Traffic ‘chaos’ at Louth beach sparks safety fears, councillor warns
Severe traffic congestion at Templetown beach during recent warm weather has raised serious safety concerns, a Dundalk councillor has said.
Speaking at the June meeting of Dundalk Municipal District, Cllr. Antoin Watters described scenes of “chaos” as large crowds flocked to the north Louth coastline during a spell of good weather in late May.
“When the weather turned good a few weeks ago, there was chaos at Templetown beach,” he said.
The Sinn Féin councillor said the situation had been exacerbated by the lack of funding for repairs to the nearby Shelling Hill road, which he believes has worsened access issues in the area.
“I said last year this would happen, and the proof was in the pudding. It was really bad,” he told the meeting.
Cllr. Watters said residents living close to the beach were effectively cut off during peak periods, unable to leave their homes due to the volume of traffic.
“People living in the area couldn’t get out of their houses to go to the shop — that’s just not acceptable,” he said.
He also warned that the congestion posed a significant emergency risk, with cars lining both sides of approach roads and restricting access.
“If an ambulance or fire engine had needed to get through, it would have been impossible,” he said. “We could have been dealing with a serious tragedy.”
Calling for urgent action, Cllr. Watters urged Louth County Council to carry out a feasibility study to improve access routes and parking facilities at popular beaches, particularly those with Blue Flag status.
“We are promoting these Blue Flag beaches, but we really need to look at the parking issues,” he said. “This can’t go on.”