Ireland’s largest lifeguard facility was officially opened in the popular County Clare seaside resort of Lahinch today.Clare County Council has constructed Lahinch Lifeguard Centre on the beach promenade. The EUR340,000 facility was constructed by Ballinasloe-based contractor Mota Engil Ireland Construction Ltd and construction commenced in Spring 2008. The new building features medical and first aid facilities, an observation room, external viewing deck, wet room, and a fully accessible toilet for staff and patients. The new station, which has an environmentally friendly design, is also equipped with life saving equipment, and an external shower and wash down area.
Mayor of Clare Councillor Madeleine Taylor Quinn said the new centre would significantly increase lifeguard effectiveness and water safety at one of Ireland’s most popular seaside resorts. The Mayor continued, “This permanent lifeguard centre will be of great benefit to swimmers, surfers and all beach users at one of the country’s busiest and most popular beaches. I hope that the provision of this permanent lifeguard centre will act as a precursor for the upgrading of other lifeguard facilities along the Clare coastline”. She added, “During the peak summer period of July and August, there are four full-time lifeguards on duty at Lahinch. These modern facilities will help them ensure the safety of the thousands of people who visit the Blue Flag beach each year”.
According to Mr. Liam Griffin, Civil Defence and Water Safety Officer with Clare County Council, “The new lifeguard facilities will improve the ability of our lifeguards to monitor the entire beach effectively and respond to incidents swiftly, as well as being a comfortable and secure place to store their rescue equipment and carry out first aid”. He noted that the unveiling of the new lifeguard station demonstrated Clare County Council’s continued commitment to the preservation and enhancement of Lahinch beach. “Lahinch is now a very popular resort for surfers and Clare County Council remains committed to further improving services for all users. I am confident that that the overall design of and services provided by this building will set a precedent model for future lifeguard facilities in Clare and elsewhere throughout the country”, explained Mr. Griffin.
The Lifeguard Centre’s Architecture and Design team say the new building was designed to provide a compact building unit that would enable surveillance of the beach area whilst keeping in mind the sensitivity of the site location. The ground floor plan houses the bathroom, shower room, storage and first aid treatment room. The upper level provides sea and beach views with an external balcony and glazing to three sides of the observation deck. The building is equipped with a speaker system for public announcements. The building finishes were selected with particular attention to the colours and textures prevalent in this part of Clare. The limestone cladding to the perimeter wall was inspired by flagstone walls in the locality, while the zinc roof reflects the sky and sea colours in the distant horizon.
The Lahinch Lifeguard Station Project Co Coordinator was Carmel Greene, Senior Executive Officer with Clare County Council. The Architecture and Design comprised of Senior Executive Architect Ruth Hurley, Executive Architect Andrea Goble, Clerk of Works Michael O Regan, and Executive Technicians Al Bredin and Catherine Earley of Clare County Council. The Engineering team included Hubert Newell, Senior Executive Engineer, Clare County Council, and Peter O’Donnell and Colm McCarthy of Malachy Walsh & Partners Consulting Engineers.
