Cork community fears coast road will be destroyed for a fourth time without protective measures

A local councillor said that coastal erosion is also impacting Youghal's Blue Flag beaches and is eroding wood from the town's Boardwalk

The 12 Pilmore Cottages on the coast near Youghal Co Cork. Coastal erosion has removed sections of the beach and dunes leaving the access road open to high winter waves and flooding. Rock armour has been added in some sections in recent years but residents are also calling for the groynes to be re-instated to stabilize the sandy beach. and protect their homes. Picture: Larry Cummins

Greater action is needed to protect vulnerable communities from coastal erosion, a group of East Cork householders has said, who fear the only road leading to their homes will be cut off once more.

The residents of Pilmore Cottages, a few kilometres east of Youghal, saw their coastal road destroyed by a storm in October 2019. 

The groyne in the photo was installed by local landowners and has successfully stabilzed sand on the beach.  County Councillor Patrick Mulcahy (left) with residents of the 12 coastal cottages who are seeking coastal protection works. Picture: Larry Cummins

They were unable to access their properties by car for several days until the council completed repairs.

The same road was closed again following another storm in February 2021 and again in December 2023.

Rock armour was put in place to protect the road, but parts of it have since washed away.

Kieran Kidney moved into one of the 12 houses 24 years ago and says since then the beach has been eroded by more than 30m.

He said the ‘dune area’ was around 3m higher than it is now and the resultant receding sandbanks have left their homes very vulnerable.

Other residents, Leon Mullane and Michelle Gaul, said they are concerned about the future and there are have been several occasions that breaking waves have blown over their cars on the road.

County Councillor Patrick Mulcahy (left) with Eoin Riordan, a local resident, beside an eroded section of road. Picture: Larry Cummins

Flood waters have at times reached the gates of their houses.

“We have two problems. In the short term there's protecting the road and in the long term the bigger impact of further coastal erosion,” resident Eoin Riordan said.

The residents believe the key to the problem is the proper reinstatement of groynes - timber barriers which prevent sand from being blown away.

Local volunteers have reinstated some of these groynes and say the impact can be readily seen. The sand stays in place and plants grow on it, knitting the substructure in place.

Local Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Mulcahy said he’s concerned about the future of the Pilmore householders.

In collaboration with students from UCC, Cork County Council is currently conducting a study on the region’s coasts and how erosion is impacting land.

Wooden groynes were once in position to prevent the movement of sand along the shoreline near the 12 coastal cottages near Youghal. Picture: Larry Cummins

"From the outset, I want to acknowledge that there's a coastal erosion risk management study for Pilmore Cottages since 2023 when €135,000 was awarded to Cork County Council for the project. 

"However, to the naked eye, it is quite clear that the shoreline has withdrawn further due to the wild nature of the sea eating into the land,” Mr Mulcahy said.

He said that coastal erosion is also impacting Youghal's Blue Flag beaches at Front Strand and Claycastle and is eroding wood from the Boardwalk as the groynes there have worn away to small sticks.

County Councillor Patrick Mulcahy (left) with Eoin Riordan, a local resident, beside an eroded section of road. 'It is quite clear that the shoreline has withdrawn further due to the wild nature of the sea eating into the land.' Picture: Larry Cummins

"The groynes which have worked so efficiently over the past number of decades around our coastlines must be refurbished to help protect our shores. 

"This is imperative and government, along with the OPW, need to recognise this basic fact. There is farmland being lost,” Mr Mulcahy said.

He plans to raise the concerns of the Pilmore residents with council officials at next month's East Cork municipal district meeting and with the local authority’s newly created strategic policy committee dealing with coastal, marine and flooding issues.