Plans to turn Carrigaline into beacon for watersports

Government funding is to be sought to drive a Carrigaline watersports project to fruition. Picture: Larry Cummins

Plans to turn Carrigaline into a beacon for watersports enthusiasts are progressing at pace and government funding is to be sought to drive the project to fruition.

An initial plan drawn up by municipal district council officials, with the help of a blueway expert, has been presented to councillors which looked at possible landing and launching sites for the project along the Owenabue river and estuary.

The plan focused on locations such as Carrigaline Community Park, the two bridges close to it, the town's former abattoir site as well as the Drakes Pool/Rabbit Island area. 

The council came up with pros and cons to developing these areas for watersports, for which a foreshore licence will have to be acquired from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

It is likely some mitigation measures will have to be put in place because of wildlife inhabiting the area, which will necessitate a Natura Impact Study with any planning application for the project to Bord Pleanála.

The municipal district council is now hoping to get government funding for a major feasibility study to be carried out by consultants on the project.

Nicola Radley, the municipal district council's senior official, said that she would push to have the county council nominate it as their once-yearly candidate applicant for funding under the government's Outdoor Recreation Schemes.

Fine Gael councillor Liam O'Connor, who was the first person to suggest the idea of developing facilities in Carrigaline, welcomed the initial report.

He maintained the ideal site to create permanent facilities for the project, such as toilets, changing rooms etc, was in the Drakes Pool/Rabbit Island area. However, he added that additional parking space would have to be created there to facilitate it.

“It's great that the council has expressed an appetite for this. We should look for this (government) funding for a feasibility study to kick-start this project,” Mr O'Connor said.

“It's something we have been speaking about for a long time. It's great that it's getting this scrutiny now. The water in the area is underutilised,” Fianna Fáil councillor Seamus McGrath said, Independent councillor Ben Dalton-O'Sullivan maintained there is a huge appetite in the local community for this and it would attract tourists into the area.