High Court decision lauded by Castlegoland Beach Campaigners

The ‘Save Our Beach at Castlegoland’ community group have welcomed a decision of the High Court which they say now requires the owners of Narin & Portnoo Golf Links, to remove unauthorised gate and fencing as well as restoring access to Castlegoland Beach.

They say they  started campaigning in 2019 in response to the huge public outcry when the new owners of Narin and Portnoo Golf Links blocked a Public Right of Way to Castlegoland Beach. The golf links is situated next to popular Narin Strand in a Special Area of Conservation in the Clooney sand dunes. The local community felt compelled to try to protect the sensitive ecology of this wonderful location and the public’s access to Castlegoland Beach.

Save Our Beach was joined in the High Court Action by local priest Fr John Moore, a life-long resident of Portnoo.

A Save Our Beach spokesperson said: “The High Court action was taken because Liam McDevitt and the golf links have consistently disregarded proper planning procedures and repeatedly ignored Warning Letters and Enforcement Notices from Donegal County Council over many years.”

“The result of the High Court action is that the owners of Narin & Portnoo Links, Liam McDevitt, his brother Paul McDevitt and their company Knather Acquisitions Unlimited have had to remove unauthorised and unsightly electric fencing along Narin Strand Blue Flag Beach and from along the Carrickfad headland to Castlegoland Beach.

This was a huge win for us, as we have been campaigning to keep this headland open since it was blocked in 2019.”

They say that the order states that they must also remove the gate and gate posts from local road 7543-2 which was obstructing the vehicular Public Right of Way to Castlegoland Beach and to keep the area free of obstructions.

All the costs of legal proceedings incurred by Save Our Beach at Castlegoland campaign, expected to be a six-figure sum, will also be bourne by the owners, they say.

They concluded their comments by stating that several other unauthorised developments at Narin and Portnoo Links are still the subject of Enforcement Notices from Donegal County Council.