Broken bridge causing danger potential at Portsalon Beach

Donegal County Council says it is examining solutions over access to Portsalon Beach - which was once voted as the second most beautiful beach in the world.

Damage to a pedestrian bridge providing access means the only way to cross a stream and access the beach is via Portsalon Golf Club.

This means pedestrians must take a potentially dangerous walk close to the second fairway - a route described by Fianna Fail Councillor Liam Blaney as ‘a danger waiting to happen’.

At this month’s meeting of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District, Councillor Blaney seconded a motion from Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh, who called for Donegal County Council to investigate the issue.

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“Many thousands of visitors go there every year and people walk it all year round,” Councillor Kavanagh said. “The golf club has written to members and the club has invested in safety nets around its car park and are asking Donegal County Council to take a key role in resolving the issue.”

Portsalon Beach is noted the world over. The Observer listed it as the second most beautiful beach in the world, being only Anse Victoria in the Seychelles.

Councillor Blaney said: “I am very surprised that something hasn’t happened before now.

“Twenty years ago, the Marine section (of the Council) agreed to two bridges, one on the Portsalon side and one on the Knockalla side.

“One of the bridges has broken and walkers now have to walk along the second fairway to access the bigger part of the beach. The Marine section say it has nothing to do with them anymore and the Environment section has washed its hands off it too.

“At the end of the day, Donegal County Council saw a need and put a bridge there. The Council took responsibility to erect a bridge and I can’t see now why it can’t take the responsibility to replace it.”

Councillor Blaney implored the local authority to find a solution.

He said: “If the golf club put up a barrier to not allow walkers, there’d be a lot of noise. We don’t want to turn the public against the club or the club against the public.”

In response to the motion, Donegal County Council said its Coastal Officer is ‘aware of the issue and is examining potential solutions to resolve access along the beach in conjunction with the golf club’.