This article is from page 7 of the 2011-09-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 7 JPG
A NEW era where Kildysart can cash in on the natural amenity of the Shannon Estuary could now be in the offing after a 10-year campaign by a local action group to remove “hulking eyesores” from Cahercon Pier has been brought to a successful conclusion.
Members of Cahercon Pier Pressure and the Kildysart-based chairman of the West Clare Economic Task Force have rowed in behind new moves to have the pier transformed into a community amenity that would be a huge boost to tourism along the estuary.
The call comes after a cargo ship named the MV Matrisha that has been abandoned at Cahercon Pier for over a decade, as well as a number of other vessels have finally been dismantled and removed from the controversial site that lies two kilometres west of Kildysart.
“We have been campaigning for this for many years, because this hulk of a wreck and other ships were an eyesore at Cahercon,” a spokesperson for Cahercon Pier Pressure said this week.
“We want this to be a new start for Cahercon Pier and we want it to be developed into an amenity for the community, because it could benefit tourism along the Shannon Estuary and could also be put to commercial use.
“We had made a number of submissions to Clare County Council about what we want done with the pier. We want it to be declared a protected structure, because there is a lot of history attached to it and we want Clare County Council to play its part in restoring the pier to its former glory and transformed into the public amenity that it should be,” the spokesperson added.
The 1000-tonne MV Matrisha was wrecked on the south coast of Ireland in 1991 and was susequently towed to Cahercon Pier, from where the CW Shipping company operated a salvage business.
The Japanese-built ship became known as the ‘Ghost Ship of Cahercon’ and its presence, along with a number of other vessels sparked a local campaign that was waged for a long number of years to have the pier cleared up. The final removal of the MV Matrisha took place during a five-month operation that involved it being cut up and taken away.
Clare County Council owns Cahercon Pier, but in 1988 councillors voted to allow the local authority enter into a 35-year lease agreement with Whelan Engineering Ltd, with an initial rent of £500 a year, to be reviewed every five years.
Due to internal re-organisation of Mr Paddy Whelan’s companies in 1996, he sought to have CW Shipping Company Ltd, substituted for Whelan Engineering Limited in the lease.
“I am now seeking clarification regarding the lease agreement that’s in pace,” Cllr Oliver Garry told The Clare People . “The removal of the wrecks is a welcome development and there is massive potential there for the pier. At this stage I would be hopeful that the pier can be developed, not just for the local community, but also for commercial purposes,” added Cllr Garry, who is also the chairman of the West Clare Electoral Area of councillors and West Clare Economic Task Force.