Lifeguards at Dollymount beach in County Dublin have been issued with a dedicated sharps bin for syringes due to the volume of drugs paraphernalia that’s been found along the shoreline A sharps bin is a container designed for the safe disposal of sharp medical items like needles and syringes The latest incident reports compiled by lifeguards at Dollymount which cover the 2022 and 2023 bathing seasons recount a persistence of drug use and antisocial behaviour – including a man found to have overdosed in the sand dunes Journalist with the Irish Mirror Darragh McDonald told Lunchtime Live that logbooks obtained by the paper from as far back as 2017 detailed “frequent and serious antisocial behaviour” people having sex in public and arson,” he said the records also provided evidence of a persistent and troubling issue with discarded syringes at the beach and lifeguards reported having to regularly pick them up “Members of the public were handing them into a lifeguard hut and a number of bathers were pricked by the needles including a pregnant woman and a young girl.” Mr McDonald said responsibility for safely disposing of the needles would fall under the remit of Dublin City Council while they would have joint responsibility for the anti-social behaviour along with the Gardaí Main image: Light breaks through dark clouds on gloomy day at Dollymount Strand beach Developed by Square1 This one is selling for almost €1m with its own private beach Agent: Earnest Estate Agents (01) 872 8808 ​If you’re going to pay a million quid for a cottage So how about a former watchman’s cottage set right out into Dublin Bay with its own private beach and one of only seven homes ever permitted to be built on Captain William Bligh’s other ‘island’ was the brainchild of the infamous Bligh of mutiny and Tahiti fame Hollywood may have done a disservice to Bligh in the blockbuster Mutiny On The Bounty According to more sober historical sources the 1789 mutiny against his command by Fletcher Christian had less to do with the bad treatment meted out to the seamen by their captain and more to do with the reluctance of the men to leave Tahiti its beautiful women and the easy lifestyle the tropical island afforded them Bligh was apparently no more given to flogging than any other sea captain of the period the mutineers overthrew Bligh’s command and set him and his officers adrift in a small boat he survived and a couple of decades after his troubled East Indies breadfruit plant run who shares a private beach with the other residents He was summoned to survey Dublin Bay for a map aimed at making the notoriously dangerous port safer for ships many of which fell foul to bad weather while waiting for the high water necessary to get them past the bay’s notorious sandbanks Bligh’s work led to the construction of Bull Wall at Clontarf starting roughly 80m from the shore and extending out towards Poolbeg Lighthouse to which a wooden bridge was added to allow public access to Dollymount Strand which formed on the seaward side of Bull Island as a result of the new sea wall it was the prospect of a laid-back island life that attracted southsider Garry Murtagh to the charms of Bull Wall when one of its only seven dwellings came up for auction at the turn of the millennium “It was the location that really attracted me,” he says “I always had 10-year tickets for Croke Park it was the access to the water out the back I had a dream that I’d be able to go on a jet ski around the place The house was originally built to accommodate a watchman monitoring Dublin Bay for smuggling activity Murtagh’s home has direct access to the lagoon right behind it via a stair he constructed leading from the back garden of No6 The property also shares its own private beach with the other residents and the sea scouts It is an idyll only disturbed by the hundreds of daily visitors to Bull Wall itself the Unesco Biospehere and Dollymount Strand they actually close the bridge for repairs for a few days and I would have to leave the car on the other side and walk over it.” the bridge was also closed to car traffic for a time an experience which many northside Dubliners enjoyed Larger vehicles are not allowed on the bridge and any deliveries must access Bull Wall via the causeway up at Raheny and through the golf club grounds with toilets here and there and little rooms and all that,” he says So I totally renovated and opened it all up.” These are located to the front of the house The master bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe lit with rooflights A window with views of the Poolbeg chimneys A second bedroom also has views out to the chimneys and the third is at the centre of the house but is lit by rooflights and has an en suite bathroom Further down the hall is a family bathroom The kitchen merges into an open-plan dining and living area with wall-to-wall glazing that spans the full length of the rear of the house There is a drawing room/‘snug’ accessible from both the dining area and the hallway The kitchen has Neff appliances and a utility attached The living and dining areas both have views out over the lagoon while the two-storey houses adjacent to them are a former coastguard station dating from the 1940s according to the National Built Heritage Service An aerial view of the other side of the island Number 6’s adjoining cottage has a basement suggesting that Murtagh’s home may also have had one at one point Out the front is a garden which has become a hard surface and parking for four or five cars is currently surfaced with artificial lawn and has a walkway down the centre to the ‘sea stairs’ at the back After a move to Portugal nearly 15 years ago Murtagh has hung on to the cottage with the dream of coming back some day but with his children Lucas and Sofia now in their late teens this has become an increasingly unlikely prospect “I was over and back all the time for years and my intentions were to go back there and retire you know the way you know you always like to return to where you were born They have their friends and their life in Portugal now.” But he’ll miss the many memories he created over the years “I had a jet ski and I loved that I’d fly up and down [the coast] Earnest Estate Agents is seeking €995,000 for No6 Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open You are visiting us because we have something you value Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism An account is an optional way to support the work we do. 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LIFEGUARDS WORKING AT one of Dublin’s most popular beaches have raised serious concerns with Dublin City Council about public safety issues which they state are endangering lifeguards and the general public An extensive report sets out a range of concerns about the lifeguard service at Dollymount Strand-Bull Island including “an extremely dangerous level of staffing” It highlights that only three lifeguards have been recruited this summer but points out that only two lifeguards are working at peak times Due to staff shortages lifeguards state they are not getting any breaks due to being “pared back to the bare minimum” and are “under constant unnecessary stress” and pressure to remain vigilant to cope with emergencies as they arise The report states the number of lifeguards hired is fewer than half of the seven personnel Dublin City Council has set as the number required Aside from any water rescues the lifeguards must deal with on Dollymount beach and Bull Island Beach lifeguards say they treated over 200 first aid incidents in June alone broken glass and fishing hooks from bathing areas have also been handled by staff The lifeguards state they also monitor kite surfers and kayakers which can often be far out to sea as well has having to handle anti-social behaviour in the area The lifeguards highlighted how the rescue boat at the beach is very heavy describing it as difficult and dangerous to launch The shortage of defibrillators along the beaches has also been highlighted The report also pointed out how a rescue quad bike recently had a flat tyre The lifeguards also said that to their knowledge there has never been any health and safety assessments done on beach lifeguard work conditions by the council stating that there has never been a visit from health a safety personnel during their years working on the beach “Beach lifeguards like firefighters accept that there are risks that cannot be mitigated against We enter the water at personal risk just as fire fighters enter a burning building but we have major concerns about unnecessary risk” states the extensive report the lifeguards stating that their concerns are not being taken seriously The lifeguards are calling for a “no bias” independent review of the safety of the lifeguarding service on the beach as well as a review of their pay and working conditions It states that solo lifeguards can get into trouble on a rescue and should always have immediate backup on hand It also states that lifeguards on the job on their own are at risk from general members of the public in the same was as a Garda or firefighters might be “We deal with members of the public under the influence of drugs and alcohol,” states the report Other complaints refer to substandard or broken essential safety equipment such as binoculars and radios The report details how the lifeguard huts are rusted with lifeguards constantly “fighting black mould” “We need purpose built facilities for lifeguards where they can access toilets easily and clinical rooms have sinks and lighting and antibacterial surfaces,” states the report with lifeguards calling the huts “a disgrace” Maintaining fitness levels of lifeguards is also an issue raised with the report stating that lifeguards should be swimming daily in the sea but this cannot happen do this as they must constantly monitor swimmers and beach users and there is no one to relieve them all three lifeguards in Dublin City Council return annually to work every year They are paid an hourly rate of €15.18 an hour “This means that even after years of service you still start annually on the base salary… We should all be afforded contracts of continual renewal status and our contracts should state we are seasonal not temporary staff,” states the report The lifeguards state that knowledge of the sea and the attendance at many rescues and incidents takes years of experience The report makes the case that lifeguards returning for work for a second or third season should be given seasonal worker contracts and should be paid on the same pay scale as specialist trained firefighters with all returning lifeguards given senior lifeguard pay in their third year “Lifeguards in Australia and New Zealand are treated as critical members of our frontline services local heroes and important members of society,” the report states “The average age of lifeguards is currently 40 in Dublin City Council Lifeguards We are not students and won’t be dismissed as such We want safety at work and safety for our patrons,” state the workers A statement from the council to The Journal confirmed that the 25-page report from the lifeguards had been received on 29 July The council confirmed that it is reviewing the issues concerned and will be responding back to the report as soon as is practicable Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user Create an email alert based on the current article Everything you need to know about Nestlé is here: brands Learn about Nestlé’s brands and what we’re doing to make our products tastier and healthier Whether you have years of work experience or you just graduated there's a job opportunity for you at Nestlé statements and other multi-media content about Nestlé Nestlé Ireland complete fourth annual beach clean at Dublin’s Dollymount Strand A team of volunteers from Nestlé Dublin collected more than 30kg of litter on Dollymount Strand as part of An Taisce’s Clean Coasts programme The annual beach clean further enhances Nestlé’s efforts to highlight the need for action on climate change and to work together to improve the local environment More than 40 Nestlé colleagues armed with litter pickers and bin bags collected all types of litter along the beach discarded material and laughing gas canisters being a force for good is central to what we do We are pleased to partner with An Taisce as part of its Clean Coasts programme and for the team to invest time and effort into supporting the ongoing work to protect and enhance our precious coastal areas This year marks the fourth annual beach clean for the Nestlé Dublin team and we estimate to date we have collected more than 200kg of rubbish from our beaches helping to make a positive impact within our coastal communities.” The beach clean-ups are part of the Nestlé Cares programme which facilitates up to 120,000 hours of volunteering every year from its Ireland and UK employees As well as encouraging colleagues to volunteer their time and act on climate change Nestlé continues to work towards reducing the use of virgin plastic by one third by 2025 and is committed to making all its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2050 This includes the introduction of KitKat wrappers made with 80% recycled material which will eliminate more than three billion pieces of packaging from its supply chain Nestlé also remains focussed on achieving a 20% absolute reduction in global carbon emissions by 2025 biomass and hydropower at its factories and offices – all of which run on 100% renewable electricity – and is moving away from petrol and diesel-powered vans and trucks Let us know your concerns Across the globe, Nestlé are here to help answer your queries We unlock the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone The man's body washed up on Dollymount Strand in 1994 Crimecall is set to launch a new campaign tonight to identify a body found at Dollymount Strand over 30 years ago 1994 the body of an unknown male washed up near The Wooden Bridge at Dollymount Strand It was believed he had been in the water for a number of weeks A post-mortem found he had likely died from drowning the man was wearing a pin-stripe suit and had several religious medals in his pockets Due to decomposition and the lack of any personal ID He was subsequently buried in an unmarked grave at Glasnevin Cemetery with the goal of reuniting this man’s body with his relatives Gardaí exhumed the man’s body in order to obtain a DNA profile This process was successful and his DNA was profiled and tested against databases in Ireland and further afield with Interpol The investigating team then enlisted the help of a forensic anthropologist at John Moores’ University who created a new facial depiction of what the man’s face may have looked like Crimecall will air tonight presented by Carla O'Brien on RTÉ One at 9.35pm and the campaign to identify the man will be launched “Plastic lasts for thousands of years and we already know that the planet’s seas are being choked from it On a trip to Thailand three years ago I plucked a supermarket bag out of a lagoon which seemed to have floated hundreds of miles there” Eugene MastersonSunday WorldWed 20 Jul 2022 at 09:00Little did I realise that when I took a break to enjoy one of Dublin’s major beaches on what may be one of the last days of sunshine in the current heatwave that by proxy I would become a litter cleaner And take a look at the heap of junk I collected in the space of less than half an hour which I could barely manage to carry to what seems to be the only bin at one end of the five-kilometre-long Dollymount strand I used regularly walk up Clontarf promenade for exercise and on towards Dollymount strand as they were within the designated five-kilometre radius of my home During good weather it proved to be a godsend and in fairness the bins on Clontarf promenade were usually full of litter left by civic-minded people Yesterday around 4pm I decided to take a break from work and get a bus for a change to the pier which connects Clontarf to Dollymount strand on Bull island I’d usually bring my dog on a walk near there Given it was a workday and lots of people are holidaying elsewhere there were just a couple of hundred people on the beach and not as many as I’ve experienced before Initially I tried to catch a few rays with a bit of sunbathing but fell foul of pesky flies constantly landing on me – the whole beach strangely seemed to be full of them With that I sauntered over to the water’s edge and took off my trainers and socks and walked through the lukewarm water I noticed heaps of seaweed strewn all along the sand and then remembered a conversation I had with an elderly neighbour who I meet when I’m walking my dog in a local park most mornings She told me she likes to feed some of her plants with seaweed I told her on my last visit to Dollymount there was lots of seaweed (for free) and she said she might pop up sometime I had a small rucksack with a towel and a flask bottle of water but I certainly wasn’t going to put seaweed in that I thought to myself it was a pity I didn’t have a plastic bag as I could fill some of it and bring it back to her A couple of minutes later what do I come across floating in the water but a large plastic Tesco bag I dragged it out and then start to fill it with seaweed Given all this green stuff was wet and mixed with sand I said to myself I’d pop it in the bag and bring it to the nearest bin Next up I felt guilty that I was leaving a large piece of plastic lying there so I decided to pull that out too and bring it with me so I picked up that too and put it into the bag So much so I had to discriminate what to put into the bag leaving paper behind and concentrating on plastic as I was running out of room and it was getting heavier and heavier The thing I kept on thinking of was the thoughts of whales or dolphins and other sea life swallowing this type of material and thinking it’s food and then to hear how many of them die because of pollution is so infuriating with horror tales of many of them being examined afterwards and found to have several plastic bags in their stomachs Plastic lasts for thousands of years and we already know that the planet’s seas are being choked from it which seemed to have floated hundreds of miles there At first sight Dollymount does not seem to be a major litter black spot and I wonder if it’s because of volunteers out picking up other people’s rubbish as during my walk I noticed it was just the odd piece of junk here and there But very more than likely thought the majority of the litter had been cleared by diligent city council workers – their colleagues in Fingal County council spent six hours clearing 10 tonnes of rubbish from Burrow beach in Sutton on Monday after the weekend Other beaches throughout the country were similarly destroyed leading to some politicians calling for zero tolerance on litter louts Last week I came across a man on Clontarf promenade with one of those metal litter pick- up devices putting bits and pieces of garbage into a bag as he strolled along As I did a U-turn on my hour long walk I noticed no bins at all on the majority of the beach I’ve heard reports that the local council tell people to bring their own rubbish home with them but try telling that to many of those visiting this wonderful natural amenity much of the litter there washes up from other places But what riled me most yesterday was a group of people left three empty cans right near the water and were either too lazy to bring them home or else just didn’t care When I went to primary school during the 1970s we had a class called Civics During this lecture kids were taught the likes of patriotism respect for elders and also how not be a litter bug Those classes were phased out in the 1980s which is shameful as many people are brought up with no respect for the environment or for others Another neighbour of mine once told me that 30 years or so ago there used to be a warden in Fairview Park who would go around and remonstrate with people who were littering There are TV warnings about throwing gum on the ground and that you will get a €150 fine I’ve never once seen a litter warden on any of our public streets there seems to be absolutely no punishment for litter louts who discard their junk without a care in the world on our paths and beaches The clean-up of Burrow Beach in Sutton today We have a green Minister for the Environment in the form of Eamon Ryan Perhaps he should be taking a more proactive role to cease and desist the scourge of litter louts When I got to the car park I thought there would be a few bins located in the vicinity but eventually found just one near the exit which looked more like a giant bottle bank but had a sign encouraging people to leave their waste there I dumped the junk I collected into its cavernous void There is no facility there to wash your hands or feet (I’m pretty sure there is at Portmarnock where there are also lots of bins on the promenade) I then had to queue what seems to be the only toilet facility at the beach which a unisex electronic WC which costs 30c to use (if you only have €1 or €2 The reason I wanted to wash my hands was because I didn’t bring sanitiser and given the current pandemic it was obviously wise to be hygienic given I was picking up other people’s rubbish I know several people who regularly go out and do clean-ups of scenic and public places purely out of the goodness of their own hearts The likes of these worthy volunteers are the decent flip side of the coin with the other being shameless and selfish people who care only about themselves Please check your inbox to verify your details Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices A lifeguard said Dollymount strand was left without access to a defibrillator for four weeks this summer Lifeguard Aaron Foley highlighted safety issues for sea swimmers on Dublin's northside Amy DonohoeTue 17 Sep 2024 at 13:50A Dublin community has been left frustrated about what it says is a “lack of investment in swimmer amenities and infrastructure” on the north side of the city A petition has been launched by locals around Clontarf, Dollymount strand and the Bull Wall in a bid to prompt action on the “urgent safety issues and amenity improvements needed for Dublin sea swimmers”. Aaron Foley, who is a lifeguard in the area, argues that the southside gets significantly more funding for swimmer amenities and infrastructure – much to the despair of those on the northside. “Our health and well-being are important – we’re not getting the lovely facilities that are on the southside of the city and people are genuinely upset with this,” he told the Irish Independent. “If you go around the south of the city, you'll see that the local authority taxes are being used to basically rebuild the Forty Foot, Seapoint has been completely refurbished, and Dún Laoghaire has been done up. These facilities are great amenities for the city, but nothing has happened in north Dublin. “We haven’t even got a public toilet on the beach. There’s no toilet on the full length of the Bull Wall. On the other side of the city they’re encouraging swimming and providing beautiful facilities "All the safety ladders have rusted off the walls. They're very important because every year we get at least two people stuck along that stretch of wall. “If there’s a current there and they’re new to the area, they start to swim with the current, they get swept along the wall and there's nowhere to get out. “Last year, they spent a lot of money on putting signposts along Bull Island saying it’s not a designated swimming area. But on the other side of the city they’re encouraging swimming and providing beautiful facilities. “We’re getting nothing. All we get is our bins changed and a few potholes filled in.” Mr Foley highlighted safety issues for those who choose to engage in leisure activities on the northside. “People have a misconception of lifeguards, that they’re just for people drowning. Dublin City Council treats it as if we're down here on holidays. "They’ve become so lax over the last couple of years that they’ve let the serious safety issues creep in,” he added. “On a hot weekend, we’re dealing with 7,000 to 10,000 people. If we get a hot month, we’d get a crowd as big as Croke Park. For a large portion of this year, we had only one lifeguard on the entire Bull Island. We didn't get a defibrillator until July 27 – about eight weeks late “That’s a shocking number – having only one person dealing with all the people on a hot day. There could be 300 people in the water and all the people walking up and down. “We’ve had five in-water rescues this year on Dollymount, including Bull Island. We’ve also dealt with two heart attacks. There are safety issues. "Dublin City Council didn’t issue us with defibrillators for the first four weeks on Bull Wall and the station in the middle of the beach. We didn’t get a defibrillator until July 27 – about eight weeks late. “An ambulance can’t come out to the beach. They can't risk getting stranded on the sandy beach, so someone who needs an ambulance needs to be transported by one of our quads. “They’re as important as an ambulance because we have to transport people who have had heart attacks, sprained ankles, broken bones, all these things. “But a quad bike was left with a flat tyre for two weeks and we had a broken winch on the boat – we haven’t been able to launch it at all this year.” Dublin City Council has been contacted for comment. Motor Sport‘The sport we love can be so cruel at times’ – Irish superbike racers pay tributes after two die in 11-man crashTributes have been paid from fellow superbike riders after Owen Jenner and Shane Richardson tragically died in a British Supersport Championship race at Oulton Park on Monday. A man who died while kite-surfing in Dublin on Saturday has been named as Ger Fennelly (39). An experienced kite-surfer, he got into difficulties while taking part in a charity event at Dollymount Strand at about 9am. Emergency services, including the Coast Guard and ambulance services, were called to the scene. He was removed from the water but pronounced dead at the scene. His body was taken to the Mater Hospital. "Ger was out kitesurfing for the charity, Mental Health Ireland," his sister Elaine Fennelly said. "Some of the lads had dressed up for the event, for Hallowen." In statement, Howth Coast Guard said on Saturday: "The Irish Coast Guard emergency operations centre this morning at 09.14 received a call reporting a kitesurfing incident on Dollymount Beach and requesting assistance for the National Ambulance Service and An Garda Síochána who were proceeding to the scene. "The Howth Coast Guard unit responded quickly and along with NAS and Dublin Fire Brigade paramedics provided first aid care. “The casualty was transported off the beach by Coast Guard 4x4s to an awaiting NAS ambulance at Dollymount causeway.” Mr Fennelly had been involved in kite-surfing for 14 years, according to the Piranha Triathlon Club of which he was a "longstanding and respected member". A tribute to him on the club’s website said Mr Fennelly had been an active member and “friendly face” in the club. “Ger volunteered his time and energy freely, leading out many Sunday spins and always helping with the club race. “Ger loved triathlon, representing Piranha at many triathlons around the country and abroad. He was always a welcome sight at any club training session or race.” It said Mr Fennelly had completed Ironman Barcelona in 2018 and had written about achieving the goal while also living with Type 1 diabetes. “Ger made a lasting impression on many in the triathlon community and will be sorely missed by all who knew him. He had a wonderfully positive outlook on life, was a kind soul and a true gentleman,” it said. He is understood to be survived by his parents and sister Elaine Fennelly. Kitty Holland is Social Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC Westmeath 'Aoife on Dollymount' by Lorraine Dunne from Westmeath An artist from Westmeath is one of 26 people from across the country shortlisted for the AIB Portrait Prize captures the sheer joy of enjoying an ice cream cone at the beach The AIB Portrait Prize shortlist includes painting video and photography demonstrating the breadth of contemporary Irish art along with the 20 shortlisted creations vying for the AIB Young Portrait Prize will open at the National Gallery of Ireland on November 9 and continue until March 9 Prize-winners will be announced at a ceremony in the National Gallery of Ireland on November 27 The winner of the AIB Portrait Prize will receive a cash prize of €15,000 and will be commissioned to create a work for the national portrait collection for which they will be awarded a further €5,000 Two additional awards of €1,500 will be given to highly commended works Judges for this year’s competition are: Hughie O’Donoghue Director of the Museum of Literature Ireland Irish NewsDarkness into Light 2025: locate your nearest walk for Pieta HouseAs registration deadlines come to a close communities across Ireland are warming up for the annual Darkness into Light Walk for Pieta House Ciara Carroll and Anne Marie Foley at the Bull Wall in Clontarf to promote their new book The Dollymount Dames were formed after a group of friends took up sea swimming during lockdown Anne Marie Foley was overwhelmed at the response to her book idea More than 60 women have joined the ranks of the ‘Dollymount Dames' in Clontarf Tony McCullaghMon 18 Oct 2021 at 10:33A NEW book by a group of northside women has given some insight into why many thousands of us found respite from lockdown by taking up sea swimming Anna Connolly and Susan Flynn started swimming off the Bull Wall as a way of breaking the monotony of life during Covid-19 more than 60 others have dipped their toes in the water and joined the ranks of the ‘Dollymount Dames’ Given the 5km travel restrictions in place at the time were drawn from the Clontarf and Dollymount areas Now a new book named after the group has been released recounting the experiences of the women who took refuge from Covid and forged lifelong friendships through sea swimming said the project started out as “a crazy idea” earlier this year “I sent out a WhatsApp message suggesting a book and was astounded by the response,” she told Independent.ie “At least two thirds of the group started sending me their personal stories ditties and poems about what sea swimming had meant to them during Covid-19 “There was such a richness in the group in terms of diverse backgrounds and individual characters I knew there was really a great story in this so the imposed lockdown was counter-intuitive The swimming group provided us with purpose companionship and much-needed structure to our days.” The initiative received a major boost when award-winning photographer Elaine Barker came on board and started capturing images of the Dollymount Dames against the backdrop of Dublin Bay from the bathing shelters on Bull Wall to the iconic Poolbeg chimneys The input of graphic designer Barrie Kidd also proved invaluable in putting the book together taking up year-round sea swimming had a hugely positive impact on the women’s mental health during an extremely challenging time “Most of the core group had never swam through the winter before and it was their first time sea swimming,” she said “There was a real sense of community and connectedness during a time of separation “We swam five or six times a week as there was nothing else to punctuate our day outside of working from home sacred space and the social connection was good for our mental wellbeing “It broke the isolation of Covid and gave us a structure lifelong friendships and new bonds were formed – we became a tribe explained that she wanted the book to serve as a commemoration of time and place “It documents something remarkable that happened in the middle of a global pandemic,” she said “There is some great writing among the 20 poems and stories featured Everyone has their own slant but it’s all about the women telling their individual stories – a lot of it is quite moving “Our swimmers are the embodiment of resilience and hope but as a collective we are like a benign tsunami keeping each other afloat.” Ann Marie revealed that while the water quality in Dublin Bay can vary – particularly after heavy rain – they have all built up stamina over the year and use their own judgment about when it is safe to swim She believes that due to the phenomenal rise in the popularity of sea swimming there is a need for year-round testing and reporting of Dublin Bay’s water quality and the provision of additional facilities All proceeds from ‘Dollymount Dames’ will be donated to the RNLI. Copies can be ordered from www.dollymountdames.com ahead of the book’s official launch on November 11 Bull Island and Dollymount Strand are popular with dog walkers So why will visitors to one of Dublin’s most important natural amenities soon have their movements restricted Because Bull Island needs to be defended from the small minority of people who don’t treat it with enough respect Dublin City Council (DCC) announced a new visitor access management plan starting from April 30 due to “significant negative impacts” on Bull Island’s wildlife This follows years of warnings from conservationists that irresponsible dog-walkers in particular are frightening away birds “DCC fully expects local communities and people from a wider area will understand the need for this voluntary code,” it said in a statement “to protect what is so special about the island.” Why did Dublin create Bull Island in the first place To stop ships from getting wrecked in silt at the mouth of the River Liffey Dublin’s port waters had become so treacherous that it was losing a lot of business to Liverpool it was British navy officer William Bligh (famous as the sadistic captain of HMS Bounty where a mutiny took place) who anticipated Donald Trump by suggesting Most historians think Bligh shares that credit with several other people the North Bull Wall was constructed by convict labourers between 1819 and 1824 deposits of sand built up against this wall to form what one newspaper called “a long finger of an island” Bull Island is now roughly 5km long and 1km wide sand dunes and the flat beach of Dollymount Strand Around two million people visit every year to walk kite surf or play a round at one of its two golf clubs An international rifle match between Ireland and the USA was held on Bull Island in 1875 while the British army took it over during World War I to teach soldiers about trench warfare James Joyce featured it in many of his writings Kieran McNally writes in his book about Bull Island it was “one of the prettiest and pleasant places in Dublin… a counterpoint to the city’s slums Bull Island has been used as a location for films such as Michael Collins ​But wildlife is what makes Bull Island so ecologically important The island is home to a large variety of creatures Migratory birds rest up here for the winter building up fat reserves for their long journeys back to the Arctic Bull Island has more official nature designations than anywhere else in Ireland a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive and a Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive Access to parts of Bull Island will be restricted from April 30 Bull Island was among the locations visited by members of the Citizens’ Assembly on biodiversity loss with chairperson Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin warning: “The statistics are very clear – we’re going in one direction and it’s the wrong one.” ​So fancy titles are not stopping Bull Island’s animals from being harassed As Padraic Fogarty from the Irish Wildlife Trust told Dublin Live in 2020 Bull Island has “every protection under the sun” but no actual protection on the ground with volunteers from the Bull Island Action Group regularly digging out tyres While canines are supposed to be kept under strict control on Bull Island too many of their human companions let them run around disturbing nests and chasing smaller creatures “When we sent rangers out to talk to dog owners they got a huge amount of abuse,” DCC parks superintendent Fergus O’Carroll told an area committee meeting three years ago “One of the guys had a nervous breakdown.” Many of Bull Island’s residents know how that man felt Brendan Price of the Irish Seal Sanctuary has said these creatures are “hanging on by the skin of their teeth” while hares haven’t been seen there since 2016 to turn parts of Bull Island into no-go areas The public will no longer have access to its northern tip salt marsh colour-coded zones will be introduced for dog-walkers to make it crystal clear what they can and can’t do Pets must remain on leads between the bathing hours of 11am-8pm but at other times there will be a designated area of Dollymount Strand where they can roam to their hearts’ content ​Will this be enough to put environmentalists’ mind at rest That depends on whether the new rules are enforced properly DCC has not always been a sensitive custodian of Bull Island even using it as a rubbish dump in the 1970s The council is currently planning to build a new interpretive centre there This hasn’t pleased local conservationists either who believe extra traffic will only put added pressure on the island’s fragile ecosystem DCC also annoyed many Bull Island lovers in 2021 by demolishing a historic lifeguard structure Officials argued that it had become a hot spot for illicit activities with drug paraphernalia and human excrement regularly found there but some local politicians strongly objected “I think it’s terrible what [DCC] have done,” Fianna Fáil TD Sean Haughey told TheJournal.ie “The council should engage in consultation with local stakeholders… they shouldn’t just give in to anti-social behaviour by a small minority of people.” why do some scientists believe Bull Island holds the key to meeting our climate change targets Because quite apart from its natural beauty Bull Island is what’s known as “a carbon sink” Its salt-loving plants capture and store greenhouse gases from the atmosphere “Artificially constructed islands would be a long-term solution to our greenhouse gas problems,” Dr Brian Kelleher from DCU told the Herald last month Ireland could do with a lot