Council confirm Keem Bay toilets to be upgraded this year

AN upgrade on the toilet facilities at Keem Bay on Achill Island will take place this year with calls made for them to be opened for the St Brigid's Bank Holiday Weekend.

Keem Bay beach on Achill Island was named as the only beach in Ireland to be named as one of the top 100 beaches in the world by travel publisher Lonely Planet and this has led to calls for better facilities at the beauty spot.

Achill-based councillor Paul McNamara raised the issue at yesterday's monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District where he said having awards is no good if the facilities are not in Keem to cater for the people who will visit.

“It was an amazing achievement for Keem Bay to be recognised for its natural beauty and spectacular scenery. It is important that we try to provide better infrastructure in Keem Bay. It is fine getting awards but if the basic infrastructure isn't in it it is not a very good advertisement for it. The most important piece of infrastructure is toilets and unfortunately the toilets aren't open in that area. 

“I know it is still winter but we are within a couple of days of the bank holiday and the first day of spring is upon us. I would ask the executive that they would open the toilets in Keem and Keel. It is important that it is open from the February bank holiday and maintained particularly with all the publicity that it is getting. It is a spectacular place and everyone respects that.

“It is important we are ready and promote it infrastructure wise and I ask the executive to please open the toilets from the bank holiday weekend,” he said.

His call was supported by other councillors with Cllr Christy Hyland commenting that people visit beaches all year around and toilets have to be available to cater for this.

Manager of the Municipal District, Padraig Walsh replied that he will talk to the area engineer about opening the toilets for the bank holiday weekend and added that the toilets will be upgraded this year. 

“We all acknowledge Keem is one of the jewels in the crown of our municipal district from a tourist point of view and is internationally recognised. We have funding to upgrade the toilets which will be completed this year but unfortunately won't be completed in time for the start of the season but it will be completed before the end of the year.

“Our tourism section is at an advanced stage in developing a development plan and site management plan for Keem and they have a draft report just recently completed on how we should go forward with it,” he said.