Councillor calls for Achill pier report following emergency call

Ciara Galvin

AN ACHILL councillor has appealed to Mayo County Council to carry out a pier survey on the island after the coastguard could not launch its boat.
Councillor Paul McNamara (pictured)  made the request after the local coastguard could not launch a boat off a pier in Achill in an attempt to rescue kayakers who had come into difficulty.
Cllr McNamara told the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council that the coastguard was responding to an emergency call reporting two kayakers in difficulty off Silverstrand beach.
The meeting was told that there is no pier to launch off on the north side of the island. Bullsmouth pier would have been the furthest pier from the location of the kayakers to launch from. After failing to launch from the pier in Doogort, the coastguard managed to launch from Silverstrand beach as the tide was out.  
Cllr McNamara asked the council to carry out a survey of the pier at Doogort in order to see what work can be done to make it easier for emergency services to launch from it.
The meeting heard that there are 60 homes beside the other blue flag beach on the island Golden Strand and that with an increase of visitors to the island as a result of walking and the Greenway, it was important to identify piers that can be accessed by emergency services.
“It’s very important that we don’t have to wait for a helicopter or for a boat to launch from the other side of the island,” said Cllr McNamara.
The Achill councillor’s request was fully supported by fellow Fianna FΡil councillor Al McDonnell. A spokesperson for Mayo County Council told the councillors that the matter would be looked into and that a report would be put together as soon as possible.