Funding for Lagg and Ballyliffin study

The Office of Public Works has granted 76,000 euro for a Coastal Erosion Study at Lagg and Ballyliffin beaches, the Journal understands.
Lagg beach on January 8th this year.Lagg beach on January 8th this year.
Lagg beach on January 8th this year.

The application was made by Donegal County Council under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme earlier this year.

Concerns over coastal erosion at Lagg Beach and at Ballyliffin, particularly at Ballyliffin Golf Club were raised last year and a public meeting on the former took place in February in the Malin Hotel.

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Councillor Martin McDermott said the granting of the funding was “great news” and said he would now be calling on Donegal County Council to put the survey out to tender as soon as possible.

He added that when this is completed, it will hopefully offer some solutions as to what can best be done to remedy the issue of coastal erosion at the beaches. It would also allow for further applications in funding for these works.

At the public meeting in February, it was heard how the coastal erosion at the entrance to Five Finger Strand, which has been worsened by recent winds and storms.

The meeting was chaired by Des Glackin who told the Journal’ that the dunes were not only being eroded by the weather and sand movement, but also by members of the public climbing on them.

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There was also a proposal at the meeting to erect signs at Lagg beach to urge members of the public not to climb over them and upon them.

He disclosed: “It’s doing a lot of damage and maybe people don’t know that. It’s also very unsafe. I know of a situation where people were sliding down the dunes and 20 minutes after they walked away, tonnes of sand came down.” The coastal erosion was widely reported and not only raised environmental concerns but also worries over tourism and the loss of some of the peninsula’s best-loved assets.

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