Doolin (including Doolin Pier)
Doolin (including Doolin Pier) Location and Context Doolin is set in a scenic coastal landscape and has developed as a settlement with distinct character. It is identified as a Small Village in the Settlement Hierarchy of this plan. Doolin is located on the Wild Atlantic Way and is renowned for traditional music and commercial ferry services operating from Doolin Pier to the Aran Islands in County Galway which attract many tourists to the area. Doolin has experienced significant development in recent years, the majority of which has consisted of visitor accommodation including Bed and Breakfast accommodation, hostels and holiday home developments. The Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk linking Doolin to Liscannor via the world-famous Cliffs of Moher attracts additional tourists to the area. Due to the linear nature of growth in Doolin there are four identifiable service areas within the village in addition to Doolin Pier. These are Fisher Street, Fitz’s Cross, Coogyulla Cross and Roadford with no single identifiable village centre. Doolin has a strong and well developed, year-round tourist industry. While winter months are generally quieter than the peak tourist season, Doolin does not experience the extremes of seasonality evidenced in other tourism reliant areas of the County. While the achievement of this year-round vibrancy provides greater employment security and economic growth, it also places pressure on the village infrastructure. There are significant traffic congestion issues in the village, particularly during the summer season, due to the volume of visitors accessing Doolin Pier and local services and activities such as restaurants, pubs, walking tours etc. There is an identified need for an integrated traffic management plan in order to address the issue. This could include a review of speed limits and signage in the village, in particular safety signage for visiting walkers and drivers, in order to promote increased road safety i.e., walk on the right, drive on the left. Additional car parking is also required at the trail head of the Cliff Walking Trail to accommodate walkers. While there are existing parking facilities in the village, walkers using the trail head currently walk c.2km on a narrow busy road to reach the trail head at the Doolin Community Centre. In addition, with almost 1 million visitors a year, there is an identified need for additional litter management facilities in the area. Doolin is connected to the Ennistymon Regional Water Supply. There is no public wastewater treatment infrastructure in Doolin which limits the capacity for development in the village. Any future development including alterations to existing commercial or employment generating development, will require private wastewater treatment subject to suitable sitespecific conditions and must ensure they comply with the EPA Code of Practice for ‘On Site Wastewater Treatment Systems’. The Natura Impact Report accompanying this plan (Volume 10a) provides relevant mitigation measures and recommendations at site and project level.
__________________________________________________________________________________ Draft Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029
174
