Community group SOS Bearna has welcomed a decision by Galway county councillors to overturn a decision to permit the building to within just 15 metres of the shoreline.

A setback of 30 metres from the shore has been reaffirmed for the new Galway county development plan following discussion at last week’s meeting of local authority members.

The move has been welcomed by Green Party county councillor Alastair McKinstry, and by the local community group which had initiated a campaign over the issue.

SOS Bearna had pointed out that it was not against development, but wished to ensure promised green coastal space would be provided for in the new county development plan.

The controversy arose after a Galway County Council special meeting last January, when Cllr McKinstry submitted a motion seeking a minimum 50-metre setback from the foreshore boundary wall.

Cllr McKinstry, a climate scientist at NUI Galway, pointed out that this was required in the light of global warming and rising sea levels, along with changing storm patterns.

In response, Independent councillor Tomás Ó Curraoin proposed that the existing building setback of 30 metres be changed to 15 metres from the foreshore boundary wall in the interests of further development of the coastal village.

A council official strongly recommended against a 15-metre setback, pointing out the recommended distance was 30 metres, according to minutes of the special meeting.

A total of 19 councillors voted for Cllr Ó Curraoin’s proposal, while nine councillors voted against and seven abstained.

A petition by SOS Bearna collected several thousand signatures opposing the 15-metre setback.

The petition was presented to the local authority as part of a concerted community campaign to highlight the need for the long-promised coastal park or cycleway.

The residents also pointed out that Bearna’s existing sewage treatment system is already under strain, and Irish Water was forced to respond to an overflow after the recent storms and heavy rain in February.

Commenting on last week’s decision to maintain the 30-metre setback, SOS Bearna spokesman Ian Foley said that “as a community, we are delighted”.

He said the community appreciated the councillors’ “diligence in understanding the issues affecting Bearna, including lack of amenities, environmental concerns and issues relating to the sewage station”.

“We would like to particularly thank the people of Bearna for their overwhelming support, and for engaging in a courteous and informed manner with the county councillors,” Mr Foley said.

“We also acknowledge the patience of the county councillors in dealing with the voluminous correspondence received concerning this matter,” he said.

“It is important that all parties engage going forward towards the ultimate goal of providing much-needed amenities for the residents of Bearna and visitors alike, and that all proposed future development is sustainable and supported by adequate infrastructure and amenities, and considers and respects the environment and the community as a whole,” Mr Foley said.

Listen to the Community group SOS Bearna talking with Lorna Siggins on a recent Wavelengths podcast for Afloat here

When former president Mary Robinson was speaking about the horrific invasion of Ukraine on RTE’s Late Late Show last week, she reminded us that climate change hasn’t gone away. SOS Bearna is the name of a community group in Galway that certainly hasn’t forgotten either.

By last weekend, the group had collected over 1700 signatures in a community of over 2,000 in Barna village, opposing a proposal in the new Galway county development plan to permit building to within just 15 metres from the shoreline.

Not only does this take no account of sea-level rise, according to  Green Party councillor and NUI Galway climate scientist  Alastair McKinstry, who sought a setback of 50 metres, it also robs the community of long-promised plans for a cycleway or coastal park.

Barna in County Galway Photo: via Galway Tourism

SOS Bearna points out that it is not against development, but wishes to ensure promised green coastal space will be provided for in the new county development plan.

As residents also point out, Bearna’s existing sewage treatment system is under strain, and Irish Water was forced to respond to an overflow after the recent storms and heavy rain in February.

Wavelengths spoke to an SOS Barna delegation after it handed in a copy of its petition at Galway County Hall.