PR disasters have been far too common in Killaloe in 2025, the latest seeing the installation of a seat facing the road as opposed to the shores of Lough Derg at Ballycuggeran.
Describing the matter as “laughable,” Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) said it defied logic to install a seat facing away from the scenic Lough Derg and instead have it looking to the roadside.
In a proposal before the Killaloe Municipal District, he asked “that the seat recently installed at the amenity park in Ballycuggeran be turned around to face the lake. People using the seat presently have to face the road or car parking when using the seat”.
Murach Shannon, senior executive technician with Clare County Council explained that “following a consultation process at the request of Failte Ireland, involving Clare Local Sports Partnership and the hoist facility users last March, Clare County Council agreed to provide a seat adjoining the accessible hoist at Ballycuggaraun”.
He said the seat is facing away from the water for the “safety of users”. Shannon outlined, “The seat referred to has been provided for the convenience of the facility users of the hoist, to get ready before or after the use of the hoist. The reason it is facing away from the water is for the safety of users. There are three other new seats nearby that are for amenity use and are facing the water”.
Speaking at the last Killaloe MD meeting of 2025, Cllr O’Brien commented, “the seat is put in facing the road, it is laughable, the most beautiful in Lough Derg is the water and the seat is facing the road. People have been trying to figure out why, I rang the office to see could we turn it around and I was told it wasn’t to do with the Municipal District and it was to do with the technical office. We now realise it was done in consultation with a couple of bodies, Failte Ireland and Clare Sports Partnership, it was to facilitate people who wanted to change but it took until this morning to figure it out”.
Cllr O’Brien continued, “we already had one major PR disaster with the Minister opening the Killaloe Bridge and the public not being invited and here we have another one. Why didn’t someone say it was done in consultation with a group of people who wanted to use it as a facility as distinct from a viewing area, there’s eight other benches down there. I’m not the worst fella in the world to talk to, I’m grumpy enough at times but someone could have had a conversation with me”. He said he supported any measure to facilitate “a group of people that I have great concern for”.
“Maybe you are getting grumpy,” commented Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) when supporting the proposal.
