A NEW boardwalk, beach wheelchair and Age Friendly mobility walker has been launched by Donegal County Council at Magherawarden’s Blue Flag beach in Portsalon.
Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Liam Blaney officially launched the new boardwalk, accessible beach wheelchair and Ireland’s first Age Friendly mobility beach walker at Magherawarden, Portsalon on Monday with the ribbon cut by local man Danny Boyce.
Recognising the importance of this project, Cllr Blaney emphasised the remarkable contribution it will make towards facilitating equal enjoyment of the area’s magnificent beaches.
“One of the greatest community assets in Donegal is our wonderful beaches,” expressed Cllr Blaney. ” The development of this boardwalk at Magherawarden Portsalon, provides enhanced access for all visitors, creating a community asset that will greatly benefit wheelchair users, families with older members and small children, and individuals with restricted mobility”.
Local members from the Irish Wheelchair Association Danny Boyce and Martin Cassidy with representatives from the Donegal Centre for Independent Living acknowledged their delight with the new facility and expressed their enthusiasm to use it frequently in the coming months.
Cllr Blaney took the opportunity to extend his congratulations to all those involved in the development of this project. This includes the dedicated staff across various sections of Donegal County Council, the local community group, the Elected Members of Letterkenny/Milford MD for their funding support under the Minor Tourism Grant, and the contractor McFadden Ltd for their efficient installation of the boardwalk.
The success of this project was also made possible through the notable contribution of ‘The Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme in the Northwest & Gaeltacht.’ Through this programme Donegal County Council and the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) have been able to empower individuals and communities to engage in physical activity and outdoor pursuits, resulting in significant improvements in health and wellbeing.
Michael McGarvey Director of Service for Water and Environment spoke about the importance of the mobility equipment and highlighted how it will complement the boardwalk to make this new accessible infrastructure more meaningful.
He added that this summer, Donegal County Council will have 14 beach wheelchairs distributed throughout the county, allowing individuals to experience the joy and freedom of exploring the off-road terrain.
Mr McGarvey was particularly enthusiastic that Donegal is the first County Council to introduce the ‘Access Walk’ rollator. This is an ‘’Age Friendly’ device that provides support for those who may struggle with balance and stability. With an inbuilt seat, it gives the opportunity to rest along the way, allowing individuals to relax and enjoy their day out.
Chief Officer of Age Friendly Ireland, Catherine McGuigan is “delighted that Donegal is making significant progress in promoting Age Friendly initiatives on the beaches with the introduction of the first ‘Access Walker’ and the ongoing work to aim for Ireland’s first Age Friendly beach at Narin Portnoo”.
Mr McGarvey also complemented the work carried out under Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme whereby Donegal County Council was facilitated to undertake a series of Access Audits of Blue Flag beaches. These audits have identified areas for improvement that can be used as a template to bring all Donegal beaches to a gold standard of accessibility.
Donegal County Council is committed to building on the network of accessible beaches with all terrain / beach wheelchairs available at Portsalon, Downings, Marblehill, Carrickfinn, Fintra, Rossnowlagh, Bundoran, Rathmullan, Narin, Sliabh Sneacht and arriving over the coming weeks to Killahoey (Dunfanaghy), Culdaff, Rathmullan (2) and Inishowen.
The mobility equipment at Magerawarden beach is available through the beach lifeguards on 087 2581160
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