Discontent in Dungarvan following removal of Moresby Buoy

Locals and councillors alike in Dungarvan have expressed serious discontent, with a huge volume of calls across West Waterford for Waterford Council to re-instate the Moresby Buoy at the Causeway in Abbeyside.

Councillors were informed at the December meeting of the Dungarvan / Lismore District that the memorial was supposedly 'beyond repair' and would not be returned to the Causeway in Abbeyside, where it has been commonplace for over thirty years.

The buoy is the last remaining association with the famous shipwreck that occurred off the coastline of Dungarvan on Christmas Eve, 1895. The ship, was carrying 1,800 tonnes of coal from Cardiff to South America when disaster struck on the West Waterford coastline.

Only five members of the 23-strong crew survived.

A memorial to the tragic event was unveiled at the Causeway by the Abbeyside Pattern Committee in the early 1990s.

At the December meeting of the Dungarvan / Lismore District, councillors queried the status of the historic monument, and questioned whether a replica could be put in place were it the case that the original became unsalvageable.

Cllr. Damien Geoghegan (Fine Gael) and Cllr. Conor McGuinness (Sinn Fein) noted the central role that the Moresby Buoy plays in the history of the Dungarvan Harbour, and they both outlined that there was a need for a contingency plan should the original not be in a position to return.

The buoy was recently removed from the area as part of scheduled sea wall works in Abbeyside and Director of Services for Environment, Ray Moloney, told councillors that the local authority had had ‘a lot of difficulty removing the buoy’ and it was ‘beyond repair’ as a result.

However, photos taken by 2019 local election candidate Joe O'Riordan this week show that the buoy is still in tact, with its base currently at the former dump in Dungarvan, and its' upper section situated at the Council yard along the N25 adjacent to the Park Hotel Roundabout.

Mr. O’Riordan, as well as some local historians, has led calls for the reinstatement of the monument given its place in local maritime history, and his calls have been backed by local Labour Party candidate Thomas Phelan, who is set to table a motion at the upcoming meeting of the Dungarvan / Lismore District Of Waterford Council.

In a statement on social media, Cllr. Phelan outlined his plans.

“I have submitted the following motion for the agenda of the January meeting of Dungarvan/Lismore District Council in response to the understandable concerns and upset generated by the recent removal of the Moresby Buoy, and in the wider interests of trying to facilitate greater public participation in deciding the overall future of what has started to become known as the Moresby Park.”

The Labour Councillor highlighted the importance of the Moresby Park area to the people of West Waterford, and acknowledged how it’s removal has caused ‘considerable upset’ in the locality. He outlined how the area has become a focal point of tourism in recent years and how a cross-department approach was necessary to help maximise the positive potential of the location in years to come.

“The small park at the start of the Causeway in Abbeyside, which has recently come to be referred to as the Moresby Park, is of significant heritage importance to the people of Abbeyside, Dungarvan, and beyond.  It is the location of what is known as the Poor Man’s Seat or the Poor Man’s Bench, which has been a social meeting place for many decades. It is the site of a very prominent tree that is in poor shape. Up to last month, it was the location of the Moresby Buoy which commemorated the disaster of the sinking of the Moresby in Dungarvan Harbour in December 1895. The removal of the Moresby Buoy has given rise to considerable upset locally; this memorial was the result of the efforts of a voluntary committee. The location is also the site of the annual Christmas crib in Abbeyside. The area is also a busy point of entry to the Greenway and one of its most scenic rest stops overlooking the bay, with a popular archway feature that is the scene of many tourist photographs depicting the attractiveness of Dungarvan. The multiplicity of features and uses of this area requires a co-ordinated and cohesive, cross-departmental approach to its rejuvenation by the Council following recent sea wall works there.”

Cllr. Phelan has called for community input to be accepted in plans for the future development of the area and for any works to be carried out with a sensitive approach, given the fact that the Moresby Buoy is in remembrance of those who tragically perished at sea some 126 years ago.

“For all of these reasons, it is vitally important that works carried out at this site are planned and carried out in a sensitive and careful manner.  And it is also important that the local community would have a say in the development of this park. Therefore, this motion calls on the Council to draft a detailed, comprehensive, and integrated plan.”

Cllr. Phelan will table a ten-point motion, in which he calls for the detailed plan to have the following:

• A graphical depiction of the proposed layout of the park, including illustration of locations and types of seating, planting and waste bins.
• The preservation of the ‘Poor Man’s Bench.’
• The preservation of the tree at the ‘Poor Man’s Bench’, including a tree preservation order for it.
• The reinstatement of the Moresby Buoy, and its protection and preservation in the meantime.
• Inclusion of the Poor Man’s Bench and the reinstated/restored Moresby Buoy on the Register of Protected Structures in Waterford.
• A process for the official naming of the park.
• A plaque or plaques, or other appropriate signage, for the presentation of the history and importance of the park and its features.
• The inclusion of the Council’s Heritage Officer, Conservation Officer, and Horticulturalist/Arborist in the planning and implementation process.
• Public consultation to promote and facilitate the participation of and input from the community before a final draft plan is brought back to this Council for review, revision and approval prior to implementation.

The meeting of the Dungarvan / Lismore District is set to take place on Monday January 10th.