Local authority's Magheramore beach site purchase is win for ‘all who value public access'

Irish Independent

13-05-2025

The land was originally purchased by Paddy McKillen Jnr, who had plans for a €40 million boutique-style holiday resort and surf school, which faced a lot of local opposition. There were concerns about local access to the beach because the sale involved a gated entrance from the main road to the lands surrounding Magheramore Beach.
Wicklow County Council rejected the application in May of 2023. An appeal was submitted to An Bord Pleanála, who also refused planning for the development in February of this year.
Cllr Danny Alvey, a founding member of the environmental group ReWild Wicklow, is a frequent user of the beach and has welcomed the fact that the council's purchase of the site will ensure public access to the beach is retained.
Cllr Alvey said: 'Magheramore beach is such a beautiful and iconic part of our Wicklow heritage and now it's future has been secured. My family and I have swam there for generations and I have only recently started bringing my own young children there in the summer months. The thought of a new private owner to the road and land surrounding it being able to restrict access was unconscionable.
'I have been very vocal about this over the last few months, along with all our local councillors in the Wicklow Municipal District and TDs, and also the disastrous attempt by the last owner to try develop a luxury resort on this land. I had spoken with our executive team in the council and I knew they agreed this access should remain public and were working hard behind the scenes to purchase the land.
'Thankfully now that work has come to fruition. So many people campaigned and made their voices heard about this, from petitions to Facebook groups and even a recent suggestion of the community doing their own crowd fundraiser.'
Cllr Alvey added: 'As well as an idyllic beach, it is a really important site for nature, located adjacent to the Magherabeg SAC and being host to many threatened species of bird. The fact the council now owns the site means it can be carefully managed for nature, whilst balancing access and its recreation value. I'm excited to continue swimming at Magheramore, safe in the knowledge it is now protected for the public and for the generations that will come after us."
Deputy John Brady believes that the purchase of the site by the local authority is a victory for public access and also an important step in in protecting an environmentally sensitive and ecologically significant area.
He stated: 'This is a landmark moment for the people of Wicklow and for all who value access to our county's outstanding natural heritage.'
Deputy Brady was 'disappointed' when the council was outbid for the land at a public auction in 2021, and again earlier this year when it was sold at an auction over the guide-price.
'I voiced my concerns at the time about the growing uncertainty around public access to the beach, particularly with the presence of gated entrances and the potential for private development.'
He has commended Wicklow County Council's persistence in finally managing to secure the site.
'The fact that the council remained engaged and ready to act when the successful bidder ultimately did not proceed speaks volumes about their commitment to this issue and to the people of Wicklow,' commented Deputy Brady. 'This is not just a victory for public access — it's a hugely important step in protecting an environmentally sensitive and ecologically significant area.
"The land overlooking Magheramore Beach forms part of a wider Special Area of Conservation and National Heritage Area. Its protection is aligned with the goals set out in the County Development Plan, and I am proud to see those ambitions now being realised in a very real and tangible way.
"This is a moment to celebrate what can be achieved when public representatives, Council officials, and the community all stand together with a shared goal.'