Rossbeigh ‘could be cut off’ if storm damaged road collapses

Fears of further erosion damage to the storm-battered Kerry coast were voiced yesterday, including a warning that some houses in the severely-hit Rossbeigh area could be cut off if a road collapses.

Kerry County Council estimates it will cost at least €20m to repair recent damage and to carry out long-term protection work along its 684km of coastline.

A sum of €1.55m is being sought for the blue-flag Rossbeigh Beach, but local Independent councillor Michael Cahill yesterday said a further €3m was needed to protect a cliff road leading to several houses overlooking the beach.

“Some emergency works have just been carried out on the beach side of this road, parts of which have collapsed in the past, and it is under serious threat following the recent storms and high tides.

“The road has been further undermined and local people believe it will collapse again if urgent protection work is not done.’’

It was also learned that some householders in the Cromane area are considering legal action against the county council, Office of Public Works, and Department of the Marine for allegedly not doing sufficient work to protect their recently flooded homes.

Damage to the promenade in the South Kerry village of Waterville is also being highlighted and the local tidy towns committee is seeking €400,000 to repair a section of the promenade which collapsed in the bad weather.

A car park washed away beside the beach at Kells must also be replaced.

Senior council management are due to meet this week to provide further details regarding their submission for government funding for remedial work.

Some parts of Co Kerry, including rural areas around Killarney, and areas in Mid-Cork, have been without their landline phones for up to a month.

Eircom crews have been drafted into Killarney from places as far away as Kildare to repair faults.

Eircom could not be contacted yesterday to explain the long delays in restoring services, but it is believed a shortage of personnel is a factor, as several workers recently accepted severance packages.

Meanwhile, a family resource centre, in Listowel, is expected to be closed all this week, following damage to the building in Sunday night’s storm conditions.

A number of internal ceilings at the centre collapsed and power was knocked out following the high winds and heavy rain.

Some parts of the facility were under several inches of water and the main conference room was badly damaged.