Lahinch sea wall versus the Atlantic Ocean, 1875

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Sduddy
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Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Lahinch sea wall versus the Atlantic Ocean, 1875

Post by Sduddy » Tue Apr 06, 2021 10:23 am

Clare Freeman, Sat 13 Mar 1875:
The Lahinch Sea Wall. The Lahinch sea-wall, as we are informed, is again in trouble, if not completely exterminated. It appears that the periodic high tides have been paying their accustomed visit to this quiet little village; and, as if to show their playful derision for the puny attempts of man to say to the crested fury of their accumulated might, “thus far and no further,’ have been playing jackstones with this obstruction which their presumption would set up to their sway. On Saturday night last, the tide, with sudden caprice, washed completely away with it the large accumulation of protecting boulders heaped up against the face of the foundation, on the seaside. They were swept outwards, leaving utterly exposed and naked the floor of sand upon which the immense break-water rests. A succeeding tide apparently equally whimsical returned the boulders to their place, and thus quieted for the moment the apprehension entertained for the fate of the huge and expensive battlement. Things rested so until yesterday morning when, as our informant tells us, the entire northern end (the portion previously injured, taken down and rebuilt) was undermined, the buttress in front washed away, and the foundation excavated from the seaside for a considable distance under the road. The super-structure itself has been thrown out of a perpendicular, bulging seaward in the middle several inches. Thus it was left by the retreating tide on Friday morning; and so it continued throughout yesterday. Writing at 10 o’clock this (Saturday) morning we are at present unable to say whether in its disabled state it has been spared by last night’s tide or completely annihilated. The expectation, however, was that the invalid could not and would not survive. At the recent meeting of the Grand Jury on the occasion of granting Mr Halpin’s presentment for £700, the half, as alleged, of the extra outlay expended by him on the work, the Foreman, Colonel Vandeleur, Mr Carey Reeves, and other gentlemen referred to this work as unwise from the very first – impracticable in its conception, and unfair in its extravagant outlay of the rates of districts which would not by any possibility be benefited by it. This censure may on the whole be too sweeping; but unquestionably a portion of it seems applicable. In the first place if the village of Lahinch is to be preserved from the gradual encroachment of a turbulent sea, some such structure will be necessary. The causeway separating the houses from the waves is not more than a few yards wide; and the section of the pulverizing crest facing the sea presents a steep of only four or five yards in height. This is the only natural impediment intervening between the village and the violence of Liscannor Bay. But whether the proper site and proper mode of construction have been adopted, appear debateable. Some with the wisdom of experience think that, even at the cost of narrowing the fashionable promenade in front of the village, the battlement should not have been placed so far forward in the full force of the breakers. The original estimate allowed £1,800 for the completion of the construction; and Mr Halpin swore at Ennistymon Presentment Sessions that the work had altogether cost him £3,233, for which he presented his accounts for public examination. The Magistrates and cess-payers allowed him half of £1400 proved by the contractor to have been expended over the amount in his contract; and that decision was ratified by the Grand Jury at the recent assizes. ‘Man’s control stops with the shore’ says a noble poet, descanting on the might of the ocean; and if ruined fabric at Lahinch serve no other purpose, it will once more illustrate the folly of building upon sand.
Waves at Lahinch, 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd_oMQ-GKAg


Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Lahinch sea wall versus the Atlantic Ocean, 1875

