Doonbeg drownings: Area where anglers died 'notoriously dangerous', says councillor

Vivienne Clarke

John Draper, Divisional Controller for the Valentia Marine Rescue Coordination Centre, has told of how treacherous conditions on Tuesday meant that the chances of survival had been limited for the two men swept into the sea off Doonbeg in County Clare.

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Draper said that a call had been received at the Rescue Coordination Centre that two anglers had been swept off the rocks at the Blue Pool, which is close to Doonbeg.

Conditions at the time were treacherous, with waves hitting the top of the cliffs, he said.

As a result, the initial reaction from the watch officer in Valentia was to call the Coast Guard helicopter from Shannon, the RNLI, along with Kilkee Coast Guard and Doonbeg Coast Guard.

Gardaí were also on the scene, as well as the fire service and some units of civil defence.

Draper acknowledged that there may have been some confusion initially over the exact location of the tragedy, which may have been due to language difficulties. But once resources got on scene there were no delays.

“We understand that the sea conditions really were extremely turbulent at the base of the cliff, so obviously there was very challenging conditions had anyone gone in the water there. The chances of survival were certainly limited in that scenario there.”

There are a number of “risky” areas along that stretch of coastline popular with anglers, he added, so the public really needed to keep that in mind and to take precautions before they go near the coast.

Safety messages will be repeated this weekend, he said.

The area near Doonbeg where two anglers drowned on Tuesday is known to be “notoriously dangerous” local councillor Rita McInerney has said.

It is known for freak and rogue waves, she told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

The fishing spot, which is known as the Blue Pool because of the extremely deep water, is in an area of great beauty and is popular for cliff fishing because of the deep water, she explained.

McInerney said that the site was on private land and was gated and anyone who accessed it had to open a gate which caused the landowners to be very anxious.

There was already a plaque at the site to commemorate a person who drowned there, but people did not heed signs and there was a need to get the message out that the area was not safe, she added.

It was not used by locals who knew of the risks and as a result they were reluctant to give directions when asked.

“People need to be mindful and heed local knowledge.”