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Gormanston Beach Concerns - Brendan Price

Posted 17 Apr. 2017

I take this opportunity to draw Council attention to deteriorating and neglected condition of Gormanstown beach and Meath coastline over recent years. 

Lacking designation or special measures in area or development plan, it is all too easy think a beautiful natural resource will continue to mind itself in face of growing pressure and impacts and it is important to remind ourselves of obligations to the area under Wildlife Acts/EU Habitat; Water Framework: Marine Strategy Framework Directives, which protection is intended to extend beyond designations.

Meath is the envy of many with its coastal walk , the length of it's coastline, unfettered by land and access issues like most counties. It does not have so much coastline it can afford to be neglectful; rather, it should be receiving special attention.

In earlier years the Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) was called out most seasons for seal rescues; whales, dolphins, basking sharks have stranded on Meath coastline.

Meath, uniquely among coastal counties, had a most effective beach warden, and the public were familiar with sea and weather conditions, animal/bird movements and seasonalities... and all this appears lost to boy racers, scramblers and other disturbances driving the nature walkers away. Water quality notices have been a long time missing and neither council nor NPWS appear to be giving Gormanstown any attention and not a lot more to the rest of coastline.

Too often threatened natural assets are damaged beyond repair and erased from public memory as though never there, unless the competent authority is proactive.

The ISS would be happy to advise further but in meantime exhorts those in authority to take heed of current threats and support those locals, striving to protect this rather unique stretch of coastline on East coast .

Brendan Price M.Inst.Biol.Ireland, CEO/ISS