Stay out of Lahinch on Motherโs Day is the message from North Clare councillors who have said they will turn visitors away.
Highest temperatures of eleven degrees with some sunny spells are forecast for Lahinch on Sunday. This and the swell in visitors to the coastal town has prompted local county councillors to issue a plea for persons considering making a trip there to do otherwise.
In a social media appeal on Saturday evening, both Cllr Roisin Garvey (GP) and Cllr Shane Talty (FF) warned individuals to avoid coming to Lahinch on Sunday in the interests of health and safety and to prevent a potential coronavirus cluster developing.
โWe want to ask people to not come to Lahinch tomorrow. Itโs Motherโs Day, itโs promised sunny, last Sunday was insane, it was dangerous. We do not want a cluster of coronavirus in Lahinch because it is a beautiful destination, find somewhere else to go. If we have to, we will close down Lahinch but we donโt want to do that. We have to keep the social distance of two metres apart, if that isnโt happening weโll have to close it down. Please, if you are thinking of coming to Lahinch tomorrow, think of somewhere else, weโve 4000 km of roads, stay local to wherever you live and go for a walk on those roads,โ Cllr Garvey stated.
Approximately seventy cars were parked along the prom in Lahinch on Saturday as per Cllr Taltyโs calculations. โLetโs get out, letโs get fresh air but letโs do it locally, there is no need for everybody to congregate in Lahinch. Today is wet, miserable and cold but thereโs over seventy cars on the prom. Tomorrow is promised fine, last Sunday was madness, Paddyโs Day was madness, yesterday was madness around here, if weโre going to have an enjoyable space it will be without congregating or groups together. Tomorrow is Motherโs Day, think about your mother and grandmother the best thing you can do for them is stay local and within your catchment area, near your own home, get out and enjoy the countryside but letโs not all come to Lahinch or Kilkee or the beachesโ.
Tourism has traditionally been a driving force behind West Clare but Cllr Garvey pointed out that current circumstances are far from normal. โItโs hard because we thrive on tourism here normally but this is not a normal event, please stay away or you will be turned awayโ.