more Bull Islands DCC’s new visitor access plan suggests we haven’t even been looking after the one we’ve already got Motor Sport‘The sport we love can be so cruel at times’ – Irish superbike racers pay tributes after two die in 11-man crashTributes have been paid from fellow superbike riders after Owen Jenner and Shane Richardson tragically died in a British Supersport Championship race at Oulton Park on Monday 19 Jun 2020BATHING has been temporarily banned at three Dublin beaches due to water tank overflows that may cause harm to swimmers The expected duration of the ban is 72 hours and applies to Sandymount Notices placed at all three beaches explain that the ban is in place due to a risk of deterioration in water quality Heavy rain caused overflows at Ringsend wastewater treatment plant leading to discharge from the tanks to flow into Dublin Bay The bans were implemented in conjunction with the HSE and local authorities The Environmental Protection Agency's bathing water monitoring site beaches.ie warned swimmers that bathing in the water may cause illness Sandymount and Dollymount beaches are due to be resampled on June 19 2020 and Portmarnock beach plans to have resampling results back on June 20 2020 Irish Water said that the plant operated in accordance with design and regulations They told the Irish Times: "The overflow contained wastewater that was highly diluted with rainwater had been screened and settled to remove debris – a form of primary treatment. "There was also an overflow at the Portmarnock pumping station, again caused by the heavy rainfall." The water officials said that excess storm water is released into the environment on occasion in order to prevent the sewer network from backing up. Dublin City Council have also been monitoring the quality of water at both Dollymount and Sandymount Strand. The council have also permanently banned bathing at Merrion Strand due to it having poor water quality for five consecutive years Monitoring is also being carried out at the Shelley Banks beach the South Bull Wall at the Half Moon Swimming Club and the North Bull Wall IF EVER YOU’VE enjoyed an ice cream on a sunny day at Dollymount Strand or braved the blistering cold for a walk along Bull Island you’re likely to know the statue that stands at the end of the North Bull Wall At the end of a 2km walk beginning where The Wooden Bridge meets Clontarf Road the sculpture of a crowned Our Lady stands on a globe Star of the Sea statue is relatively unknown the statue was sculpted by Wicklow artist Cecil King and erected in 1972 while the globe itself rests on three concrete pillars made of white cement and crushed Connemara marble Most noticeable when the sun goes down is Our Lady’s halo, which illuminates at night. It is made of 12 stars provided by Waterford Glass and was manufactured by John Paul & Co Ltd free of charge. The Irish Sea surrounds the wall on which the pillars are mounted, waves crashing against it with gusto. Flood lights were installed into the base and at night the illumination of the monument can be seen at multiple vantage points around the bay.  Bill Nelson, whose grandfather William Nelson was the treasurer for the project, told TheJournal.ie: “The idea of a Memorial to Our Lady was first suggested at a retreat held for dockers and port workers in Dublin 1950. It was intended to be a Marian year (1954) tribute to the Mother of God.” A committee comprised mainly of Marine Port Union members was elected to discuss the project and to fund raise. While funds grew rapidly at first, the target was not achieved by 1954 and the search for a site in the docks area proved difficult. Nelson continued: “Due to on-going delays the original committee members were disappearing but William Nelson remained constant and co-opted new members to keep the project alive. He was determined to get the memorial erected so the statue would watch over Dublin port workers and seafarers alike.” “Despite these setbacks, continued perseverance and funding efforts by William Nelson and his committee meant that the statue was finally erected in September 1972 on the Bull Wall. The funds had reached £17,000, just enough to get the statue sculpted by Cecil King. It was built by William Lacey with the expertise of consulting engineer Bernard Le Casne-Byrne, all of whom were extremely generous with their time.” The total cost of the statue was £17,500 – £2,500 below the estimated cost of £20,000. Upon completion, it was unveiled to the public on 24 September 1972 by then Archbishop John Charles McQuaid. Six years later, the halo was added. “The statue stands as a monument to all those who gave of their time so willingly,” finished Nelson. “But most of all it reflects the dedication of William Nelson, my grandfather who worked tirelessly to see the Realt na Mara project to completion.” To reach the statue, faint-hearted visitors can drive across The Wooden Bridge and park alongside the Bull Wall before finishing their journey to Realt na Mara by foot, while those looking to blow off the cobwebs will join fitness enthusiasts in the walk from Clontarf Road. To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Dollymount Strand (pictured) and Sandymount Strand in the north and south of Dublin Bay are out of bounds, after Dublin City Council was alerted to an overflow at Ringsend Waste Water Treatment plant. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie as swimming is banned at two popular Dublin beaches following discharges.  Dollymount Beach and Sandymount Strand in the north and south of Dublin Bay are out of bounds after Dublin City Council was alerted to an overflow at Ringsend Waste Water Treatment plant say: “Swimming in this water may cause illness” and explain concerns around a high level of E-coli with the "likely cause" being the plant.  A spokesman said a three-hour storm water overflow took place “on Saturday night/Sunday morning” following heavy rainfall “The storm water overflow operated in compliance with regulations and was fully screened and settled prior to discharge,” he said or other watercourses to stop wastewater flooding homes Green Party councillor Donna Cooney queried why the council was only informed on Tuesday saying councillors have called for real-time monitoring in meetings with the National Bathing Water Steering Group “You’ve got six bodies responsible for this and the public are the ones who actually suffer,” she said “If Irish Water don’t intend to put separate systems in for rainwater then we need to be strictly adhering to no more hard surfacing There is a level of responsibility in terms of green infrastructure.”  She has been contacted by many worried people who swam at those beaches on Bank Holiday Monday She called for better communication around problems.  “We don’t get an alert on the water quality (from Irish Water) “That should have gone at the weekend as opposed to letting Dublin City Council know on a Tuesday The council could have taken a water sample on Sunday.”  These areas are also popular with paddle-boarders we live by the sea and we should be able to use this amenity," she said The warning is expected to be in place at least until Thursday night a spokeswoman for Dublin City Council said Water samples were taken on Tuesday and require 48 hours to check She said sampling was done “as soon as was possible after being notified of the incident” From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer Already a subscriber? Sign in Follow and share the latest news and stories A Garda wearing the new Garda baseball cap conducts a checkpoint this afternoon in Carlow The seals enjoying the sunshine at Dollymount Dubliners were not the only ones enjoying the sunshine over the weekend lapped up the rays at the northern tip of Dollymount Strand The mammals hauled themselves out of the water at low tide and were happy to lie on a sandbank and make the most of the spring weather Remains washed ashore on a popular Dublin beach at the weekend have been confirmed as those of actor Gerry McCann. The 47-year-old father of two had been missing since last Thursday. His remains were found on Dollymount beach on the north side of the city at 11.30am yesterday by a walker who immediately contacted gardai. Mr McCann was being treated for anxiety at St John of God Hospital in Stillorgan, south Dublin, at the time of his disappearance and gardai are treating his death as a personal tragedy. He was last seen in Stillorgan last Thursday at around 10am and is believed to have made his way to nearby Ballsbridge. After efforts by his family to find him and contact him were not successful the Garda made a public appeal for information on his whereabouts. It has been confirmed this afternoon that the remains found in Dollymount yesterday are those of Mr McCann. From Baldoyle in north Dublin, his two children are age 5 and 6 years. He starred in Life's a Breeze, where he appeared in a dole office scene with comedian and actor Pat Shortt. He also appeared in the past on the RTE TV series Fair City where he played a carer to the character of Pascal. On Monday, Shortt made an appeal for people to look out for any sign of Mr McCann and his wife Andrea also gave a number of radio interviews appealing for information on her husband. She said it was “very unusual” not to hear from him as they would normally talk to or text each other several times per day. It was “totally out of the blue”, she said. “He’s very much a family man” she said on RTE radio. Conor Lally is Security and Crime Editor of The Irish Times This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Temporary signage will be installed at Dollymount Strand (pictured) and Sandymount Smart signage with up-to-date information on water quality is being introduced at two Dublin beaches this summer Dublin City Council will install the temporary signage at its two designated bathing areas – Dollymount Strand and Sandymount swimmers will be given up-to-date water quality and public health information during the bathing season The project will monitor and assess the potential to deliver regulatory messaging to the public in a more efficient and cost-effective manner will be operated through its own self-contained power generating technology and will not require connectivity to external utility services The council said the signs will be used primarily to display statutory bathing water and public health information North Central Area councillors were told the performance and suitability of the technology and hardware will be validated throughout the six-month trial A rise in the numbers of sea swimmers during the pandemic has led to calls for more real-time updates on water quality Councillor Donna Cooney (GP) said she was delighted to see the trial going ahead and believes it will help provide Dublin swimmers with better information “I’d like to thank Dublin City Council for being proactive on this request from myself and other sea swimmers,” she said “I have been calling for year-round testing of bathing waters and real-time reporting and this smart signage system could play an important role in implementing this.” Cars are to be allowed back on to the beach at Dollymount only be able to access the beach from the Wooden Bridge entrance They are still banned from the rest of the beach and therefore still can't access the beach from the Causeway Road entrance Dollymount was the only beach that Dubliners could drive on to Beach goers were furious when a ban on vehicles on the popular beach was imposed over the summer saying it would affect the elderly and people with mobility problems hardest The council had erected barriers at the Wooden Bridge and Causeway Road entrances to the 5km beach to prevent motorists from driving on to the sand Fianna Fail councillor Sean Haughey said that the council is now set to prepare a new management plan for Dollymount beach the council unilaterally banned vehicular access to the beach without any prior consultation This action caused great distress to many people who could no longer access this popular amenity "I strongly condemned this action at the time and called for the removal of the temporary barriers so that full and meaningful discussions could take place on the matter "The City Parks Superintendent has now agreed to open up two parking bays for cars as you come off the wooden bridge "A new plan will be drawn up for the beach by May 2015," he said The plan will deal with traffic management and car parking issues as well as improving the set-down areas "Public consultation must be central to the preparation of this new plan so that all the relevant stakeholders can buy in to any new arrangements put in place for next summer," the councillor added the council stated that following strong advice from the gardai