Surfers from the East Coast Surf Club caught their final few waves at Greystones harbour, Co Wicklow, yesterday, before its closure for a €300 million redevelopment programme, which begins next week.
Kevin Cavey, who in 1965 founded the club, then known as the Bray Head Surf Club, said its 155 members were unlikely to be able to surf at the harbour even after the development was completed.
"Mostly when a marina goes in it kills off the natural wave, so it is unlikely that we will be able to return to Greystones because the surf won't break there anymore, it will just be backwash."
The end of surfing at Greystones follows the recent closure of several popular surfing areas by private developers in the Brittas Bay area of Wicklow, Mr Cavey said.
"Greystones is just another casualty in the diminishing access to surfing beaches."
The new harbour, due to be completed in 2012, will include a 230-berth marina, 341 residential units and 5,500sq m of commercial units, incorporating cafes and restaurants.
Wicklow County Council received planning permission for the development from An Bórd Pleanála last August following two oral hearings, despite strong local opposition to the scheme.
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