Coastal Protection Methods and Sea Defense

I am going to examine the coastal protection methods used to protect the North Kerry Coastline from erosion.

Ballybunion has been a major holiday destination for 3 centuries. It is situated on the west coast of Ireland, along the Wild Atlantic Way. It stretches along 3 km of sandy beaches of blue flag status. It has a wide range of attractions for tourist, including golfers.

Interesting facts about Ballybunion:

  • Ballybunion is home to the longest sunsets in Europe, due to its west facing location.
  • The waters of Ballybunion have won the European Blue Flag award which acknowledges a water quality free of pollution.

A beautiful sunset at Ballybunion


Due to its location beside the Atlantic ocean, Ballybunion experiences a lot of wave action and erosion. The residents of Ballybunion are very aware of this coastal issue and have worked on a Coastal Management System so as to avoid loosing their two main attaractions - the stunning Men's Beach (South Beach) and Ladies Beach (North Beach) and the world famous Ballybunion Golf Course.

Erosional landform's in Ballybunion

Coastal Protection Methods

How do humans control and manage the coast to avoid land loss and beaches being destroyed by storms and wave action?

Coastal protection strategies aim to slow down or prevent further erosion of the coastline taking place. Hard Engineering coastal protection methods, such as; Sea wall, Rock Armour and Gabions, have been used in Ballybunion. This is done by placing an artificial, more resistant barrier between wave action and the coast.

During the Winter in Ballybunion, they also use JCB's to pile up sand high to deflect the waves.

Conclusion

Ballybunion South Beach and Long Beach (the beach that stretches in front of the Golf Club) have been well looked after in terms of Coastal Protection Methods. A sturdy Sea Wall protecting the town, from the Atlantic wave action, and an extensive amount of Gabion instillation extending for 2km, and the extra security of Rock Armour, Ballybunion is one of the lucky coastal towns,

Funding has been available since the 1980s when a campaign "Save Ballybunion Golf Links Fund" was launched, nationally and internationally, to help fund the club's battle with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the campaign was the introduction of Life Membership of the club which brought in the necessary monies to fund the huge protection campaign and the installation of the gabions.

The government has also been involved in saving Ballybunion from the Atlantic Ocean. A lot of work has been done by the local authority. Kerry has got a lot of government funding towards coastal protection, especially Ballybunion.

Credits:

Geography Now textbook

A beautiful sunset at Ballybunion