A Mountshannon native says she was left traumatised after four jet skis ran riot on Lough Derg while she and her friends were swimming in the water.
Clíodhna Donnellan, who has previously worked as a swimming instructor, went into the water with two friends at Knockafurt pier near Holy Island, when in the space of twenty minutes, she says four jet skis threatened their safety.
Temperatures soared over the weekend, leading many people to take to the waters in the county.
Clíodhna Donnellan is a Mountshannon native and has been swimming in Lough Derg for the past 14 months.
On Sunday, she and two friends arrived and were unable to enter the water from the pier they normally frequent as a Jet ski was present.
They reluctantly moved to Knockafurt pier near Holy Island and waited until they thought the water was clear to begin their swim.
In the space of twenty minutes, four separate jet skis were driven around the pier.
Clíodhna explains that one jet ski in particular was being driven through the reeds near the pier, meaning the three had to ‘swim furiously’ to safety for fear that they wouldn’t be visible to the oncoming driver.
Clare County Council Beach Bye-Laws mean that personal watercraft like jet skis can’t be driven near swimmers or disturb the local plantlife.
Clíodhna Donnellan says the events which took place on Sunday have now robbed her of her ability to swim in Mountshannon in the future.
An East Clare Councillor has described the use of jet skis on Clare’s waters a scourge.
Fine Gael Councillor from Whitegate Pat Burke has previously witnessed incidents in Killaloe where he says people ‘bombed up the river’ and ‘entertained’ the crowd with dangerous stunts.
Pat says he’s seen Gardaí clear the drivers after such incidents, but insists the problem now is that they are moving on to quieter bodies of water in the county.
Councillor Burke says he’s dreading this bank holiday weekend.
Listen back to the full interview here:
