KiNAHAN — On Sea-heaches. 207' 



Harbour. Yet, as I have been informed, the river bar has not per- 

 ceptibly changed since that time. 



Bray Harbour has met with various disasters, which I havo 

 described in a Paper read before the Institute of Civil Engineers, 

 Ireland. 



Y. The Groynes on the Coast Line between Hooh and DaTkey. 



On no coast line are groynes so necessary as in that now under 

 consideration, especially in parts of "Wexford and Dublin where valu- 

 able land is yearly disappearing ; yet they have been erected only in 

 isolated spots. 



Near Tacumshin Lake, on the south coast of Wexford, two small 

 systems of groynes were made, to stop the inroads of the sea. These 

 consist of a lateral barrier, from which short groynes extend to a little 

 below high water-mark. These were most effective ; the lateral bar- 

 rier and the upper portions of the groynes stopping the land driftage 

 of the -Slolian sand, while the lower portion of the groynes pounded 

 up the shingle beach : permanent ramparts are the result. 



The landward portion of the Ballygeary Pier, although not in- 

 tended as a groyne, has acted as such, and is an accidental proof of' 

 what great benefit would be derived from the construction of groynes 

 on this coast line. In 1873, and previous years before the pier was 

 commenced, "fulls" were formed on the beach line between Greenore 

 and Eosslare Coastguard Station after continuous E. and IST. E. winds ; 

 while at other times the "flow-tide" current sweeps the rocks clean 

 at the base of the marl cliffs, thus leaving the latter open to the 

 full force of the storm waves. In the spring of 1875, "fulls" accu- 

 mulated between Greenore and the new pier during the E. and JS^. E. 

 winds ; and since then these have not been cut out, but, on the con- 

 trary, are gradually increasing. The small embayment to the east of 

 the pier has been quite filled up, and now " sand-dunes" are gradually 

 growing on it ; while farther S. E. the rock section is almost con- 

 cealed, and the denudation of the marginal marl cliff is gradually 

 ceasing. This pier, or groyne, seems also to have had a beneficial 

 effect on the marl cliffs to the westward of it. Eor, although the 

 strands at the base of those cliffs appear very little fuller than for- 

 merly, yet their denudation seems to be gradually decreasing. 



Here we may also mention other accidentally-formed groynes in 

 the same neighbourhood. Formerly the aha marina was in great 

 request, and the weed was carefully gathered. About the year 1876 

 the trade fell off, and the ungathered weed was carried by the tide 

 and lodged in masses along the east end of the embankment of the 

 North intake in Wexford Harbour. Previously to this the sea was- 

 cutting out and endangering the stability of the embankment, but the 

 mass of seaweed formed a groyne against which masses of sand 

 have since accumulated. In the winter of 1872-3 numerous large 

 balks of drift timber were stranded on the Wexford coast. One of 



