THE family that owns lands around the Murder Hole beach say they are doing all they can to resolve issues regarding access.
The family has a working farm on fields that separate the famous Downings beauty spot from the main road. They also own a neighbouring holiday park.
For years the Murder Hole was regarded as something of a hidden gem but its popularity has rocketed in recent years thanks to internet sites such as ‘Irelandbeforeyoudie.com’ and ‘theirishroadtrip.com’. It is even featured among Microsoft’s screensavers alongside stunning locations in Greece and the Caribbean.
Access though has always been a bone of contention and things escalated dramatically during last year’s ‘staycation’ summer.
With flights grounded people from all over Ireland flocked to Donegal. And thousands of them made a beeline for the Murder Hole.
The upshot of that was that the narrow road at Melmore became congested with vehicles to the point where it was impassable. Other problems arose too around dogs, litter and camping.
A spokesperson for the family told the Donegal News that in a bid to avoid a repeat of last year they have had to close off access to the beach. They stress though that it is not their intention to keep it that way. As soon as certain issues are ironed out the Murder Hole will be reopened to the public. Whether that happens in time for this summer though remains to be seen.
A drone shot of the Murder Hole, as captured by Peter Cox for his book ‘Atlantic Light’.
“We had a huge influx of people coming to visit the beach, they were coming in their hundreds,” said a family spokesperson.
“And because of the fact that there was no parking, people were parking on the road and causing complete blockage. We have a caravan park adjacent to the farm and people weren’t able to access their mobiles because of the volume of traffic.
“A major problem too was dogs. We put signs up saying ‘no dogs’ but people were just walking past them. At the end of the day this is a working farm and it has been severely disrupted to the point where it is nearly unsustainable. Dog litter can cause livestock to abort and last year this was a problem for us.
“Litter was another huge problem with people leaving it behind them but it was really a culmination of things that arise when you have a lot people in the one place.”
The decision to restrict access to the Murder Hole was taken as a last resort, according to the family. Talks are ongoing with Donegal County Council and a lot of work is going on behind the scenes to restore access and allow holidaymakers and beachgoers to return.
An access gate which has been blocked off.
“In the interim we have engaged with Donegal County Council and discussions are ongoing to find a resolution. As for the summer ahead, we just can’t have a repeat of last year. We ended up having to employ three people just to direct traffic because what was happening was that if you drive far enough you come to a dead end. So you had people driving out looking for the beach and then stopping to consult maps and sat navs. And all the while behind them the traffic was building up. At one point we had a gentleman in our caravan park who needed an ambulance. But the ambulance couldn’t get to him for an hour and a half because of the congestion.
“It was crazy and for those reasons we have stopped access this year. And we have done that for the simple reason that there are no facilities for things like parking or toilets.
“We acknowledge there is a beauty spot there and that people want to go to it, of course we acknowledge that. But when the numbers have jumped from a handful to over 5,000 visitors per day something has to give.
The family stresses that only a minority are responsible for the problems that have arisen and that most visitors do respect the beach and the landscape. But until an agreement is found, they say they have no choice but to keep the main access route to the Murder Hole blocked off.
The narrow road which only led to traffic mayhem last year.
“It is a work in progress and we are trying to get it resolved. We aren’t sure if it will be open this summer but we are doing our best. All we are asking for is a bit of time and respect so we can try and get matters sorted.
“It is closed at the minute but it is not our intention in the long term to keep it that way. We have been working over the winter and we are engaging with Donegal County Council and local councillors on this.
“The dialogue is good and hopefully in the not too distant future access will be restored and there will be some facilities there to allow people to enjoy the Murder Hole in the proper way.”
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