Measures to be put in place to discourage swimming at bridge
By Hayden Moore
SOUTH Dublin County Council have moved to discourage swimming at the Dodder River near Callaghan’s Bridge following the tragic downing of a teenage boy there in August.
According to the council, no river, lake or canal in South Dublin County are considered to be safe for swimming and they intend on putting measures in place to prevent access to the Dodder River near Bohernabreena Waterworks.
Callaghan’s Bridge in Bohernabreena is too dangerous for swimming
13-year-old Ghaffar, who is from Deerpark in Tallaght, lost his life on August 9 after getting into difficulty swimming at a pool of water underneath the Fort Bridge on Bohernabreena Road.
Fort Bridge, which is known locally as Callaghan’s Bridge, is located just before Bohernabreena Reservoir.
“South Dublin County Council in the strongest possible terms discourages swimming in the Dodder River at the location of Callaghan’s Bridge where the tragic drowning of a teenage boy occurred in mid-August,” it says in a report from the council.
This location is not a safe location for swimming, there are in fact no locations on the Dodder River where swimming is safe and encouraged.
“The Council intends putting in place measures to prevent access to the river across public land in this area, measures of this type have been put in place in the past but these have been interfered with in order to gain access to the river.”
Independent Cllr Alan Edge, who was elected as a representative in the Firhouse-Bohernabreena area, raised the motion in relation to safety at the Dodder River.
Cllr Edge asked for a report from Chief Executive of the council, Daniel McLoughlin, on the specific water safety issues in the area and what steps are being taken to ensure the public know the dangers.
In their report, they also outlined how further safety measures will be put in place such as warning signs and possibly ring buoys.
The council’s health and safety officer is in the process of consulting with Water Safety Ireland in relation to the provision of the ring buoys at the aforementioned location of the Dodder River.
By subscribing to The Echo you are supporting your local newspaper Click Here: Echo Online.
