Trump International Golf Links and Hotel has been threatened with legal action by an environmental group following the construction of “a sand fence” on its property in front of dunes at Doughmore strand at Doonbeg, Co Clare.
The permanent fence has been constructed along the top of the beach, according to Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE).
It is made of large wooden poles set deeply into the ground at regular intervals adjacent to the sand dunes with wooden planks running horizontally across them, holding in place a perforated plastic sheet, it outlined in a complaint to Minister for Heritage Malcolm Noonan.
Organic matter
Legally binding conservation objectives for the dune system require that the owners “maintain the natural circulation of sediment and organic matter, without any physical obstructions”, FIE noted.
The objectives state “dunes are naturally dynamic systems that require continuous supply and circulation of sand. Physical barriers can lead to fossilisation or over-stabilisation of dunes, as well as beach starvation resulting in increased rates of erosion”.
Admission of loss
FIE director Tony Lowes, whose organisation successfully opposed a previous attempt to place rock armour along the dunes, said that they were dealing with an organisation that “didn’t seem to be able to admit they had lost”.
In its letter to Mr Noonan, FIE asked him to initiate inquiries on the issue, “as the only recourse left to us is to reluctantly use our limited resources to issue legal proceedings which we only do when all other avenues have been exhausted”.
A National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesman confirmed it was investigating the erection of a sand fence at Doughmore Beach, which is in close proximity to the Carrowmore Dunes Special Area of Conservation. “The NPWS is liaising with Clare County Council to ensure that these works are properly regulated,” he added.
A spokesman for Trump International Golf Links and Hotel was not available for comment.