Post by Sduddy » Sat Apr 17, 2021 10:06 am

Clare Freeman, Wed 31 Jan 1877:
For the last three days the weather has been exceedingly severe and boisterous, the wind which blew from the North West, frequently approaching a hurricane, and stripping several roof tops. The floods experienced have inundated many dwellings in the lower part of the town, and the river Fergus has everywhere overflowed its banks. It is however gratifying to state that we have not heard of any material damage being done in this locality. From Lahinch we learn that the new sea wall, built at a cost of £2,200, was yesterday nearly totally washed away.
Clare Freeman, Sat 3 Feb 1877:
Nature and Art – Nature in some of her freaks spares nothing. The seawall of Lanhinch that was to bide the change of time and waves, is sadly marred. About one third of the entire wall has been completely carried away – off to Kilstiffeen rumour says. It was deservedly a fine piece of art work; but the “Wild waves play, “ has made sad havoc of defence, and now poor Lahinch is at the mercy of the sea. In fact it would not require a prophet to foresee that a part, at least, of the Town is doomed. What was heretofore an airy promenade for the visitors to the seaside, is now a gaping chasm, rent and torm to the very house fronts. One thing is pretty certain, our Clare Engineers must attend little closer to the vis inertiae of the wild Atlantic taken in tow by a strong ‘nor wester,’ when next they undertake to defend Lahinch. Correspondent.
Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Lahinch sea wall versus the Atlantic Ocean, 1875

Post by Sduddy » Mon Apr 26, 2021 10:17 am

Clare Freeman, Sat 23 Feb 1878:
There was a very high tide on Wednesday morning at Lahinch, the sea wall from the steps to the near corner is completely washed away, and the sea got up to the sandy foundation of the front lodges which are doomed to destruction. A neighbouring lodge formerly Mr Synge’s was knocked down by the tide, and several others are still in a very dangerous state, the doors and windows having been stove in. It is deeply to be regretted that after an expenditure of such a large sum of money paid out of the pockets of the poor rate-payers, that a more permanent structure was not put up.
Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Lahinch sea wall versus the Atlantic Ocean, 1875

Post by Sduddy » Sun May 02, 2021 9:44 am

Clare Freeman, Wed 12 Mar 1879:
The sea has again made fresh inroads on the second Brighton of Clare, the far famed Lahinch. During a recent high tide the waves tunnelled a great part of the sea-wall that remained intact during the first wave-bombardment, and now the greater part of the defence is completely shattered. This is very much to be regretted, for as the sea promenade is now in ruins it is to be feared many who would make this their Summer resort will be apt to shift their habitat for the season. It certainly is very hard on the taxpayers to have contributed their share of several thousand pounds, and all, as it were, thrown on the waters; but unhappily there is no chance even of picking up the stones for the money. The stones of the structure, like the money, are gone for nothing.
Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Lahinch sea wall versus the Atlantic Ocean, 1875

Post by Sduddy » Fri May 07, 2021 10:12 am

Clare Freeman, Wed 18 Feb 1880:
Lahinch seems to be doomed to annihilation. The storms last week combined with some high tides succeeded in making further inroads into this village and destroyed three houses or front lodges almost gutting them. It is a pity to allow this favourite summer resort of the people of Ennis to fall a prey to the fury of the waves. Could nothing be attempted, even at the eleventh hour, to avert the impending catastrophe?
Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Lahinch sea wall versus the Atlantic Ocean, 1875

Post by Sduddy » Thu May 13, 2021 10:44 am

Clare Freeman, Wed 30 Nov 1881:
The late storms. On Saturday evening about 8 o’clock a vivid flash of lightning immediately followed by a tremendous crash of thunder, ushered in another of those violent storms with which we have been unfortunately so frequently visited. The wind actually shrieked in its fury, and continued in heavy intermittent squalls all through the night and Sunday morning. The river rose to an extraordinary height, the waves washing over the river banks, and flooding the railway. All the tenements in Lower Mill-street were from four to five feet under water, causing great misery and suffering to the unfortunate poor people. Mill-street itself, for the greater part was two feet under water. Inland we have not heard of so much damage as by the previous week’s storm, but at sea and all along the coast, the devastation of property is immense. At Liscannor, the sea washed 150 feet inland, carrying destruction before it, and sweeping away over 30 feet of the jetty at Liscannor harbour, pollock and bream were left in large quantities on the shore actually killed by the fury of the waves. At Lahinch several more lodges disappeared, including O’Brien’s two lodges and Talbot’s lodge, the police barrack also suffered some damage, although a good height up the hill.
Sheila

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