CLARE COUNTY Council has been accused of creating public confusion in Kilkee after it reinstated controversial diving boards with accompanying signs advising swimmers not to dive there.
Irish Water Safety (IWS), which carried out a review for the council, found that the boards at Newfoundout were “fit for purpose” and recommended that signs should be erected saying that anyone diving from the boards do so “at their own risk”.
But Kilkee architect Tom Byrne asked how was the public supposed to interpret signage that displays newly placed “no diving” signs at the entrance to Newfoundout, adjoining the diving boards.
The boards were removed last month on public safety grounds, and reinstated last week.
“To add insult to injury, the beautiful scenic area where the boards have always been located is now littered with signage, most of it confusing and contradictory,” Mr Byrne said, adding that IWS was also “puzzled” by the new signs.
Lieut Cdr John Leech, chief executive of Galway-based IWS, said that he was “delighted to see that the facility is being enjoyed by so many people” once again and he referred the signage issue to the official who did the safety review.
Mr Byrne recalled that the diving boards had been removed on June 9th, put back again for two days to allow IWS to carry out its assessment and then removed a second time before finally being reinstated last week.
“All this could have been avoided if the perceived ‘risk’ identified by Clare County Council after accident-free diving at Newfoundout for over 70 years had been identified last September and not after they put up the boards at the beginning of the season.
“Testament to the anger, bewilderment and sheer disbelief at this scenario is the fact that over 3,000 people registered their combined feelings by becoming members of a Facebook page set up to save the facility,” he said.
