Shipwreck site dangerous due to storm-hit dunes in Rossbeigh

The site of an old shipwreck, displaced in recent storms, is dangerous because of unstable sand dunes, it has been warned.

Hundreds of people have been flocking to Rossbeigh Beach in Kerry to view the wreck of the schooner, Sunbeam, which had been buried in the beach for more than a century and was swept by mountainous waves to the base of the dunes.

Sundance that was removed from its resting place at Rossbeigh Beach hope it can be put back where it was for 100 yrs+ pic.twitter.com/ncpia6BXHl

— John O'Hanlon (@YourITHelpGuy) January 17, 2014

Some sightseers have been climbing the dunes, unaware of the risks involved. “Sand is constantly falling from the dunes which have been destabilised because of the hammering they got from the elements,” said Cllr Michael Cahill.

With upcoming weather conditions predicted to be good, the number of people using and walking on beaches and coastal areas is expected to increase.

However, Kerry County Council is also asking people to take care near sand dunes and cliffs, warning that some coastal areas may be unstable in the wake of the storms.

Rossbeigh Beach took a bit of a hammering in the storms... pic.twitter.com/HyO9WdsZXN

— Eoin Dillon (@eoin_dill) January 12, 2014

In particular, the council is asking people to stay away from the base of sand dunes and not to climb them.

“The high tides and heavy seas over Christmas may have undercut the base of sand dunes and the dune faces may not yet have settled,” said senior executive engineer Eamon Scanlan.

“The coastline of Kerry has weathered some significant violent forces and stresses over the past fortnight. As a result, coastal routes that people normally use may have been impacted by the storms. We are asking people to be aware of this, particularly in locations such as cliff walks, sand dunes, and other areas,” he pointed out.

The council, which is seeking €20m from the Government for coastal erosion work, is continuing the clean-up of the coastal areas.

Mr Scanlan also paid tribute to local communities for their efforts in the clean-up, working side-by-side with council crews.

Meanwhile, work on embankments on the shoreline of Castlemaine Harbour is to be carried out next week.

Independent TD Tom Fleming has received confirmation from the Office of Public Works that the remedial work will be carried out on embankments at Killorglin and Keel.

There are two breaches on the shoreline at Gurrane, in Killorglin, and Ardcanaught, in Castlemaine.