Wexford group stymied in their efforts to protect rapidly disappearing sand dunes – ‘The farmers are ready to go in with their diggers’
Wexford PeopleA conservation group in south Wexford have been told that the best way to protect the sand dunes in their area is to use “natural materials” to quell the incoming tides. With the low-lying lands around Kilmore and its surrounding areas prone to flooding, concerns have been raised that the sand dunes at The Burrow may no longer be capable of keeping those tides at bay.
“One particular section has worn away dramatically, we need to be moving ahead with this,” said Councillor Jim Codd at the November meeting of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD). “There’s a group ready and willing to work on this themselves, the farmers will go in with their diggers and block it up, but we want to do it in the most environmentally-friendly way possible.”
However, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is opposed to any drastic measures being taken at The Burrow.
“The NPWS would prefer to see the natural re-colonisation of the dunes,” said environmental engineer Rory O’Mahony. “One of the proposals is that we use natural materials, branches and logs, which would be put on the seaward facing slopes of the dunes to capture sand, that would be considered preferable to the more ‘hard measures’ like rocks and picket fencing.”
“Are we okay to go ahead and do that?” asked Cllr Codd.
“We haven’t received approval yet,” replied Mr O’Mahony.
“Action has to be taken there,” warned Cllr Codd. “Those who watch the tide every day say that if it breaches we’re going to have a very big problem.”