Dingle dredge delays ‘hitting tourism’

Delays in carrying out dredging works at one of the country’s best-known fishing ports and tourist areas are hampering economic development, it has been claimed.

Larger vessels, including cruise liners, would be able to berth in Dingle, Co Kerry, if the harbour was deepened, a meeting of Kerry County Council heard yesterday.

However, upwards of a dozen ferries which take visitors to see Fungi — the dolphin who has been a major tourist attraction in Dingle for more than 30 years — are relatively light craft and are therefore able to operate as normal. Dingle Fine Gael councillor Séamus Cosaí Fitzgerald said the harbour had been “in limbo” for many years, which stagnated the area’s economy.