Wicklow landslide left railway within two metres of sea

Iarnród Éireann has placed almost 2,500 tonnes of rocks on the beach near Wicklow Town in an emergency bid to protect the Dublin to Wicklow railway line, bordering an internationally recognised wetland.

Train services between Greystones and Wicklow had been threatened with suspension when a clay cliff supporting the railway line collapsed into the sea on December 30th.

The railway line borders a 15km coastal wetland area extending north from Wicklow Town, known as The Murrough. It is the largest coastal wetland complex on the east coast and an EU designated Natura 2000 site, support a diversity of plant and animal wildlife.

The Dublin-Rosslare railway line traverses the eastern boundary of the wetland on a shingle ridge effectively forming a boundary between the wetland and the sea.

When the clay bank on the coast collapsed, the slippage brought the railway fencing to within two metres of the sea.

‘Rock armour’

The collapse took place immediately north of a spot where Wicklow County Council had placed “rock armour” as part of a coastal erosion prevention scheme in about 2009.

Iarnród Éireann said it was apparent that “emergency intervention was required immediately to retain what was left of the land between the sea and the railway”.

Large boulders weighing two to four tonnes were delivered to the site to extend the existing rock armour on New Year’s Day. The company said it has since placed nearly 2,500 tonnes of boulders in a 185m-long barrier to protect the worst affected areas, costing €150,000.

The company said the environmental sensitivity of the area “was always taken into consideration during the works”.

It said it was in talks with Wicklow County Council on a longer-term solution, and a site meeting has been scheduled for early next week.

A comment from Wicklow County Council was not available on Friday.

Minister for State for the Office of Public Works Simon Harris said his department had last year given Wicklow County Council €150,000 to fund coastal protection works in the area.