Residents near the scene of the weekend's triple drowning warned three years ago the withdrawal of lifeguards from the resort would lead to fatalities.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that even if lifeguards were provided at Strandhill, none would have been on duty on that beach, or any other beach in the State, at the weekend. This is because local authorities, which are responsible for providing lifeguard services, do not hire people until June, regardless of weather conditions.
In June 1995 after lifeguards were withdrawn from Strandhill, locals made strong protests to Sligo county councillors and officials. The council's decision followed a survey by the National Safety Council which assessed the beach as unsafe for swimming.
Despite a petition from residents at the time for the service to be restored, the then county secretary, Mr Hubert Kearns, defended the move on the grounds that it would have been irresponsible to "intimate that the beach was safe" by placing lifeguards on it.
Despite its dangerous conditions, Strandhill is a popular beach with surfers, who are usually experienced swimmers. Many national and international competitions have been held there and a surfing and information centre is planned for the area.
Locals say prominent signs erected by the county council warning people not to swim at Strandhill are regularly ignored.
Mr Niall Byrne, a member of the Co Sligo Surf Club who helped rescue the surviving youth, said yesterday further deaths would occur "unless something is done".
In early 1995, Mr Byrne and his brother, John, met councillors to appeal for the lifeguard service to be restored. The men said they had rescued seven visitors from the waters off Strandhill in one weekend.
"With no lifeguards there, it's a free-for-all," Mr Niall Byrne told the council meeting. "We are doing our best to keep an eye on the beach while at the same time running our business but that's not good enough. There is certain to be a fatality in Strandhill unless the lifeguards are brought back and we are appealing to you to reconsider your decision."
Local authorities appoint lifeguards to beaches on their coastlines, but never put them on beaches deemed unsafe for swimming by the NSC.
The NSC's chief executive, Mr Pat Costello, said he could not speak about the council's recommendations on Strandhill as such reports were confidential.
He said that generally when a beach was assessed as unsafe for swimming, the NSC's recommendations would not include the provision of lifeguards as this would be contradictory.
"In general terms, if we were to suggest that an area was unsafe for swimming, to then turn around and recommend lifeguards would be invidious. It would give the impression that it was possible to swim in the area," he said. The weekend fatalities are the first on the beach since the lifeguard service was withdrawn. In the early 1980s, a woman from Ballysadare, Co Sligo, drowned after she was dragged out to sea by shifting sands.
Co Sligo does not have a lifeboat service, although one will be introduced next month. It will be staffed by trained crew from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.