1m tonnes of sand washed from blue-flag beach in stormy week

Large-scale erosion at a popular, blue-flag beach has been worsened by storms and high tides over the festive period.

There are now fears of flooding to homes and land which had been protected by sand dunes at Rossbeigh Beach on the Ring of Kerry.

UCC engineering experts estimate that a million tonnes of sand have been washed away from Rossbeigh in the past week, in addition to the estimated eight million tonnes that have disappeared since the dunes were first breached by the sea in Dec 2008.

Local Independent councillor Michael Cahill, saying he had grown tired of inaction by the Office of Public Works and Kerry County Council, yesterday called for urgent action at EU level to tackle the escalating problem.

“Twenty acres have gone in the last few weeks,” he said. “This is erosion at an alarming rate and the gap created by the breach in the dunes is widening all the time.”

The breach has created an island at the top of the Rossbeigh Spit, and the gap between the island the remainder of the spit is now 1km.

Mr Cahill, who lives in Rossbeigh, said the island was getting smaller by the day and there were now real fears that a road leading into the beach, as well as public toilets and a children’s playground, may be exposed to the elements.

He also said that a wide area inland, which had traditionally been protected by the vanishing dunes, could be left open to flooding.

“It’s about time the OPW and the county council began to take the situation seriously and took some action,” said Mr Cahill. “Otherwise, all the dunes will be gone in a matter of time.”

OPW Minister of State Brian Hayes has already visited Rossbeigh to view the situation at first hand. However, successive governments have been strongly criticised for failing to make adequate funding available for coastal erosion, not only in Rossbeigh but also nationally.

Where funds are provided, the OPW meets 75% of the cost of works, with the remaining 25% coming from the local authority.

No application has been made for funding for Rossbeigh.

“At this stage, the OPW and the council have no option but to take necessary action,” said Mr Cahill. “There has to be a scheme to slow the erosion, at the very least, and to try to salvage what’s left of the dunes.”