Irish Times-swimming Strandhill

scooby77

In an article in today's Irish Times print, and earlier online, editions entitled "It''s time to start swimming in our seas again!" swimming in Strand hill is recommended! !! While the online version was edited later with a note explaining the error, it's poor, even dangerous, journalism!
It also mentions Rougey rocks...Rougey beach is certainly not safe!
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/fitness/it-s-time-to-start-swimming-in-our-seas-again-1.3172267

Mint Sauce

scooby77 wrote: »

In an article in today's Irish Times print, and earlier online, editions entitled "It''s time to start swimming in our seas again!" swimming in Strand hill is recommended! !! While the online version was edited later with a note explaining the error, it's poor, even dangerous, journalism!
It also mentions Rougey rocks...Rougey beach is certainly not safe!
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/fitness/it-s-time-to-start-swimming-in-our-seas-again-1.3172267

Rosses Point maybe with a swim buddy, or a club. Strand Hill, not a fecking chance. Although as for starting again, been at it since May.

Vlove

Strandhill is better used if there were surf lessons going on but other then that, it's a big no no

Slideways

I was a friend and school mat of both Bobby and Michael when they died there in 2007 along with Tommy who I didn't know.

Made a metal cross and put it up there but it was promptly removed. Maybe if it was left in place people would be less likely to swim there

red sean

I thought the CoCo brought in a bye-law banning swimming in Strandhill after that tragedy???

promethius

yes they did, it's clearly signposted that it's not permitted to swim with beach wardens (not lifeguards) in place to police it. the council had withdrawn the lifeguard service from strandhill after the water wing of the national safety council (now irish water safety) did an inspection of the beach and deemed it unsuitable for swimming. council were not able to insure lifeguards there and took the view that even the presence of lifeguards would in some way infer it was safe for swimming.

my own view is that lifeguards should be in place on the beach and that swimming should be allowed when conditions are safe in a clearly defined area that can be monitored. This is what's done on beaches in France, Australia and California. The flagged areas are small and moved to appropriate locations for that day. On the days when it is not safe for swimming, put up the red flag and don't allow people to swim. the reality is that people are still swimming there now anyways, i surf there and see it all the time. the wardens will move them if it's during their operational hours but outside that still people swimming there.

strandhill is not static by any means, the sand moves around a lot and sandbars (which is what cause the rips) move.

challenge with above is to get a high standard of lifeguard that is familiar enough with the conditions and how they change, not easy for a seasonally employed role.

having said all that, the current system of banning swimming outright is better than no lifeguards and people maybe not realizing it's not safe.

slideways i'm very sorry for you losing your friends, i remember when it happened and it was a very sad time for sligo, those lads being lost when they had their whole lives ahead of them.

red sean

my own view is that lifeguards should be in place on the beach and that swimming should be allowed when conditions are safe in a clearly defined area that can be monitored. This is what's done on beaches in France, Australia and California. The flagged areas are small and moved to appropriate locations for that day. On the days when it is not safe for swimming, put up the red flag and don't allow people to swim.

Unfortunately that was the system before that terrible tragedy. However, people continually disobeyed the lifeguards and the flags.
I'm not saying the 3 lads who died that day were ignoring the flags or lifeguards, but I've seen it happen countless times.

promethius

there were no lifeguards on duty when that accident happened, they had already been withdrawn from strandhill in the years before that. the lifeguards that were on duty in the point and other beaches weren't in place for that season as it was early in the year.

i know what you're saying though about people ignoring flags and instructions, they ignore the signs already that are there.

current system isn't perfect but no major incidents since then thankfully. the fact that there are quite a few surfers and surf schools there does mean there is informal cover in place. there's been plenty of people assisted in last few years.

Carson10

Strandhill has turned into an overcrowded commercial hipster/surfer hub, where people go to post pictures of their Shells Cafe takeaway coffee cups on Instagram and wear sunglasses all year round.

Much prefer a good uncrowned beach down Maugherow.

Carson10

Carson10 wrote: »

Strandhill has turned into an overcrowded commercial hipster/surfer hub, where people go to post pictures of their Shells Cafe takeaway coffee cups on Instagram and wear sunglasses all year round.

Much prefer a good uncrowned beach down Maugherow.

Can you get wi-fi down there?