An attempt to upgrade the 180-year-old harbour at Kenmare, Co Kerry is likely to be reconsidered or abandoned altogether following a public meeting at which there was a clear lack of support for the idea.
An attempt to upgrade the 180-year-old harbour at Kenmare, Co Kerry is likely to be reconsidered or abandoned altogether following a public meeting at which there was a clear lack of support for the idea.
The €10 million plan was drawn up by the specially convened Kenmare harbour development group.
Last autumn, the proposal was presented to Kerry County Council, where it received much support and was described by some as "an exciting project" for the town.
A busy fishing and goods harbour in the 19th and mid-20th century, Kenmare has now become silted and usable only at high water by boats with a shallow draught.
The ambitious works included proposals to dredge large deposits of shingle and mud, and to create a working port of fishing and leisure vessels with up to 150 berths.
Harbour buildings and a playground were planned for a land bank to be formed from reclaimed material.
The works would also prevent "a New Orleans style flooding" in the town, which has experienced heavy flooding in recent years.
However, at a public meeting in Kenmare, attended by 500 people, objectors claimed the development would spoil the traditional beauty of the harbour. It was also suggested a private developer was involved.
Donald Lynch of the harbour group said afterwards that people were afraid to speak in favour of the project at the meeting and he had received a number of supportive calls.
He denied a private developer was behind the idea.
The group had hoped to get Government and EU funding, but would now be writing to the Department of the Marine, Kerry County Council and other organisations asking them not to proceed with surveys of the harbour area.
"We've done our bit. We've been transparent and I'd hope someone would take up the mantle eventually to try to push the project forward," Mr Lynch said.
The project was perhaps 10 years ahead of its time, he said.