Achill councillor fears Keem Skywalk will be scrapped

CONCERNS Cllr Paul McNamara.

Anton McNulty

AN Achill councillor fears that the proposed Achill Skywalk and Discovery Point at Keem Bay is ‘dead in the water’ and will not go ahead.
Almost two years ago, Mayo County Council announced plans for a Wild Atlantic Way Signature Discovery Point to be located at Keem Bay. The proposal was to build a Skywalk which will allow the public to walk on a glass floor overhanging the Atlantic near Keem Bay.
The concept of the project was backed by FΡilte Ireland and at the time of its initial announcement, it was expected to be completed by the summer of 2016.
However, in the intervening two years there has been little movement on the project despite receiving the support of commonage farmers and local stakeholders.
Achill councillor Paul McNamara raised the issue of the Discovery Point at the recent monthly meeting of Mayo County Council and was informed by the Chief Executive, Peter Hynes that he will receive a full progress report in the coming weeks.
Speaking to The Mayo News following the meeting, Cllr McNamara said he has grave concerns the project may not go ahead.
“My gut feeling is that the Discovery Point will not go ahead given the length of time that has passed and nothing is being done,” he said. “The Council told me they are working with FΡilte Ireland and a process of work needs to go through and all the different departments need to be happy. For me the most important people to keep happy are the residents and the farmers who use the hill and they welcomed the project.”
Cllr McNamara added that he hoped there were no environmental issues which could jeopardise the project which is estimated to cost in the region of €3 million. The skywalk was proposed to be located close to the old coastguard look-out station which the council also proposed to restore.
The Keem Bay project was also to include a ‘Font of Creativity’ at the beach carpark, which will celebrate Irish creativity at national and local level. Funding has been secured for Keem Bay to become the second Signature Discovery Point in the county after Downpatrick Head in north Mayo.
Cllr McNamara said the proposed project will very important to tourism in the parish and Achill needs the investment of money onto the island.
“If the project needs to be scaled back from the original proposal then so be it, I will welcome that. I don’t want to see money that was designated for the project leaving the island. I understand that money for a discovery point cannot be cannot be transferred to another project and that is a reason why the discovery point needs to go ahead. We are trying to promote the Wild Atlantic Way but in Achill we need money spent on the infrastructure and projects like this to bring people in,” he said.