280 REPORT— 1903. 



20 and 25 feet. A sea-wall has been partially destroyed, but there are 

 no groynes, and sand is removed from Robert's Cove at low water. 



The neighbourhood of Reanies Bay and Kinsale Harbour is stationary, 

 but between Hake Head and the Old Head of Kinsale low sandy cliffs 

 have been levelled and covered by the beach within the last five years. 

 The coast from Courtmacsherry Bay westwards to Clonakilty Bay is 

 undergoing continual and obvious erosion where unprotected by rocky cliffs. 

 At the eastern end of Broadstrand in Courtmacsherry Bay the sea Hows 

 over a spot where thirty-five years ago houses were to be seen ; an 

 advance estimated at about 30 yards. One mile westward at Blindstrand 

 a road formerly crossed from Lislee village to Coolbawn, on the opposite 

 side of the strand. This is now 130 yards outside the present high- water 

 mark, and it is estimated that during the last thirty years 16 acres of 

 land have been lost. Coast- defences have not been neglected : the Board 

 of Public Works built a wall 200 yards in length on the eastern side of 

 Blindstrand to save the village of Lislee, and the local railway company 

 another on the river Argidean to protect their property. 



The remainder of Clonakilty Bay and the coast westward past Cape 

 Clear as far as Mizen Head is a stable region of bold rocky cliffs broken 

 now and again by sandy beaches and coves. The coast is unprotected, but 

 little material is removed, and no alteration is on record except a slight 

 gain of land around Scliull, where the spring tides do not run so far up 

 into the land as once they did. 



The rugged and indented coast of Bantry Bay and the Kenmare 

 River is without observations, but from Ballinskelligs Bay northward the 

 records are fairly complete. 



Between the last-named inlet and Brandon Head the changes are but 

 few. The waves at the north-eastern end of Ballinskelligs Bay have to 

 some extent worn away the cliff at exceptionally high spring tides. 

 There are no groynes, and the taking of sand from the beach appears to 

 produce no appreciable effect. 



In front of Ballinskelligs C.G.S., on the western side of the bay, a loss 

 of 2 5 feet is recorded in the four years preceding 1899. A pier close by 

 is suggested as being the cause of this erosion by collecting shingle on 

 one side and producing thereby an eddy which does the damage. No 

 shingle is removed. 



On the southern side of Dingle Bay, between Coonanna Point and 

 Rossbehy Point, the sea encroaches, especially in the winter with southerly 

 or south-westerly gales. The cliffs under the Bathing Cottages at Ross- 

 behy were protected by large blocks of concrete, joined with railway-irons 

 and balks of timber. These having no effect, large concrete blocks were 

 sunk in the sand and boards placed from one to the other ; but at the date 

 of the report (August 1899) the time had been insufEcient to test the effect 

 of this arrangement. 



Losses occur in both Dingle and Smerwick Harbours. In the former 

 a sea-wall formerly existing on the north-eastern side has now been washed 

 away, and also a portion of the adjoining land, while abreast of the town 

 and public road walls have been built to prevent encroachment. 



In Smerwick Harbour for a stretch of a mile (viz. from Ballynagall 

 Point to Murriegh) a cliff of average height of some 12 feet is crumbling 

 through the action of the sea, which has broken into an old public road 

 and rendered it almost impassable. The fishing-pier at Ballynagall has 

 probably retarded the erosion of the banks in its vicinity. 



