Two €3,000 beach access wheelchairs never used

Fund-raised chairs lie idle over storage row

TWO state-of-the-art beach wheelchairs costing over €6,000 in total are lying idle for the past two years because there’s nowhere to store them near Inchydoney beach.

Members of Clonakilty Camogie Club fundraised for the two beach wheelchairs during the height of the lockdown, but they have yet to be used by families accessing the popular beach.

Cork County Council is refusing to store them overnight in the lifeguard’s hut. It said previously that planning permission is needed if a storage unit is to be built for them.

The all-terrain Hippocampe beach wheelchairs can travel in both sand and water due to their balloon-type wheels, while a similar beach wheelchair has been operating successfully at the Warren strand in Rosscarbery since 2019.

Cllr Paul Hayes, who is currently storing one of the wheelchairs in his own garage, said it’s really frustrating that two years on, there has been no movement on this.

Cllr Paul Hayes with one of the beach wheelchairs which he stores in his garage at home as there is nowhere to store them.

‘I sought an update recently, but Council officials couldn’t confirm if the service will start this summer,’ said Cllr Hayes.

‘The management at Inchydoney Lodge & Spa have been onto me, too, as they are ready to start administering the booking process from there. The only thing the Council needs to do is store the beach wheelchairs in the hut because the hotel doesn’t have room for them. We’ve even had offers from people offering a small cabin or hut free of charge to store them, but I’ve been told that we would need planning permission to do that.’

He said it’s ‘absolutely crazy’ that this service may not operate this summer when there is a pent-up demand from families wanting to use them.

‘We have even cleared access down onto the beach so accessibility is not an issue. The Council have no more excuses.’

Martin Nolan of Clonakilty Camogie Club said it’s ‘very disappointing’ that the beach wheelchairs are still lying idle as people donated money for them. 

The club’s junior and intermediate members walked virtually from San Francisco to New York – over 8m steps – during the lockdown in 2021 to raise the cash.

‘It’s a shame that families aren’t getting the benefit of them,’ he told The Southern Star. ‘This is the second summer where this is being left in limbo. We did our part in raising the money so I would hope a solution can be found.’ 

Cork County Council were contacted for a comment.