The Flaggy Shore Photo: © M. Brogan

A friend who introduced me a year ago to the beautiful Flaggy Shore walk near the Burren in County Clare texted this morning to say that the walk had been ‘wiped out’ owing to storm damage in the last 48 hours. They had enjoyed a walk there just after Christmas but found the path along the shoreline from which you can look across to Galway Bay had been covered in stones and pebbles and seaweed, washed up by the high waves.

The facebook page for the Flaggy Shore reported yesterday that they had “just heard from the Fahy’s of Linnalla Ice Cream fame that the road near the Marine Research Station on the Flaggy Shore has been destroyed by wave action. The combination of a spring tide and storm surge together with high waves caused extensive damage. Massive boulders used to protect some land between Lough Muree and the Martello Tower have been dislodged and fields flooded with seawater. County Council workers are trying to deal with the damage as best they can. More harsh weather is expected“.

Flaggy Shore January 2013 Photo: © Michael Fisher

This time last year it was a very different scene and the weather was relatively mild. However the storm in recent days has badly affected parts of County Clare, especially Lahinch where major damage was done to the promenade area.

Seamus Heaney portrait by Colin Davidson 2013 Photo: © Michael Fisher

The stretch of shoreline at the Flaggy Shore, Finvarra near New Quay was mentioned by the late Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney in his poem Postscript (1996). He refers to a flock of swans at “a slate-grey lake”  at Lough Murree. Hopefully the walk will eventually be restored as it is one of the nicest I have ever done. Thankfully it appears that little damage has been done to any property in this sparsely populated area.

Swans at Lough Murree beside the Flaggy Shore, January 2013 Photo: © Michael Fisher

Meanwhile as the storm rages on, it is reported that the popular Moville shore path alongside Lough Foyle leading towards Greencastle County Donegal has also suffered damage.