management in the parks service made a decision to end vehicular access to the beach It said that the decision was being monitored Minister of State Aodhan O Riordain tweeted the news that councillors got "agreement from DCC for partial vehicular access to Dollymount beach to be restored pending a full parking plan by May 2015." It is not possible to predict the outcome of the consultation process Some restrictions may be imposed rather than an outright ban BATHING RESTRICTIONS HAVE been lifted from all beaches across Dublin’s coast line with the exception of Dollymount where authorities say further testing is required Dublin City Council says that further sample results for the northside strand are expected on Wednesday and the restriction will be reviewed again at that point The council confirmed that the restrictions have been lifted from Merrion and Sandymount beaches It comes after Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council announced last evening that water quality is “back to normal” at Killiney “All temporary bathing prohibition notices have been removed from all bathing areas. All warning flags at lifeguard beaches have been removed,” it said Water quality testing results have come through in all bathing areas in Dùn Laoghaire-Rathdown and they are now back to normal. All temporary bathing prohibition notices have been removed from all bathing areas. All warning flags at lifeguards beaches have been removed. pic.twitter.com/9EICxpWiaF The eight beaches were all hit with no-swim notices last week following a sewage overflow at Ringsend Wastewater Treatment plant Irish Water said it regrets the impact the no-swim notices may have on beach users Virtually-staged interior room of Dollymount Court Fri 19 Jun 2020 at 03:30House-hunters who spent months restricted from travelling to the seaside would be forgiven for hankering to live by the coast permanently a new enclave just 100m from Clontarf's seafront promenade The four detached properties are located in the affluent suburb's Doyle's Lane - near the junction with the Clontarf Road - and command views of the Irish Sea and Bull Island The infill development of four-bed detached properties was built at the rear of 77 Dollymount Avenue about 2.1km from the centre of Clontarf village The four contemporary-style homes each have 1,898 sq ft of accommodation arranged across three levels and are priced from €775,000 apiece the homes have a brick finish to the front of the ground floor and louvred privacy screens to the front of the top floor windows there is an integrated garage that's wired for an electric car charging point there is granite-effect paving to the patio and a garden enclosed by horizontal pressure-treated timber panels The online listings for Dollymount Court display photos of a virtually-staged interior that shows prospective buyers how the rooms can be furnished and laid out - a new marketing tool that came into its own when the arrival of Covid-19 necessitated since-lifted restrictions on viewings and real-life staging the developers of Dollymount Court do plan to open a fully furnished showhouse at the scheme eventually The internal layout of the homes has been flipped so that the main living quarters are situated on the second floor to maximise views with the sleeping accommodation on the lower two floors with its window positioned higher to lend privacy from the lane outside complete with a hardwood handrail and newels which is home to three bedrooms - including the master ensuite - and the main bathroom Three of the four bedrooms come with fitted wardrobes while the master bedroom has an en suite with a walk-in shower all with rooflights overhead for extra natural light French doors open from the living area onto a balcony with low-maintenance composite decking The German-made kitchen is fitted with handle-less units finished in a matt mineral grey The bathrooms and en suites at Dollymount Court have tiling to the walls and floors Additional interior finishes include brushed stainless-steel ironmongery to the doors and contemporary-style skirting and architraves Each of the A2-rated properties is equipped with an air-to-water heat pump that supplies underfloor heating to all three levels The heating can be controlled from two different zones and the dynamically-controlled ventilation ensures a supply of refreshed air Dollymount Court is a few minutes' walk from the 240 acres of parklands at St Anne's Park Buyers who enjoy the outdoors can take in the local tennis and bike along the cycle track to the promenade The wooden bridge to Bull Island nature reserve and to Dollymount Strand is just around the corner the sandbank island is also home to the Royal Dublin Golf Club and St Anne's Golf Club there are several well-established schools in the neighbourhood including the Belgrove Junior and Senior National Schools Viewings at Dollymount Court are by appointment A CAR was discovered submerged in water at Dollymount Strand in Co Dublin this weekend The vehicle was found near the Happy Out cafe on Sunday evening Gardai say the car was the subject of an "unauthorised taking" from the Santry earlier Work is being carried out to remove the car from the water with enquiries into how the situation unfolded still ongoing A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana said: "That car was discovered at approximately 9.30pm on Sunday 29/8/2021 "It had been the subject of an unauthorised taking from the Santry area earlier that day "Arrangements are being made to recover the car It comes after a man aged in his 40s died last night following a single vehicle collision in Co Tipperary. A garda spokesperson said: "Gardai are investigating a single vehicle road traffic collision that occurred at Mainstown "His body was taken to the mortuary at South Tipperary General Hospital where a post-mortem will be carried out." Patrick Greville using the new wheelchair accessible mats installed for a trial period at Dollymount beach. Pic: @DubCityCouncil New wheelchair-friendly beach mats have been introduced on a trial basis at Dollymount Strand to help improve access for people with disabilities. Dublin City Council hopes the initiative will result in greater access to the North Bull Island Reserve and beach areas for wheelchair and scooter users. The special mats, which extend 125 metres onto the beach from the end of Causeway Road, have been designed to allow for greater mobility on the sand. The trial of the mats comes on foot a recommendation from the North Bull Island Oversight Forum to improve accessibility for beachgoers with additional mobility requirements. Subject to use and demand, it’s anticipated that the mats will be extended further along the beach in future years. The new mats will complement existing mobility resources at North Bull Island, such as the free beach wheelchair rental service. Two types of beach-safe wheelchairs can be rented every day during the bathing season, which runs until September 15. Speaking at the launch of the trial, Dublin’s Lord Mayor Alison Gilliland said the mats were a welcome addition to Dollymount Strand and the Dublin Bay Biosphere. “Accessibility and inclusion should be at the heart of all our policies,” she said. “Dublin City Council is committed to making Dublin and its amenities more accessible for its citizens, particularly those with additional mobility needs.” Councillor Naoise Ó Muirí (FG) told Independent.ie that while it was great to see the beach mats finally installed, he noted it was now approaching the end of the 2021 bathing season. “All beach users need to be vigilant and mind these mats so wheelchair users can enjoy what Dollyer has to offer all year round,” he said. Councillor Damian O’Farrell (Ind) said the placement of the mats will make Dollymount’s beach and foreshore more accessible to people of all abilities. Councillor Donna Cooney (GP) revealed she had raised the issue of access with the Bull Island Oversight Forum after she was contacted by a mother whose son had been unable to use the adapted beach wheelchairs. “All members of the forum were very supportive and urged quick implementation of a trial,” she said. “I'm so happy the beach is now more accessible to all, as everyone has the right to enjoy this beautiful, natural amenity.” This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Dublin Fire Brigade has been dealing with a fire at Dollymount Strand in Clontarf on Dublin's northside. Two units of the fire service were called to the vegetation blaze on the dunes on the beach at Bull Island shortly after 9pm on Sunday. The fire was brought under control after a short time but one unit remained at the scene to ensure no further outbreak. The cause of the fire has not been identified but it is the latest in a series of gorse and vegetation fires with the prolonged dry spell. Last month 13 acres of beachside land was burned at Curracloe in Co Wexford, forcing hundreds of visitors and holidaymakers to vacate the beach at speed as fire spread through the sand dunes. And a gorse fire at Bray Head , believed to have been started by a camp fire that got out of control, burning virtually all growth on the southern slope of the head. A COUNCIL DECISION to impose new parking restrictions on Dollymount Beach in Dublin is being met with some opposition locally with concerns they could lead to major traffic congestion in the area — particularly on sunny days like today Some beach-goers have also raised concerns that people who have difficulty walking may be adversely impacted by the new arrangements — which have been in place for the last few weeks the new barriers were put in place following an incident involving a car stuck in the sand “This was the culmination of a number of incidents where the 24 hour access to the beach from the causeway has resulted in serious anti-social activity and concern for public safety.” which runs for 5km along the length of Bull Island on the north side of Dublin Bay was once fully open to traffic — but in recent years parking has been permitted in two limited areas at the ’causeway’ end and the ‘wooden bridge’ end temporary plastic barriers have now been put in place at both entrances Beachgoers heading for a dip today have reported a large build-up of traffic along the wooden bridge as a result A Facebook page has been set up to protest the move, with one local commenting that “our cars will now be completely isolated, exposed and at the mercy of the car thieves… All because of the hassle of people getting stuck in soft sand”. However, the chairperson of the Clontarf Residents Association,  Deirdre Tobin, said they were waiting to hear more about the Council’s plans. “Whether it’s a permanent thing or an exercise we don’t know. We’ll have to find out before our next meeting,” Tobin said. Mystery surrounds the arrival of a “Chesapeake blue crab” one member of a species native to the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico which turned up on Dollymount Strand recently While the crab is not much to look at in terms of alien invaders the National Biodiversity Data Centre has warned it is larger and more competitive than native crabs and the female can lay up to six million eggs a year Once in competition with the smaller Irish native crabs the American version - also known as the American blue crab The Biodiversity Data Centre said the appearance of the crab on Dollymount strand,where it was photographed last month by Ruth McManus is the first recorded appearance of the crab on these shores no doubt used to the warmer more luxuriant waters of the massive Chesapeake Bay and the centre says it hopes the “Dollymount One” is something of a one-off A second report was submitted by a member of the public on March 9th - this time of a blue crab claw which was found on Dollymount Strand The biodiversity centre is hoping the first and second sightings were of the same crab Because the Chesapeake blue crabs operate in much warmer waters they tend to go into a torpor in our chilly waters “In fact they don’t reproduce in waters that are less than 26 degrees,” Mr Wall told The Irish Times Mr Wall did say it was possible that temperatures in rocky pools around the island’s shores could hit 26 degrees It is not thought the Dollymount One has million of brothers and sisters waiting to be discovered here “It is more likely that someone released it thinking they were doing the right thing,” perhaps after getting it at a market He stressed people should not release non-native species into the marine eco system the Chesapeake crab had virtually taken over pushing out native crabs as well as species that prey on the native crabs “So it can disrupt a whole food chain,” he added In Ireland US lobsters - which again are bigger then the native examples - have already