Water quality to be monitored at popular Cork swimming spots

Both Cuskinny (pictured) and Whitepoint, in Cobh, have become extremely popular for open water swimmers. Picture: Denis Minihane

Water quality monitoring looks set to be introduced for the first time at two popular swimming locations in Cork harbour.

Both Cuskinny and Whitepoint, in Cobh, have become extremely popular for open water swimmers, especially since the covid lockdowns, but neither site has been subjected to regular water quality checks by Cork County Council. 

However, that's about to change with the introduction of regular monitoring. This would show signs of any sea pollution coming from local industries, or from the huge volume of cargo ships and cruise liners which pass through the area every year.

Cobh-based councillors want to see the introduction of monitoring at the popular bathing spots as they are currently not checked by the local authority. The council carries out several regular inspections along other sections of the coastline.

Fine Gael councillor Sinead Sheppard said local representatives owed it to the large number of people who now swim in Cuskinny and Whitepoint on a daily basis, at all times of the year. “We should proceed with this (getting monitoring) because they have become extremely popular since covid,” she said.

Ms Sheppard got the backing of councillors from outside the town. Fine Gael councillor Anthony Barry said that at the very minimum Cuskinny should be added to the monitoring list as it has a larger proportion of swimmers using it than Whitepoint.

Green councillor Alan O’Connor backed the calls saying it “would be worthwhile” to measure pollution levels. The council’s senior executive officer for the area, Paraic Lynch, said certain criteria would have to be undertaken to get the areas put onto the council’s monitoring list and he would “start the ball rolling” to get them included.

Battery Strand

Meanwhile, councillors are also to seek government funding to make safe and re-open Cobh’s Battery Strand, which closed a decade ago. This was also a popular swimming area, not far from the town centre, which was shut in 2013 on foot of a safety assessment. 

The area, close to the ‘Titanic Gardens’ and ‘Holy Ground’ was closed because of concerns that an overhanging cliff could collapse on the strand. An initial ‘risk assessment’ was carried out by council engineers in 2020, but Mr Lynch said a fuller report is needed to assess the scale of safety works needed in order to re-open the area to the public.

Labour councillor Cathal Rasmussen said its closure “was a huge loss of an amenity” and everything should be done to get it re-opened. However, he said he didn't believe County Hall has money to spare on conducting a scoping report.

Independent councillor Sean O’Connor suggested that they put in an application for government funding and it was agreed to pursue this with the help of the county engineer’s office.