A penny for your thoughts?

Gralus

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0727/1224275549141.html

gerk86

for feck sake, how about spending the money on something remotely to do with surfing. Like an artificial reef or something?

SeanF

gerk86 wrote: »

for feck sake, how about spending the money on something remotely to do with surfing. Like an artificial reef or something?

An articificial reef? You'd be better off building a bonfire out of Euro notes for all the good that would be.

Actually, I love the idea of a surf centre. The objections lodged do appear to be based on the appearance of the building rather than the notion of a surf centre itself. For me, I can't think of a better way to warm up after a cold winter surf than having a hot shower and hot food - which this place should provide. Hopefully, locker facilities will be provided as well. But I don't know enough of the details of this development to comment any more.

Whatever happens, access to the centre should be based on a paid membership system (or even a one-off payment for one-off visitors). This will mean that members will be far more inclined to keep the place clean (and free of gouger scumbags). Anyone that sees the state of free public toilets in Ireland should agree.

[Edit: from reading this again, this sounds like I have some sort of interest in the project. I don't - all I know is what I've heard around Lahinch (very little), and from any newspaper articles.]

spaceHopper

SeanF wrote: »

An articificial reef? You'd be better off building a bonfire out of Euro notes for all the good that would be.

For me, I can't think of a better way to warm up after a cold winter surf than having a hot shower and hot food - which this place should provide. Hopefully, locker facilities will be provided as well. But I don't know enough of the details of this development to comment any more.

Whatever happens, access to the centre should be based on a paid membership system (or even a one-off payment for one-off visitors). This will mean that members will be far more inclined to keep the place clean (and free of gouger scumbags). Anyone that sees the state of free public toilets in Ireland should agree.

It's a private buisness with appartments, two shops, a bistro, a board rental place and flow rider in the basemnet.
It's not a National Surf Centre as the local club and ISA were excluded from it.

It's all about cashing in on how trendy surfing has become.

I wouldn't expect it to be that welcoming to the average Joe and his two euros for a locker and shower, at that rate they'd never see a return on the 5 million it's going to coast. Then again maybe there's a tax break for it and isn't 5M the cut off for NAMA

stevire

Lahinch is not that big a town, i think this is going to destroy what's left of it's traditionalism! The West Coast Lodge is more than enough for a town of its size. It's all about money and bringing in tourism I suppose...

rodento

Lads whats in a name, do you know how many national conference centres we have in the country :rolleyes:

Place should do well enough, can't think of a better place to stay, as it over looks the beach, love the idea of waking up, looking out the window and either falling back to sleep or grabing a board and running

The flow rider could well be good crack when the place is flat or blown out

SeanF

If it's a private business venture, then good luck to them - it's their money and their risk to take (whoever they are). As regards appearance, it certainly can't be any worse than the amusement arcade that presently there. But one can only hope that it does fit in well with the current town (being Ireland, I have my doubts).

OldGuysRule

Jeez, rodento, you really are pushing this thing, here and elsewhere.

This is the development, it will not fit in well with the much of the town

SeanF

OldGuysRule wrote: »

Jeez, rodento, you really are pushing this thing, here and elsewhere.

This is the development, it will not fit in well with the much of the town

You know after seeing that image, I kind of disagree.

spaceHopper

Lad's this thing is a bad joke - some developer is cashing in on how trendy surfing has become and probalby getting a tax break at the sometime. He's probably seen a surf board once but doesn't surf. We will see no benefit from it and all that's going to happend is it'll being more stags and hens to Lahich.

Lahich can be a real zoo at times and has a reputation as a rough piss head town now, this isn't going to help.

I'll always stay in Doolin if I'm in Clare.

rodento

Let me get this straight

This development will provide 300,000 to upgrade local infrastructure (improve roads etc...)

Provide jobs to builders and people from the locality when its up and running

Rent boards, have a bistro, an activity centre, with rooms over looking the beach and a flow rider for those crap days

It could bring in extra tourist with people happy to stay in a decent activity centre, don't know if any of you ever tried to stay in the hostel...

And people are up in arms cause it calls its self a national surf lodge:eek:

Why should it have consulted the local surfing community or the ISA, or provide facilities, I don't see the point, as its clearly a private enterprise and not a charity.

The application has now been granted, the loan for the development may be tied into this(just a guess), so if it gets granted they may have no alternatives but to build.

The only people/groups that can lobby agains't it now are the people who submitted an objection the clare coco over the current granted application, so its to late for most people to do anything about it

Next step would be to lodge an objection to An Bord Pleanala and or pray the group go bankrupt.

I personally think it could work and couild be used in our defense of crab island

OldGuysRule

Do you not see the current over supply of accommodation in Lahinch as being an issue?

So if a developer gets planning for a hotel or shopping centre, it is ok regardless of demand. All these developments will do is undermine the other surf businesses in the town or the other hostels. Most struggle to keep afloat for the majority of the year.

As for the florider, there has been a meeting with the developer and his team to discuss the development and he does not even know what one is, the scale of it, the running costs, examples of where they are popular. I remain doubtful that it will be there when / if it opens, let alone at any stage.

tedshredsonfire

Don't see why the guy putting his money on the line has to be a surfer in order to get support from the surf community or at least not get flack. he thinks there is an oppertunity there maybe there is maybe not but its his money and his risk. Majority of surf stuff is business men making or trying to make a profit. there are some exceptions where the local boy done but its the exception rather than the rule. imho.

rodento

Just one question

You state there is plenty of accommadationin Lahinch, but is there a place that will cater for large groups of travelling surfers wanting to stay in one place, 30 seconds from the beach

Its all about location, location, location and the only alternative is the hostel, which is a right kip

OldGuysRule

Rodento, what about Lahinch Surf Lodge?

Ted, why should we support it? What has the developer done to support surfing in Lahinch / Clare to date? There is no getting around the fact that if the WCSC are expected to support a development, they should surely have been contacted in advance of the planning being submitted.

Also the majority of the those who were involved with putting the submission together were of the opinion that Lahinch is already over developed.

Personnally I would not want to see surfing grow any bigger in Lahinch, I surf many spots in Clare but I like some of the waves there and am getting sick of the crap behaviour and attitude in the line ups. I might be old, I might by grumpy, but I prefer the ways things were years ago.

tedshredsonfire

Old guy not saying you have to support it just saying the surf community doesn't have to object to it just cos its not a surfer footing it. I think we all would prefer the way things were but that aint gonna happen used to be death and taxes were what you were garunteed now its death taxes and change.