Concern at rundown appearance of shoreline around Dundrum bay

Concern at rundown appearance of shoreline around Dundrum bay

12 July 2017

NEWRY, Mourne and Down Council has been asked to do all it can to help regenerate part of the shoreline in Dundrum which was once a sandy beach and a major focus of village life.

The appeal by a concerned local resident comes after the local authority recently expressed concern about the presence of an abandoned World War Two boat in Dundrum harbour which is slowly breaking up and which council officials have decided to remove.

In addition to his appeal to the local authority, the resident who asked not to be named, hopes the company which owns the rights to mussel and oyster farming in Dundrum Inner Bay will remove from the beach some of the old cages used to catch shellfish which are now lying rusting.

He said given the local authority’s view that the boat lying in the harbour poses a “safety hazzard” to some members of the community as it is just 100 yards from the quayside, he hopes the old cages will also be removed from part of the beach which many people use.

The resident said the cages are located on a section of beach close to a car park opposite the Sacred Heart Church and expressed concern about the potential impact the removal of shellfish from the inner bay could have on what he described as a “fragile eco-system” in an area of Special Scientific Interest.

“I hope that in addition to removing the old cages, repairs can be carried out to the sea wall at this section of the village beach before it collapses completely,” said the resident.

He continued: “The shore area on the south side of the Quay development is in the care of the local authority. Some of Dundrum’s older residents can remember playing on the sandy beach here which was once a focus of village life in the summer months.

“It is now a rock desert, gaining access to which is an extreme hazard and no responsible parent would allow a child anywhere near it. Making this area safe again, which would make a positive contribution to the enjoyment of the outdoor life of the village, should be high on the list of Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s priorities.”