started to be picked up in lobster pots by fishers and the biodiversity centre is worried about the impacts there The cautionary tale is exemplified by the near eradication of the red squirrel in some areas The grey squirrel was introduced into Ireland in 1911 when six pairs were released at Castle Forbes The National Biodiversity Data Centre which collects and analyses data on Ireland's biological diversity, has asked anyone who thinks they have seen a blue crab to photograph it and sent the photo to the centre - at www.biodiversityireland.ie - for verification. “But never, ever release a non native into the wild”, said Mr Wall. Tim O'Brien is an Irish Times journalist Triathlete and kite-surfer Ger Fennelly died after getting into difficulty off Dollymount last year A Dublin man who died tragically while kite-surfing off Dollymount Strand has been remembered through a fundraising initiative on the first anniversary of his death suffered a cardiac arrest due to SADS – Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome – on October 31 Emergency services were alerted after he got into difficulties at around 9am that morning He was taken from the water but pronounced dead at the scene who was described as “a kind soul and a true gentleman” had 14 years’ experience as a kite-surfer and was an active member of the Piranha Triathlon Club Ger had participated in several triathlons around the world including a full Ironman in Barcelona in 2018 and the Escape from Alcatraz event the following year He was praised for being an inspiration to others after he wrote about how he had accomplished all this while living with Type-1 diabetes To mark Ger’s anniversary and raise funds for the purchase of defibrillators which will be located along Dollymount Strand his clubmates and kite-surfing friends organised a charity swim at Bull Wall last weekend almost €5,000 has been donated through the initiative with any additional funds going towards heart screening at the Mater Hospital You can make a donation to the dedicated fundraising page here. It has been confirmed by the family of Fair City actor Gerry McCann that the body found on Dollymount Beach yesterday was his. The father of two's body was found yesterday morning on the beach by a member of the public The 47-year-old was last seen in Stillorgan last Thursday morning and it is believed he went to the Ballsbridge area Mr McCann's sister Helene O'Cleary confirmed it on Joe Duffy's Liveline today Gardaí said it will still take a number of days to formally identify the body from its dental records The search for Mr McCann has been called off more courts articles Ger Fennelly (39) died off Dublin’s Dollymount Strand last October Conor FeehanMon 12 Apr 2021 at 03:30The family of a fitness fanatic who died suddenly while kite-surfing last year have launched a tribute fund on what would have been his 40th birthday They want to raise money for the Heart Screening Clinic in the Mater Hospital which aims to curb Sudden Adult Death Syndrome was a keen triathlon and ironman competitor with a love for kite-surfing His sudden death while kite-surfing on high post-storm waves off Dollymount Strand last October was a massive shock to his family and members of sporting clubs where he was well loved and respected It was not immediately known why Ger died or if he had suffered some sort of freak accident but his family has recently been given a copy of the post-mortem and found the true cause of his death “It turned out to be Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) Ger had a congenital heart problem and nobody knew anything about it,” said his sister Elaine he was flying in the sky while kitesurfing when it happened,” she added Elaine said Ger had only been on the water 29 minutes the day he died and that the week before he had been five and a half hours on his board going from Dollymount and taking in the coast at Howth “He used to say it was great flying along on the waves beside the Stena Line ferry He was in the top 10 of fittest people in the world on the Ironman challenge,” she explained and we really want to promote the SADS unit in the Mater so we can help them lessen the chance of it happening to other people “We decided to raise money to save lives for the Family Heart Screening Clinic in the Mater hospital where €45 is the cost of a life-saving scan or ECG for people at risk of SADS at this clinic.” Donations to the fund can be made at tributefunds.materfoundation.ie At the newly-erected plaque on the wall of Curley’s Yard beside the third hole at Royal Dublin to commemorate the birthplace of Michael Moran on the centenary of his death in World War I Brian Purcell (Captain) and Peter Finnegan (Ex Officio) Cast in bronze and sitting on a wooden base it measured little more than five inches in diameter Yet for what it conveyed in terms of pain and loss from horrific events of 100 years ago the so-called Widow's Penny evoked profound emotion it became the centrepiece of a remarkable evening organised by Royal Dublin to mark the centenary of the death of a favoured son Indeed Michael Moran gained the unique distinction of being appointed professional on the site of his first home Through some admirable research by the club's 2017 captain five relatives of Moran's were present to receive framed photographs of their ancestor Even more remarkable was that they were meeting each other for the first time the plaque was also known chillingly as the "Dead Man's Penny" because of the circumstances in which it was acquired Raised lettering on the right-hand side carried the name: Michael Moran no rank was added so as not to distinguish between the sacrifices of the fallen A total of 1.355 million of them were issued to the next of kin of British service personnel killed in World War I and my first thought was that she was a ringer for my aunt," said Mrs O'Shaughnessy Mrs Perry was the closest to Moran who was The winner of five successive Irish Professional Championships was an acting lance-corporal in the 7th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment when he died of battle wounds in a German field hospital at Le Cateau Given that his death was recorded not long after the start of that desperate,spring offensive he is thought to have been in the front line living in Rathfarnham and the youngest and last survivor of seven children," said Mrs Perry Then came the stunning disclosure: "My mother There was just the two of them and I remember Mammy talking about a fire in Royal Dublin and everything to do with Uncle Mike was destroyed in it." when the old clubhouse was burnt to the ground along with the adjoining dwelling-house of the club professional She went on: "Mammy didn't even know about the Moran Cup an insurance man was talking to me about golf and I told him I had an Uncle Mike who died years ago he tells me that the Cup was being played for out in Sutton I had no idea my Uncle Mike was remembered so it was a lovely surprise when my daughter told me about Royal Dublin's celebration plans last week was my first time ever at the club thinking of my mother and how she never knew that Uncle Mike's name would live on." few personal details were known about Moran until relatively recently in Joe Kennedy's Dubliners Diary in the Evening Press in August 1983 to mark the return of the Irish Open to Royal Dublin Kennedy referred in a fascinating tail-piece to a photograph of Moran he had acquired through correspondence from Hugh Perry The caption suggested it was a promotional photograph presumably linked to Moran's use of certain golf equipment it claimed the player had unleashed a drive of "365 yards at Dollymount on May 3 1910." It added: "He won almost every important event in Ireland during the last two years and has used the Dunlop Junior the whole time." Which made it quite a golf ball given that this was only nine years after the introduction of the core-wound Haskell ball in 1901 opened crucial doors to complete Finnegan's research "My parents were always very interested in Michael Moran's career," she wrote they made the trip to visit Michael's grave [in France] this was a very emotional experience for them both." Her correspondence became a crucial link in bringing together the Moran relatives on the night Ann Hickey and Thomas Curley: the Curleys were the maternal side of the original Moran family "My mother's father was Patrick Curley," said Bernie "I live in Kilmore near Beaumont Hospital and I always knew about Mike Moran from my mother Margaret [Curley] talking about him She would say that the Curleys were like the Walton family on TV "I thought the Royal Dublin occasion was absolutely brilliant and I was really touched by the work that went into it I found newspaper cuttings about Michael Moran in a box my mother had and I was only too delighted to loan them to Peter Finnegan His club deserve great credit for what they did." Michael Moran made his last visit home in August 1917 That's when he played a famous exhibition match in aid of the Red Cross over the original par-35 nine holes of Clontarf GC in the grounds of what is now Mount Temple School even down to his spurs and "ammunition" boots he used borrowed clubs to card a remarkable three-under-par 32 None of the enthralled observers could have imagined that eight months later Wild winds swept the Dollymount links on April 27 won the Moran Cup with an outstanding score of 66 as the high-point of the centenary celebrations one could imagine a distinguished ghost from the past The good weather has seen crowds flock to Dollymount beach via the wooden bridge in Clontarf Gardai had to close off access to the wooden bridge in Clontarf over the weekend due to traffic congestion in the area Tony McCullaghMon 19 Jul 2021 at 15:57Car access to Dollymount beach via the wooden bridge in Clontarf may have to be restricted due to ongoing traffic chaos The weekend’s good weather resulted in painfully long tailbacks for motorists trying to access and leave the Bull Wall area with cars reportedly taking up to two hours to get across the bridge The situation was compounded by irresponsible parking and motorists breaking traffic lights Gardaí were forced to close off access to Bull Island from the wooden bridge at various stages over the weekend due to the high levels of traffic congestion in the area Councillor Donna Cooney (GP) said a permanent solution to the problem needs to be found even if this meant permanently restricting vehicular access via the Bull Wall “There’s only a finite number of parking spaces available at the other side of the wooden bridge,” she said “Parking along this narrow road means there is only room for one-way traffic which leads to serious congestion when motorists refuse to give way to oncoming cars or attempt to do a U-turn some irresponsible motorists drive at dangerous speeds to try to make it through “The gardaí must be fed up having to deal with this all the time I believe Dublin City Council needs to do more,” she said Cllr Cooney has proposed a permit system to allow access for residents of the island as well as kite surfers and drivers with disabilities such as a traffic counter and security barrier to limit the number of cars entering via the wooden bridge Councillor Naoise Ó Muirí (FG) told Independent.ie he was not in favour of closing off access to Bull Island “I think we should be encouraging people to use the causeway end as much as they can during busy periods to spread the load a bit,” he said “Dublin City Council has plans to provide better facilities along the causeway and we need to put pressure on them to make sure that happens “People make great use of Dollymount at all times of the year and it’s a facility for the people of Dublin and beyond I appreciate it’s a nature reserve and we need to be sensitive to that but closing it off at either end is not the way to go.” Cllr Ó Muirí added he would have “no difficulty” with a traffic counter system to limit the number cars using the bridge during busy periods as long as access to Bull Island and the beach was maintained Councillor Damian O’Farrell (Ind) confirmed he had received complaints about high traffic volumes over the weekend and intends to raise the issue at the next North Central Area Committee of Dublin City Council “This is something that councillors have been trying to sort out and plan for since earlier this year,” he said The garda press office did not comment specifically when asked what traffic management and enforcement measures had been put in place at Bull Wall over the weekend “Gardaí all over the country were dealing with heavy traffic at all beauty spots and beaches,” a spokesperson said Dublin Fire Brigade said parking and traffic control at amenity sites is the responsibility of local authorities and gardaí and