Yesterday, a large clump of the Mount Brandon cliff in Co Kerry fell into the sea, which has many people wondering, is the Kingdom County getting smaller?
So is Kerry getting smaller or what?
Well, naturally, it gets a bit smaller every year thanks to erosion, but it’s not as if it’s miraculously disappearing in the blink of an eye. However, the west coast of the country is being eroded quicker than one might think.
Really? Why’s that?
Thanks to a mixture of forces at work, the west of the country is quite literally falling into the ocean. In Kerry especially, the coastline is “soft” and subject to erosion from the wind and the rain, unlike hard rock which takes thousands of years to be affected by wind and rain alone – try blowing at a rock and see how much breaks off in your hand, then you’ll understand.
According to the Irish Independent, of Kerry’s 684km coastline, 378km is soft while a good proportion of upland areas are covered in peat, which only makes things worse when it comes to erosion. Heavy rain speeds up the erosion process – we don’t have to remind you of the horrid weather we’ve been having recently – and peat mixed with water just turns into muck, which isn’t very stable or very good for holding cliffs together.
So why are people talking about the county of Kerry getting smaller?
Well there was a fairly severe landslide yesterday at uninhabited Sauce Creek, which is located between Brandon Head and Brandon Point in Co. Kerry. Thankfully, no-one was hurt, however, a good chunk of the cliff still ended up in the sea, so there’s no doubt that more of the area could just as easily slide.
Is there anything we can do to stop Kerry falling off into the Atlantic?
As with everything else in life, there is a fix, but it will cost you (and everyone else who pays taxes). According to rough Kerry council estimates, a whopping €30 million would be needed to slow down the erosion process, which is a fair whack we think you’ll agree.
Well what else can we do?
Unless you’re willing to fork over €30 million for the bill, we’ll just have to wait and let nature take its course. And before you ask, no, the Rose of Tralee competition isn’t in any danger just yet.
We’d fork over the €30 million just to save those lovely ladies though.
