Kilkee residents vow to continue wastewater plant fight

Residents of Kilkee, a coastal resort in Co Clare, have vowed to continue their fight against plans by Uisce Éireann to build a wastewater treatment plant in their town. Despite the failure of a recent High Court challenge, campaigners are determined to appeal the ruling directly to the Supreme Court. The Kilkee cliff walk, a popular attraction, is threatened by the proposed plant.

Campaigners argue the development would be detrimental to the environment and tourism. They also note that the plant's capacity is insufficient for Kilkee's peak summer population of up to 20,000. Uisce Éireann maintains that the plant is necessary to eliminate the discharge of raw sewage into the Atlantic Ocean, claiming it will undergo preliminary and primary treatment to protect water quality.

Local residents, however, dispute this claim, stating the plant is a "storage tank" that will still pump untreated sewage into the ocean, causing an "odour" and a "backward step" for the town.