it was therefore not in a position to comment on individual locations a spokesperson said that irresponsible and illegal parking can affect their ability to get vehicles and crews to an emergency in a timely manner “Fire appliances need at least three metres of clearance between obstacles to efficiently progress,” they said “This increases slightly on bends and corners we regularly encounter parking that doesn’t allow this clearance and this can slow our response as our drivers manoeuvre the obstacles or Howth Coast Guard reported no issues with access to beaches in Howth and Sutton over the weekend but said there were problems on Golf Links Road in Portmarnock A spokesperson appealed to motorists to park responsibly as the good weather continues Dublin City Council has been contacted for comment One of two abandoned buildings in the dunes at Dollymount Strand The smaller shelter nearby was recently demolished due to anti-social behaviour and littering Anti-social activity and persistent littering led to a decision to demolish an old shelter on Dollymount beach There has been a mixed local reaction to the removal of the former lifeguard hut which is thought to date back to the 1930s The council insisted that the building was not a protected structure and said it had not been designed by Herbert Simms the famous Dublin Corporation housing architect responsible for the bathing shelters along the Bull Wall A council spokesperson told Independent.ie: “It was removed because it was a focus for night-time congregation in the nature reserve and persistent littering of bottles “There are no proposals to remove any other bathing shelters,” they added Bull Island is a Special Protected Area and UNESCO Biosphere and concerns have previously been expressed about the potential impact of littering on ground-nesting birds and other wildlife in the area the sudden demolition of the hut last week has taken many locals by surprise and divided public opinion one local resident said: “Who made the decision to demolish this structure The shelter was there for well over 50 years “Because the place may have been trashed a few times during the pandemic is hardly a reason for demolition especially demolition in a fragile ecosystem without any local community input whatsoever Another post accused Dublin City Council of “using a sledgehammer to solve a small others described the shelter as “an eyesore” and claimed it had attracted “the worst type of yobs” Councillor Donna Cooney (GP) said she will be asking Dublin City Council to outline the full circumstances that led to the demolition of the building “We need to know if the council was requested to demolish it,” she said “Apart from raising issues about our built heritage I have concerns about demolition work involving heavy machinery in such an environmentally sensitive area and the impact on the swallows that nested in this hut “If there’s a problem with anti-social behaviour let’s deal with that issue head on instead of just removing a building that could have been carefully repurposed,” she added WITH TEMPERATURES REACHING 18 degrees today you might be tempted to grab the last of the summer sun at the beach. If you’re planning to hit Dollymount Strand, best not pack the togs. Yesterday, Dublin City Council issued a temporary bathing ban for the beach. The council said the beach was sampled yesterday and the results should be available tomorrow.  In the meantime, that’s bad news for bathers who were hoping to take a dip today. Dublin City Council monitors bathing water quality at its three designated bathing beaches, which are Dollymount, Sandymount and Merrion strand. It also tests water at the Shelley Banks beach near the South Bull Wall at Poolbeg. Under an EU directive, the council must test the waters at least once every 14 days during the bathing season of June, July and August. If you’re still planning on hitting a beach somewhere today, you’ll be happy to hear that today will be mostly dry and sunny. However, it’s not great news for later on in the day. Met Eireann said showers along the west coast will extend eastwards and become widespread later this afternoon and evening. The house was refurbished and extended by almost 1,000 sq ft Fri 13 Jul 2018 at 03:30When the owners of 10 Dollymount Rise in Dublin 3 bought the place in 2016, they looked upon it as something of a blank canvas. At the time it was a relatively modest and unpretentious 1960s-built house of 1,496 sq ft, but tellingly it had a massive back garden. It was 100ft long and consisted of not much more than a lawn, though admittedly also with a nice old stone wall and some creeper. So the owners have spent the past year or more carrying out a major refurbishment. Under the guidance of an architect, they've also extended the house, boosting its size by almost 1,000 sq ft and improving the overall appearance and symmetry. They've kept the garage but built a first-floor addition over that, and they've also added a back extension, so that Number 10 now measures 2,454 sq ft and also has an up-to-the-minute BER of B2. There's still plenty of garden left over too: what remains is 84ft long though still waiting for a human imprint. There's an expansive new sandstone patio but the rest of the planning and planting will be a job for the new owner. The area above the garage is now a bedroom - one of four on the first floor, two with en suites and the main bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe. The rear extension consists of an open-plan L-shaped, kitchen, living room and dining room, where there's a centre island with a breakfast bar, a gas fireplace and two sets of French doors to the garden. There are two other reception rooms linked by sliding doors, and they both can be thrown open to the kitchen when you're having a party. Dollymount parish church (St Gabriel's) is 200 metres away and the Bull Island is less than 10 minutes' walk. Number 10 is on the market for €1.15m with Savills North Dublin (01) 853 0630. Ger Fennelly (39) from Collins Avenue, Dublin, who died whilst kitesurfing on Dollymount Strand. Photo: Collins Dublin An extreme sports enthusiast died after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest caused by an undetected congenital heart problem while kite surfing in Dublin Bay last year, an inquest has heard. The finding has led to a call by the family of the dead man, Ger Fennelly, for all participants in extreme sports to get screened for a condition which a medical expert said could affect up to 25pc of the population and be exacerbated by “adrenalin-driven” activities. An inquest at Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Wednesday heard that Mr Fennelly, a father-of-one from Collinswood, Collins Avenue, Beaumont, was pulled from the water by other kite surfers after getting into difficult in squally conditions off Dollymount Strand on the morning of October 31, 2020. Witnesses described how the victim had shown no signs of life after they rescued him from the sea and carried him ashore. Efforts by his friends, gardaí, members of the Irish Coast Guard and Dublin Fire Brigade for over an hour to resuscitate him proved unsuccessful. Another kite surfer, Simon Lewis, said he had been surfing earlier that morning but got out of the water because of the forecast for worsening weather conditions. Mr Lewis told the hearing that he had gone running to Mr Fennelly’s aid after he had seen his friend “sent flying” by “a massive squall” which hit Dublin Bay. He estimated that the victim was around 100-150 metres from the shore when he was sent airborne by the sudden gust of wind. Mr Lewis said it was one of the most violent squalls he had ever experienced at Dollymount Strand but at the same time kite surfers enjoyed such conditions as “high winds are exciting”. Pathologist Dr Kathleen Han Suyin, who carried out a post mortem on Mr Fennelly’s body, said he had a congenital abnormality known as “myocardial bridging” where one of the coronary arteries goes through the heart muscle instead of lying on its surface. Dr Han Suyin said the condition would have placed Mr Fennelly at an increased risk of suffering a sudden cardiac death, particularly as he was also a diabetic. She told the inquest that some studies estimated that up to 25pc of the population could be affected by myocardial bridging. “It can be quite common but not everyone will have symptoms and not everyone will be at risk of sudden cardiac death,” she said. Dr Han Suyin said Mr Fennelly had also suffered numerous fractures to his ribs and bones in his neck, while his left lung had collapsed. The pathologist said such injuries could easily have caused the victim’s death on their own. However, she said there was no evidence to suggest that Mr Fennelly had died from drowning and she was satisfied he was dead before being submerged in the water. She said it was a “very challenging case” as the victim was always at risk of developing a fatal irregular heartbeat as a result of his pre-existing condition. She noted heightened demands were placed on the heart by people who engaged in “adrenalin-driven sports”. She said kite surfing in high winds may have triggered a cardiac arrest which would have resulted in Mr Fennelly losing consciousness in mid-air. She said the impact of the fall would have caused instantaneous death. The dead man’s sister, Elaine Fennelly, said her brother was extremely fit and a regular participant in extreme sports including triathlons, ironman events and kite surfing. She recalled how he surprised hospital consultants with his level of fitness given he suffered from diabetes. Although he worked for Clúid housing association, he was also a qualified nutritionist. “He really looked after himself,” said Ms Fennelly. “He was a pro-athlete in all aspects. He was amazing.” Ms Fennelly fought back tears as she described how her brother had been involved in kite surfing for 15 years and would go out “whenever there was wind”. “He was a very experienced kite surfer. Dollymount was his second home,” she said. Ms Fennelly told the inquest that her brother’s watch, which had a heart monitor, had stopped at 8.43am that morning which indicated that was when he suffered the fatal cardiac arrest. “I think his time was up. His heart had stopped and that was it,” she said. She said the wind had nothing to do with her brother’s death as photographs had been taken on the day which appeared to show he had lost consciousness in mid-air. Coroner Dr Clare Keane returned a narrative verdict to reflect the complexity of how Mr Fennelly died from myocardial bridging which caused a fatal irregular heartbeat, while traumatic injuries to his chest and neck were a contributory factor. She extended her sympathy to Mr Fennelly’s family on “the loss of such a young man in his prime”. Following the inquest, his sister urged all extreme sports enthusiasts to get screened for the potentially fatal condition. “Everyone really should get themselves checked out as there are many people like Ger who seem perfectly fit but don’t know they are at risk,” said Ms Fennelly. She said various fundraising efforts for charities linked to sudden adult death syndrome in her brother’s memory had raised over €21,500 in the year since his death. Ms Fennelly, who has launched a GoFund campaign to purchase new defibrillators for Dollymount Strand, also appealed to people not to steal or vandalise such life-saving equipment. The discovery of mysterious blue balls washed up along Dublin’s coastline has prompted questions over where they came from and whether they pose any threat. The small objects – about 25mm in diameter – appear to be made of a rubber-like substance and are thought to be taprogge balls used to clean water-cooling systems in various heavy industry plants, including power stations. Similar ones were discovered on beaches in the UK nearly a decade ago and were traced back to the Hartlepool nuclear plant, although the source of those discovered in Dublin is not yet known. North Dublin resident Brian Bolger says he has collected large amounts of the balls from Dollymount Strand on Bull Island over the years but has noticed more of them appearing in recent times. He has raised the issue with Dublin City Council and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “We go walking regularly on Dollymount. Every so often we do a little [rubbish] pick up and we were noticing these balls,” he said. “At first they were all blue [they later discovered orange versions] and we thought they were golf ball innards because there are two courses on the island.” Mr Bolger’s research led him to a news report from the UK in 2013, which appear to show the same balls washed up along the north Yorkshire coast. Channel 4 reported that Hartlepool nuclear power station took