Claims of “intimidation” at Kilkenny bathing locations
The matter was debated at July’s sitting of the Kilkenny City Municipal District
The Kilkenny council chamber was divided at Friday’s meeting of the city's municipal district following a notice of motion to ban the practice of diving from John's Bridge and the Lady Desart Bridge.
The motion, tabled by Fine Gael’s Cllr David FitzGerald, called for by-laws to regulate swimming in the River Nore and to immediately ban the practice of diving from the two city bridges.
A second, broader notice of motion, by Cllr John Coonan of Fianna Fáil, requested the local authority to take further actions to discourage and prevent incidents of anti-social and intimidating behaviour adjacent to the river.
"We have an ongoing issue with people bathing in Canal Square,” Cllr FitzGerald told the meeting.
"I’m concerned there is a serious water safety issue,” he said, claiming John’s Bridge and Lady Dessert Bridges are being used as ‘diving boards’.
Cllr FitzGerald described the practice as “off-putting” for locals and tourists and expressed grave concerns over the lack of a lifeguard on site.
"It’s time to adopt appropriate by-laws to remove the “intimidation” some people feel.
The former mayor asserted he wanted to do all he could to prevent a tragedy and the loss of a life.
Meanwhile, Cllr Coonan took aim at some of the “very unsavoury” behaviour he has witnessed at the river, echoing calls for ‘suitable bye-laws’.
The city-based councillor also suggested bringing such by-laws to the Local Safety Partnership for further examination.
However, there was far from universal agreement in the chamber, with councillors Joe Malone and Eugene McGuinness arguing any ban is a step too far.
"I definitely won’t be supporting any motion that stops young people having fun,” Cllr Malone commented.
“Young people, enjoying themselves, coming from Dicksboro, the Village, O’Loughlins, training hard, jumping into the river, having a bit of fun.
"The anti-social behaviour you should be talking about that you didn’t mention is drugs. At the end of the day, this was all brought up before. Who is going to police it?" he questioned.
"The anti-social behaviour going on is drugs; that's more important than a few young lads jumping into a river.
"Anti-social is a big word, a big statement; drugs are in this city, and we need to be prepared to talk about it. A few lads going down having a swim, fair play to them.”
Independent, Cllr Eugene McGuinness concurred with Cllr Malone but acknowledged there is a “safety issue” that should be assessed.
"I'm certainly not going to support the notion that we’re going to stop young lads swimming along the river and to think that a guard might be stationed there to go running down the Canal Walk after a young lad of 14 or 15 years of age with nothing on him only his jocks, how can I support that?
“They're having fun down there, they’re having a laugh. If one guard is taken off duty and is not chasing somebody with a ball of cocaine in his pocket, I am not in favour of that. The biggest issue we have to face in this city is drugs,” he asserted.
Councillors failed to pass Cllr FitzGerald’s motion but did support Cllr Coonan’s which targets anti-social behaviour at bathing locations.