EU pilot schemes to battle erosion and feel the situation in Rossbeigh is so serious that it should be prioritised, even at EU level.

“The real problem here is that the Rossbeigh dunes protect several, vulnerable. low-lying areas including Dooks and Cromane. As the dunes disappear, these areas are left completely exposed to the ravages of the sea,” he warned.

Mr Cahill said the island at the tip of the spit was getting smaller by the month and an estimated 3.5 million tonnes of sand had already been washed away by the sea.

An area measuring about 50 acres has been opened up.

The former county council chairman said: “All this is very clear to anyone who walks the beach, as many people noted during the Christmas period.”

The erosion is also creating dangerous conditions in the dunes area which is frequented by walkers and tourists, with quicksand also being a hazard, he said.

Meanwhile, the council has confirmed it will be applying to the OPW for funding, this year, to protect 220m of Rossbeigh beach front currently under threat.

The area extends from the public toilets to the children’s playground and tennis courts, where many cars are parked in summer time and from which people access the beach.

New protection measures are required, along with repairs to existing infrastructure, according to council engineers.

However, requests to the OPW for funding in the past have not been successful.

The council has already spent €4m on coast protection in the Inch area of the Dingle Peninsula where a section of the main Killarney to Dingle road “was being undermined”.