responsibility, confirming the balls were used as part of the cleaning process for seawater in its cooling systems. A spokesperson told the programme that, while most are caught, some of the non-radioactive balls escape into the sea and can wash up on beaches. The EPA in Ireland said it was not aware of any balls being washed up but that the pictures appeared to be of tabrogge balls. “[These] can be used in the cooling systems of a number of heavy industries, including power stations,” a spokeswoman said. “As they are typically used in the water pipes at these facilities, there is no risk of any radioactive contamination.” A spokesman for Dublin City Council said it was aware of the issue and was looking into it. Local Green Party councillor Donna Cooney said that according to a council official the objects had been discovered in previous years, tested and found to be harmless. Their origin, however, remains a mystery. “To see these washed up, we have to find out where they are coming from,” she said. Coastwatch Europe's Ireland-based international co-ordinator Karin Dubsky said she recalled the same or similar balls being discovered in Dublin a number of years ago. “Any time that you have something that’s likely to come from an industrial source you can’t judge by what you did the last time. Every local authority and the EPA have a Geiger counter and so you would say, why not just put it past the Geiger counter?” she said, adding that an investigation into the source and constitution of the balls was now necessary. Whether or not they pose any threat, or are biodegradable, the balls have arrived on an extremely sensitive part of Ireland. Oonagh Duggan of Birdwatch Ireland described Bull Island as the most protected piece of land in the country – it is a national nature reserve with several conservation designations and is crucial for several species of migratory birds. Mark Hilliard is a reporter with The Irish Times dining room and lounge opening on to the back garden The last of the new houses in the Castle Vernon development built by Richmond Homes off Dollymount Avenue in Dublin 3 House-hunters who missed their chance at a purchase in this high-end estate close to the north Dublin coast will have resigned themselves to waiting for the second-hand market to kick in No9 Castle Vernon was part of the first phase of the development and sold new only a little over two years ago No9 has come on the market again – nominally second-hand but still as good as new with PV panels and a condensing gas boiler There’s also wiring for an electric car charger with four bedrooms — two on the top floor (plus a study) and two on the first floor This level also has a mezzanine room with safety glass overlooking the open-plan kitchen with its double-height window and sliding doors to the neat back garden Elsewhere the ground floor has a bay-windowed front living room and there’s a utility off the kitchen To the front the houses overlook the Manresa Jesuit spirituality centre and its 11 acres of grounds Whenever you’re not pondering the benefits of a Jesuit-led retreat you’ll probably turn for spiritual refreshment to the natural wonders of the Bull Island or St Anne’s Park No9 is for sale for €995,000 with Gallagher Quigley (01) 818 3000 The fin whale being buried on Dollymount Strand THE fin whale which was last week discovered dead in the River Liffey and later washed up on Dollymount Strand has been buried on the beach The secretary of the Irish Whale and Dophin Group (IWDG) told Independent.ie it was the correct way to deal with the carcass Diggers excavated a giant grave for the whale's carcass the remains could have posed a danger to public health "This is the proper way to deal with the remains," said Mr O'Flanagan "It's not advisable to touch a dead whale," said Mr O'Flanagan he said it was unlikely they would discover what exactly killed the whale The IWDG was first notified on Tuesday of a whale in Dublin Bay "We got a call to say that a whale had been spotted off Red Rock in Sutton on Tuesday on Wednesday there was another sighting in the River Liffey near Dublin Port where no whale should be," Mr O'Flanagan said "The fact that it was seen in shallow water off Sutton the feeling was that it was not a well animal," he said "We are assuming that the sightings were of the same whale." At first they believed it was a minke whale but it later emerged it was a fin whale – the second-largest animal on the planet Such whales usually feed in much deeper oceans on fish "It was a long way from where it should have been it’s only a bit smaller than a blue whale," he said adding that while the one spotted dead in the Liffey was young Morah has downsized to move into her new abode which was built on what was once the site of the Dollymount House pub where Morah Ryan and two of her children now live Eugene MastersonSunday WorldTue 2 Aug 2022 at 09:06Gerry Ryan’s widow Morah moved into her new seafront apartment last weekend with two of her children And it seems her radio presenter daughter Lottie will have no shortage of baby sitting offers as she lives in a similar apartment close by Pals reveal Morah was keen to stay in the Clontarf area of north Dublin where the Ryans lived in a mansion for over 30 years as she wants to help Lottie with her one-year-old baby Wolf and also care for her elderly mother who lives in the locality “Wolf is Morah’s pride and joy as he is her first grandchild,” reveals a friend “Morah wants to stay close to her family as Lottie lives in the area while Bonnie has a place out in Harmonstown further northside “She also helps care for her own elderly mother She is really excited about moving into the new apartment as it’s all completely new to her.” Morah is moving into the Seascape apartments at Dollymount park in Clontarf Her new home is just one kilometrefrom the mansion she sold recently on Castle Avenue all married their partners in recent years and have their own marital homes Morah’s youngest children Elliott and Babette had been sharing the Clontarf home up until recently with their mother It is believed that Morah has bought a three-bedroom apartment to accommodate her family A three-bedroom in the complex sold late last month for €835,000 That three-bedroom is a 107sq m (1,152sq ft) apartment some of which overlook the sea on Clontarf Road One of the bedrooms has an en-suite and there’s a separate bathroom and (Kube) kitchen/livingroom with access to a terrace shared with one of the bedrooms the front one with uninterrupted views of Dublin Bay The Ryans’ end-of-terrace Georgian house had gone on the market last year for €2million but after failing to sell it had €150,000 shaved off its asking price After selling at its second price the five-bedroom period home on Castle Avenue was withdrawn from the market before going back on sale in February for an asking price of €1.59million TheSunday World recently revealed the exact figure the Ryan’s former home sold for – €1,525,000 shared the house in the north Dublin suburb prior to the couple’s split in 2008 Former artist Morah who was left the entirety of a €1.3million estate by Gerry in his will is now in a relationship with musician Don Mescall The alleged incident happened at the wooden bridge leading to the north Bull Wall at Dollymount Gardaí in Clontarf are investigating reports that a boy was thrown from the wooden bridge on Bull Wall during an alleged confrontation with a motorist. In a social media post, Love Clontarf – a local business and residents’ group – claimed the young victim was “intimidated and thrown over the railings” by a man who was driving across the bridge at the time. The boy was said to be uninjured but shaken after the incident, which occurred at around 4pm on Sunday, August 14. Gardaí confirmed they are making inquiries into reports of an incident on the wooden bridge in Dollymount. “There are no reports of injuries at this time,” a spokesperson said. Councillor Donna Cooney (GP) described the incident as “shocking” and said she would be asking the superintendent in Clontarf for an update on the garda investigation. “From what I have heard, there was a bit of messing going on with a group of young people and some cars got seaweed on them,” she said. “There is no suggestion that this child was involved with that, but no amount of provocation justifies picking up a minor and throwing them over a bridge. “This boy could have been seriously injured or even killed. I would urge anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage to contact gardaí in Clontarf.” Discarded syringes, underage drinking, naked men having sex in sand dunes, and “weird” individuals stalking women from the bushes — just some examples of antisocial behaviour reported by lifeguards at one of Dublin’s most popular beaches. and “weird” individuals stalking women from the bushes — just some examples of antisocial behaviour reported by lifeguards at one of Dublin’s most popular beaches Logbooks compiled by water safety personnel at Dollymount Strand reveal a shocking pattern of antisocial behaviour plaguing the beach which is located near the affluent suburb of Clontarf Three people sought first aid from lifeguards after being pricked by discarded syringe needles on the beach during a period of just two days last year They included a pregnant woman and a young girl gardaí were called after two males were spotted having sex in the sand dunes at Dollymount “Reports of two men in dunes without clothes engaging in sexual acts,” noted the lifeguards’ logbook One failed to do so and cycled down the beach.” Gardaí were called again later the same day following a complaint about “young teens” drinking in a shelter at the beach while an adult male was discovered passed out from alcohol on the rocks two weeks’ later There were several reports in the logbooks of ‘suspicious’ or ‘weird’ men following women and hiding in bushes A confrontation also took place between the father of a little girl and a man who was accused of watching her change in one of the shelters a woman reported to lifeguards that she had been followed into the sand dunes by a ‘suspicious’ man in his 40s who had been looking at her from some bushes when she arrived at the beach Another woman reported encountering a ‘weird’ man on a road near the beach later the same day while gardaí told a man to leave the area following a similar report in September which were released by Dublin City Council under the Freedom of Information Act also reveal that an ice-cream man presented to lifeguards with a head injury in June 2017 A bin was set on fire during the same month while ring buoys were stolen a number of times during the three-and-a-half-month bathing season last year an 18-year-old male was caught in the act of removing a ring buoy Dollymount Strand is ranked by travel website TripAdvisor as the fourth-best beach in Dublin no case of antisocial behaviour was reported by the three beaches ranked ahead of Dollymount — Donabate Logbooks maintained by lifeguards on these beaches almost exclusively contained entries relating to water rescues and first-aid administered in response to minor injuries There were 17 incidents recorded at Donabate in 2017 16 involved minor injuries like cuts and jellyfish stings while one related to a fire that broke out in the lifeguards’ hut there were 62 incidents last year — eight of the incidents reported in the logbook related to children who had been separated from their parents Lifeguards at Malahide beach reported just three minor injuries and three water rescues There were a total of 59 incidents recorded at Dollymount Strand Apart from entries pertaining to antisocial behaviour Asked whether antisocial behaviour remained an issue at Dollymount Strand and whether any measures had been taken to combat such issues Logbooks compiled by water safety personnel at Dollymount Strand reveal a shocking pattern of antisocial behaviour 2017: “12.55pm Woman presented with needle that she stood on Advised to seek further medical attention and agreed to do so 2017: “Reports of two males in dunes without clothes engaging in sexual acts One failed to do so and cycled down the beach Gardaí were called about the incident and informed when the men left the beach.” 2017: “Informed of a male collapsed [on] rocks approx Patient was unconscious upon arrival — not pain or voice responsive When [he] came around [he] complained of chest pain Found out patient had been drinking heavily Handed over to paramedics and removed by ambulance.” 2017: “Path beside golf course half way up 2017: “Man accused of looking at little girl changing lady concerned and went to lifeguards to notify Lady arrived at beach at approx 1.15pm and male was in bushes on causeway Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.