This article is from page 25 of the 2011-12-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 25 JPG
AFTER decades of campaigning Kinvara has finally been given the go ahead for the construction of a state of the art € 5.2 million treatment plant.
Presently more than 60,000 gallons of raw sewage are been discharged into Kinvara Bay each day. Besides the obvious environmental difficulties associated with the dumping of raw sewage, the village also suffers badly at times of low or unusual tides when a back wash effect can bring some of the waste into the picturesque surrounding of the Kinvara Pier. Because of this unusual movement of water in Kinvara Bay, raw sewage is often seen floating on the flat waters of the harbour – especially during the summer months.
Kinvara village has become a major tourist attraction in recent years with tens of thousands of tourists visiting each year to enjoy the the towns great maritime and traditional music heritage.
Before this year’s General Election local TD, Ciaran Cannon (FG), committed to resign his seat and not run again if a sewage system for Kinvara was not built during the life of the current government.
“When I first ran for the council back in 2004 this was an issue that had lingered for years with no solution in sight. I had always hoped that some day I could work with my colleagues locally and nation- ally to bring this saga to an end, and thankfully we have now arrived at that point,” he said. “Anyone visiting Kinvara at night over the Christmas period will be uplifted by the beautiful sight of a boat moored in the harbour and lit with hundreds of twinkling lights. It is a fitting symbol of a community that has lived and laboured by the sea for generations. I am delighted that within a couple of years that boat will be moored in a bay which has finally been restored to its original pristine beauty.”
The majority of the € 5.2 construction cost will come from the Department of the Environment with the balance being made up from funds already earmarked for the project by Galway County Council.