Conservation group’s appeal to halt erosion at Tyrella beach

Conservation group’s appeal to halt erosion at Tyrella beach

30 November 2022

ONE of the district’s leading conservation groups has called for action to address man-made erosion at Tyrella beach’s picturesque sand dunes.

The Lecale Conservation Association — Northern Ireland’s oldest environmental local action group — is keen to see the erosion issue addressed and hopes a scheme similar to a highly successful one carried out on dunes at nearby Ballyhornan beach can be implemented.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council is being asked to play a lead role with the conservation group’s chairman, John Peacocke, describing the Tyrella erosion as “serious”.

Local authority officers are currently targeting potential national and international funding streams to help tackle the Tyrella erosion, but it is expected to be the New Year before there is any news on whether the applications have been successful.

Mr Peacocke recently asked Slieve Croob councillor Andy McMurray for help and showed him the success of the Ballyhornan dunes restoration project and explained how the success could be replicated at Tyrella.

Mr Peacocke said the Ballyhornan project started five years ago, with Cllr McMurray joined at the recent meeting by his Alliance colleague Cllr Cadogan Enright, who helped lead the Ballyhornan restoration initiative.

Cllr McMurray’s electoral area includes Tyrella, Ballykinlar and Clough as well as Castlewellan Drumaness and he said he was “pleased and intrigued” to view the success of the Ballyhornan restoration scheme.

“It was obvious to me that as the as operator of the nationally-famous Tyrella beach, the council has a legal obligation to manage it in a sustainable way,” he said.

“It is also clear that this is not happening at the moment and that easy affordable steps can be taken to put it right.”

Cllr McMurray said he was shocked to discover that the front two layers of the dunes system at Tyrella have been “destroyed by uncontrolled access and lack of protection” of the front of the dunes. 

“Plants that normally protect the front of the dunes from the waves like Lyme and Sand Couch had been mostly wiped out by uncontrolled access and the back area of the dunes, made up of Marram grasses, was exposed to the tide and dying back due to the impact of salt water,” he said. “This is making the dunes collapse and retreat over wide areas.”

Cllr McMurray said and the council’s Alliance group arranged for all councillors to visit Tyrella to examine the dramatic loss of habitat and Ballyhornan to witness how low-impact and low-cost beach management has been achieved to the benefit of the environment, wildlife habitat and visitors.

He said he was pleased there was strong cross-party support for work to restore the dunes.

Cllr McMurray confirmed that local authority officers are applying to draw down national and international funds aimed at helping tackle coastal erosion and climate change and access a natural approach to protecting tourism assets and caring for nature at the same time.

Cllr Enright said that in Ballyhornan, Lecale Conservation’s community-based project secured funding to tackle erosion that was so serious the dunes had entirely disappeared. 

“With local council support over five years we have re-planted the three layers of plants that make up a sustainable dune system,” he explained.

“And with the help of local farmers, a protective screen of chestnut palings has been erected to protect the dunes from footfall and vehicles while controlling and protecting access points to the beach.”

Cllr Enright also revealed that as a result of the work, the level of the beach has risen six to eight feet in places, with new dunes and sand returning to cover the beach. 

He also confirmed the local council has funded an extension of the Ballyhornan project towards the Rocks Road in the past 18 months.