Letters to the Editor: Kilkee badly needs the right water treatment plant in the right place
Kilkee Cliffs in Co Clare. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan
Pádraic Fogarty raises some, unfortunately, very true points ( ‘Kilkee’s bathing water is filthy — so why are people objecting to a water treatment plant?’, , May 15).
The state of Ireland’s water, be it in lakes, rivers or the sea, is beyond poor in most places and little seems to be done to change this situation.
The Government and county councils seem to take, as Pádraic writes, an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach.
And where State bodies seem to tackle the problem, people object to the proposed solution for apparently trivial reasons, as Pádraic describes, taking the seaside town of Kilkee as an example.
There is, however, another side to this particular story.
To be fair, Pádraic‘s interpretation of the still-unfolding events in Kilkee can be understood when looking only at the headline slogan used in the community’s campaign to oppose the proposed Kilkee wastewater treatment plant: ‘Save Kilkee Cliff Walk.’
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Kilkee, famous for its sandy beach, the pollock holes, and scenic cliff walk, is a town dependent on tourism and subsequently preserving the scenery is important for the residents, many of whom rely on the short season to make a living.
Water quality, however, is of equal importance.
Over the decades, Kilkee had to deal with numerous beach closures, in 2022 and 2023 alone the beach was closed 12 times due to contaminated water in the bay.
This impacts not only the environment and the general quality of living in the area, but also tourism.
If the beach in Kilkee is closed, people go somewhere else (there are several equally picturesque beaches only a short drive away).
Because of that, the Kilkee community has been asking for a very long time for the existing and outdated primary wastewater treatment plant to be replaced with a state-of-the-art tertiary treatment plant.
When Uisce Éireann announced the plans for a new treatment plant in December 2023, surprise among the residents was quickly replaced with anger when they got the chance to examine the proposed plans.
No public consultation had been carried out during the planning phase, and all preparation work had been completed in a way that not even rumours about the development had circulated through the community.
A total of 86 objections for the proposed plant were submitted within a few weeks following the announcement.
All objections made clear that a treatment plant is badly needed but that the location suggested by Uisce Éireann was very much unsuitable while also pointing out other smaller flaws in the proposed design, one being that the hedging to hide the plant from view would be unsuitable for the
location and the suggested shrubs would not survive the salt-laden winds blowing in from the Atlantic.
The proposed location of the plant was on the western edge of the town which for the residents raised some major concerns.
One was indeed the close proximity of the plant to one of the town’s major tourism assets, the cliff walk, and the subsequent impact on tourism, but most objectors also highlighted that the prevailing wind direction — west and south-west — would blow any odours and airborne pollutants right into the town, and that nearby residents would have to deal with significant light pollution from the plant.
The most prominent point raised multiple times was, however, that the new plant would still only provide primary treatment and not solve the underlying problem that caused regular water pollution in the bay: A small stream flowing through the town would still act as emergency outflow and subsequently raw sewage would continue to contaminate the beach and the water in the bay on a regular basis.
One objector summed it up very clearly: “It is clear that we need a wastewater treatment plant in [the town].
"However it is my understanding that the proposed plant does not actually treat the sewage, it merely filters it and then sends the liquid waste untreated into the sea whilst the solids are then transported elsewhere by road.
"This does not meet our needs. A full treatment plant was promised and is needed here.”
Because the community, the people who live in and know the town and its surroundings, who live with and are very aware of the issues and underlying causes of water pollution in the area, was not included in the planning process, an unsuitable plan was drawn up by Uisce Éireann and rejected by the people of Kilkee.
During a proper consultation at the beginning of the planning process, a tertiary treatment plant, which the town needs, could have been discussed, a suitable location — further away from the town along the coast road or to the east of the town — could have been selected, and the construction of the plant could be under way by now.
Regarding Cianan Brennan’s article ‘Parents of adults with intellectual disabilities forced to drive for hours to visit’, ( , May 16): What a well- written true article.
I just wanted to thank you for writing it. I would ask people to look at the Before We Die campaign ongoing as parents struggle to look after their children with an intellectual disability.
Speaking as one of those parents, I can assure you it can be a very tough stressful life.
My daughter lives in residential care and is an hour and a half away from me. She comes home once a week.
The care is not up to a good standard and it breaks my heart to see her so far away.
I would like to take the opportunity to beg the Government to help.
The HSE, in my experience, are not helpful and the new decision-making act is not only a nightmare but gets very vulnerable people to do things they don’t understand. It needs major change.
I myself can’t get my daughter assessed for capacity as no one will do it.
I’m glad this is currently being highlighted as our loved ones with an intellectual disability deserve better.
The finding that ‘More than half of children under 12 have never seen a cow being milked, research shows’, ( , May 15) should be a wake-up call for all of us.
This is not simply about farming. It reflects a growing disconnect between children and the basic systems that sustain everyday life — food, nature, and how both are connected.
Too many children understand food only through supermarket shelves, delivery apps, and packaging.
Yet understanding where food comes from, how it is produced, and the role of farmers, soil, animals, and biodiversity should be considered a basic life skill.
Food education cannot be treated as optional.
If children grow up with little connection to farming and food production, we should not be surprised when awareness around health, sustainability, and the environment weakens too.
Places like Airfield matter because they reconnect children with this world.
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As a working farm and living classroom in Dublin, we see every day how powerful hands-on experiences with food, farming, and nature can be for children’s confidence, understanding and wellbeing.
These experiences should be part of childhood, not a rarity.
Seldom, of my own volition, do I afford with voluntary forms of expression, credit where credit is due where credit is due to a financial institution. So this is the exception.
Of late, rather surprisingly, I was scammed of some money from my bank account.
I am normally quite wary but not on this occasion.
In fact, if memory serves me correctly, this was the first of such occasions.
Duly, I reported it to the bank. They conducted the conversation with utmost professionalism but advised me that while the fraud department would handle the matter, I may not see that money returned.
About four days later, I was elated to see the exact amount reinstated to the account.
I wish to thank the bank, give credit where credit is due, and thank the fraud team for following up with my query and successfully returning the money.
I know it’s an older slogan but, “It pays to be with AIB” springs to mind.
Mind you, it wasn’t long before some of that money left the account again — those involuntary bills!
