Meet the community group building ‘sand traps’ to beat coastal erosion in Donegal
A community group on the Fanad Peninsula in Co Donegal is working to restore deteriorating sand dunes to reduce erosion risk to houses, a car park and the main road.
The Fanad Coastal Group was set up in 2018 to promote keeping the rural area litter free. However, in more recent years, the group has been undertaking climate awareness and mitigation projects.
One of their latest projects has focused on restoring the sand dunes at Ballyhiernan beach.
The sand dunes have been reducing in size and strength due to storms, windier conditions and foot traffic to the beach.
The dunes are acting as a natural barrier between the beach and a car park and main road that are used by beachgoers, local residents, tourists and emergency vehicles. There are also several houses directly across from the beach that would be at risk if the sand dunes were not protecting the boundary.
Fanad Coastal Group public relations officer Tricia Bradley said the main road for the local community lies behind the sand dunes and that the community would be impacted if the sand dunes were to disappear.
Fanad Coastal Group has erected fences and planted marram grass to strengthen and regrow dunes. Photo: Fanad Coastal Group/Facebook
“The dune width is very narrow at one end of the beach and behind it lies the main access road for the community,” said Ms Bradley. “And once people can’t get emergency vehicles through, get to work or just travel to and from the area, it becomes an enormous challenge.
“We are hoping the work we are doing will restore the sand dunes in time. And it is also good for the environment.”
To restore the dunes, the volunteer-run group has erected many metres of chestnut fencing and planted marram plant. The marram grass, which acts as a trap for the sand, is taken from an area of the beach where it is not needed and planted into the sand in front of the dunes.
It is hoped that these measures will eventually lead to a replenishment of the sand dunes.
The group has worked with Kevin Lynch, a geomorphologist at University of Galway, who advised them on how to maintain the area.
Ms Bradley explained: “We have installed chestnut fences to act as sand traps, and planted within them is little baby marram grass that we basically took from other areas and planted in. We are delighted with the growth already.
Fencing off areas prevents foot traffic from contributing to dune loss. Photo: Fanad Coastal Group/Facebook
“The fencing is purely to ask people to enjoy the beach, but keep off the sand dunes.
“They may look hardy and robust, but we have been told they are incredibly vulnerable, and 10 people walking on the same path will mean the grass will die back and leave the sand available to be picked up by the wind and distributed elsewhere.
“We can see areas where the protective mantle has been put over the sand dune once again and is trapping more sand and starting to build back up again.”
Earlier this year, students from Loreto Community School in Milford contributed to the group’s work. The woodwork students erected fences, the photography students measured progress, and the geography students surveyed the beach and its biodiversity for their school projects.
The group relies entirely on donations and grants. Donegal County Council has assisted with funding for materials, and seafood company Mowi has also made donations.