Coastal erosion alert as storm batters Lahinch and Rosses Point
Lahinch promenade taking a battering from the storm on Friday night. The picture was taken by Lahinch resident George Karbus, a Czech native and award winning photographer. © George Karbus
The massive Atlantic storms that have lashed Ireland since Thursday have caused extensive erosion damage to County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point and flooded low-lying parts of Lahinch.
Feelings where running high in Sligo with the golf club's Facebook page calling on Sligo County Council to do something to battle coastal erosion.
"Terrible night of erosion last night, we really need Sligo County Council to sit up and take notice otherwise there will be no dunes left. No dunes no golf course no tourists no jobs!"
The Co Clare seaside town of Lahinch was hit particularly hard on Thursday and Friday with serious damage caused to the promenade.
Erosion along the right side of the famous 17th hole at County Sligo Golf Club, Rosses Point.
Another view of the storm damage at Rosses Point.
According to The Irish Times, "large concrete wall cappings were tossed over 50m across the main promenade car park. Signs buckled under the pressure of the storm surge, while large sections of metal fencing along the shore front collapsed... The Lahinch to Liscannor road was flooded as sea water reached up to 500m inland. The promenade carpark, which is home to several surf schools, was left under 1.5m of water."
Flooding near the third tee at Lahinch. The second green is not under water but the third tee was inaccessible.
According to Lahinch Golf Club the area around the third tee was flooded along with other low lying areas though the water "is slowly ebbing away."
However, with "all the boundary fencing" now gone, the club is bracing itself for the high tide on Sunday and Monday and the issue of coastal erosion "will need to be reviewed."
There was extensive erosion at County Sligo Golf Club in Rosses Point, where the club lost 2.5m metres of dunes to the right of the famous 17th hole.
The club also confirmed that it lost "100m in length to a depth of 8m along the 14th and 15th."
The car park at Lahinch promenade.
Doonbeg reported "a fair bit of sand deposit but that's normal enough. Some of our fencing was taken also but it's replacable. Hopefully this week's weather behaves."
