Kieran O’Donnell TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), announced on 6 August 2024 that his Office has given the approval for Clare County Council to submit a planning application for a much-needed flood relief scheme for Kilkee:
“I wish to acknowledge the support from the Kilkee community that was invaluable to inform the design of a scheme for its town, which will protect the 134 properties including 118 residential and families at risk from flooding…. This is the first of two planned schemes for Kilkee and work is separately continuing on design for a scheme to manage the risk from coastal flooding in the town.”
The scheme has now been submitted for planning consent from An Bord Pleanála. The planning application documents are available to download from the Project Documents section of this website. The progress of the planning application can be viewed at An Bord Pleanála.
Kilkee is a popular seaside resort town located adjacent to Moore Bay on the west coast of County Clare. The Atlantic Stream and the Victoria Stream are the major watercourses that flow through the town, with the Atlantic Stream to the north and the Victoria Stream to the south. Both watercourses are tidal. Kilkee is susceptible to both coastal and fluvial flood risk.
There have been a number of instances of flooding in Kilkee. The Victoria Stream is noted to overflow its banks over a length of 200-300m on an annual basis, causing flooding of Church Street, Well Road and a number of properties. Many more properties are at risk.
In 2014, winter storms damaged a section of the existing seawall and promenade, a protected structure, and a 45m section was replaced with a terraced structure.
Improvements to the flood defence regime are required to try to prevent re-occurrences of such flood events. With this in mind, Clare County Council, along with project partners the OPW, appointed JBA Consulting to review and develop the Shannnon CFRAM study (2012) and design an appropriate viable, cost-effective and sustainable flood relief scheme which aims to minimise risk to human beings, the existing community, social amenity, environment and landscape character.
This website has been set up to provide information to anyone who is interested in the scheme and to keep you informed of the project's progress.
