Beach is not affected by caravan parks

DONAL HICKEY has highlighted a situation in Castlegregory, Co Kerry (Irish Examiner, October 5), which could have a devastating effect on the local economy and ruin the traditional family seaside holiday there for many people.

I have been holidaying in the area for over 30 years - 25 of them in a caravan park on the Maharees which is a unique peninsula of sandy beaches, dunes, working farms and commonage.

That Blue Flag beach is unaffected by the presence of caravan parks where sanitation is well up to standard.

Obviously new treatment plants would improve the water quality and environment.

To this end, the residents of our caravan park voted with their wallets and put in place a fund to enable all works required by the county council to be carried out, but An Taisce still raised objections.

Could I suggest to An Taisce that, rather than knocking plans to improve this beautiful area, they would serve the local community and holidaymakers more usefully if they were to tackle

1. Casual and unregulated camping all over the sand dunes with attendant lack of sanitation and illegal dumping and

2. Vehicular traffic, including quad bikes, causing erosion of the dunes.

Michael Gavin

Yorkboro

Boreenmanna Road

Cork