Call for better standards around lake by boat owners group

A new group representing boat owners on Lough Derg has called for improvements to lakeside amenities such as public toilets and wants a speeding ban imposed in designated areas on craft such as jet skis and power boats, which, it claims, are putting swimmers' lives in danger.

The Waterway Boating Group 20 says public toilet facilities in Dromineer, Garrykennedy, Castlelough and Ballina are not maintained to acceptable standards. Its members have been lobbying councillors on both sides of the lake to press for improvements.

But Tipperary County Council said there has to be personal responsibility in keeping toilet facilities up to standard.

Nenagh Municipal District Administrator Rosemary Joyce said the council was doing the best it can in a difficult year when its staff were stretched dealing with clean-ups and repairs caused by Storm Ellen and heavy rains in August.　

The new boat owners group meanwhile state that jet skis and craft such as speed boats and high powered angling boats are posing risks such as endangering swimmers and creating waves that rock and potentially damage other boats in moorings in harbours throughout the waterway.

The group's spokesman, Sean O' Connor, said this problem was particularly acute on the Shannnon at Ballina-Killaloe were a number of owners of high speed craft were ignoring a 'No Wake' rule that had been put in place.

"They just speed up and down the river flat out causing massive wakes and frightening swimmers," said Mr O' Connor.

"There is going to be a serious accident down there without a shadow of a doubt. It's crazy what's going on there."

Apart from the risk posed to swimmers, Mr O' Connor said boats moored in the areas were constantly subjected to "a fair rattling and are being banged up against their moorings" from the waves caused by the speeding craft.

Mr O' Connor said his group were also seeking a more flexible approach by Waterways Ireland to mooring levies that are imposed on boat owners in canals and harbours along the lake. He said generations of local boat owners had previously been allowed to moor their craft free of charge.

Mr O' Connor said his members were disappointed at the apparent lack of interest shown by councillors on both the Clare and Tipperary sides of the lake. "We sent emails to a total of 18 councillors on our concerns but we got only four replies. The only ones to respond to us on the Tipperary side were Councillors Rocky McGrath and Phyll Bugler."

 

TOILET FACILITIES STANDARDS

Mr O' Connor said public toilet facilites on the lakeside in Killaloe, Ballina, Castlelough, Garrykennedy and Dromineer were not up to standards and sanitisation levels that one would expect, particularly in the current Covid-19 Pandemic.

Mr O' Connor said the old harbour in Garrykennedy was bespoiled by several unsightly and neglected boats, some of which had submerged or partially submerged.

"We think the people of Garrykennedy deserve more, because it's a lovely little village. But there are around 30 boats down there that are not moving."

He added that lack of public parking, including parking for disabled drivers, was another problem evident in Garrykennedy and the village also needed better waste disposal facilites as overflowing litter bins were an issue.

Councillor John Rocky McGrath confirmed that he recently visited a number of the villages were Mr O' Connor highlighted problems with regard to certain amenities, including speed craft in Ballina-Killaloe.

Councillor McGrath said complaints had been made. "We have tried the gardaí but their nearest boat is in Athlone so they are not going to be down every day."

 

ROCKY MCGRATH VOICES CONCERN

He said he had already raised concerns with Tipperary County Council in regard to problems caused by speeding craft and had also highlighted issues in regard to standards in the public toilet facilities in Ballina. But the level of resources available to the council to keep facilities in pristine order was a challenge in the current economic climate. "The council has told us they can't afford the overtime for Saturdays and Sundays and bank holidays; there's just not staff there, but I would like something done at this stage because the disabled toilet was the only one working in Castlelough when I called there."

Commenting on the state of some boats in old harbour in Garrykennedy, Councillor McGrath asked: "How are they [the owners] getting away with it. They look desperate with their dirty green colour and a couple have sunk there. I did not realise it was so bad. The group are not codding about what is going on in Garrykennedy. I am more than surprised that people are not jumping on this. We would want to be putting on the pressure."

Addressing the concerns about the state of some lakeside toilet facilities, Rosemary Joyce told Tipp FM that there had been some instances of such amenities being vandalised recently. Staff were doing their best.

"The staff within the district are also engaged on the other facilities and services that are provided by the council - the whole provision on the roadwork programme and so on, housing maintenance etc.

“We’ve had a situation where we’ve had a number of severe weather instances so our resources are stretched across the district.

"We do what we can in terms of the maintenance of the facilities and we will continue to keep that under review. But we also need the public to co-operate with us in terms of looking after those facilities."

In terms of Covid-19 measures, Ms Joyce told the radio station that soap and water are provided, but visitors are being urged to bring their own hand-sanitiser.

She said the challenge of maintaining facilities had been greater due to the numbers visiting lakeside amenities. "We have unprecedented numbers and depending on the weather, at times the numbers that decend onto places like Ballina, Dromineer, Terryglass, Garrykennedy and so on, are astronomical this year. That does put a large demand on facilities such as the public conveniences.

"We will keep the whole issue under review and we will take on board the comments that are made," said Ms Joyce.