Members of the public have been advised to stay away from the promenade and other exposed areas around Tramore, Co Waterford after the resort town received a battering from Storm Christine.
The appearance of a huge sink-hole over the weekend on Strand Road, close to an area known locally as Carousel Corner, prompted much curiosity and many people gathered along the promenade to take photographs and footage of the huge waves crashing over the sea-wall at high-tide yesterday morning and throughout the day.
The hole opened out at what may have already been a weak-spot along the road, creating an opening between the road and the sea wall underneath. "The power of the tide over the last few days would have caused a compression inside any cracks that had developed over time," Dave Keane of Tramore Cliff Rescue said.
Located close to the relatively-new apartment buildings, the hole — described as big enough to put a car into — is at the opposite end of Tramore’s promenade from the lifeguard station and toilet block, at the end nearest the amusement arcades and restaurants.
The Cliff Rescue organisation had two jeeps on patrol last night, “to keep an eye out along the prom, just in case, because people are gathering to take photographs. People should stay away.”
He described the tidal power of recent days as “incredible” and advised people to stay off the local cliffs, away from the swimming areas, “and stay back from the coast, generally”.
Paul Tuohy of the Tramore RNLI said there hadn't been such powerful wave activity in the area since the winter of 1989-1990. "They lost a chunk of the wall back then," he said. "The water came into the whole area around the amusement park."
He said further winds and severe tides were expected in Tramore, while Dave Keane said that tonight was expected to be “a particulary bad night”.