Call to appoint ranger for Mayo visitor hot spot next summer

A RANGER has to be appointed to Keel for the summer season next year, to bring structure to how the tourism hot spot is managed.

The request was made by Councillor Paul McNamara who has expressed frustration with the progress being made on a Bord Fáilte-led masterplan for the area.

Traffic management, wild camping and protecting the beach area need to be addressed and appointing a ranger, similar to Keem, is a starting point, he told a municipal district meeting.

Two-and-a-half years after initial public consultation on the masterplan took place, he had now received a report, which said the plan is at an advanced stage of development and sets out challenges and opportunities.

It was, he told council colleagues, a report that they could have put together in an hour. There was no mention of funding, how to deal with wild camping or the influx of tourists and upgrading infrastructure. It was a 'complete load of nonesense' that it was being released.

There can be an influx of up to 4,000 people at busy times, with just two toilets and no pedestrian crossing, with hundreds crossing to the beach, campsite, shops and pubs.

Councillor McNamara acknowledged Mayo County Council's work in picking up rubbish three times a day, seven days a week.

But there has to be traffic management in place for 2027. And there was an issue where waste from campervans was dumped into the local river, creating an environmental issue, and they didn't want it happening again, jeopardising the Blue Flag.

“If we are serious about protecting Keel village and promoting it as a tourism destination, we have to act,” he said.

The ranger had worked in Keem and one should be place in Keel for next summer to manage traffic, wild camping, protecting the beach area and to protect the local community. There has to be structure to it, he stated.

Councillor McNamara was told a meeting has taken place with Fáilte Ireland in recent days and it is hoped to present broad ranging proposals for the area before the end of the year, including the streetscape, wild camping, access to the beach and managing the dunes, and traffic management.

In the meantime the council is looking to advance some of the more minor things in their gift, particularly around traffic management, pedestrian safety, and ramps.

* Funded under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme