Bundoran's 20th century monolith shelters at famous Rougey walk are tossed

Two Bundoran monoliths of the early 20th century were demolished last week, having braved many hardier storms than the recent one called Barra, which swept along the Donegal coast, just hours afterwards.
And in doing so, the demolition of the two shelters that have stood at Rougey since the early years of nationhood, erased a thousand dreams, romances and the myriad memories of visits to the popular south Donegal seaside resort.
But they will be replaced, Donegal County Council have stated, subject to funding availability.
“There were two shelters along Rougey Walk that were in a very bad state of repair and were fenced off from the public due to their hazardous condition.
“It was recently agreed to demolish these two shelters to remove the hazard.
“The Council do intend to replace these shelters in the future subject to specific funding being secured for same,” they said.

Some think that the two shelters at the top of Rougey had been there since the first Mesolith settlers arrived at the nearby Finner Strand thousands of years ago, but they certainly have been an iconic part of the Bundoran mood and scene setting to a dramatic Donegal dropback for almost a century.

The Rougey shelter at Tullan Strand, Bundoran the weekend before its demolition 

They had also protected a multitude of walkers and visitors from the vagaries of the fluctuating Donegal weather patterns over that same time period. And let it be said, the occasional romantic interlude, as well . . . but alas no more!

The walk at Aughross Head curves delicately around the local golf course and is probably one of the first developed and best known walks in the north west, going back to Victorian times.

The shelters themselves, modest and simple as they were, formed part of a Free State architectural drive in the early years of nationhood, to establish their own identity in the same way that it had been preceded by a cultural revival of language, sport and music.    

The third shelter that will remain and first greets you as you approach Rougey from the main beach side, was a popular location for summer céilithe, on what was previously the location of an old Gaelic League hut.   

A visiting Manchester journalist in 1931 writing of his first impressions of the location remarked:

“To the West and towards Finner Strand the craggy formation of the cliffs tell the romantic tale of the centuries old battle between land and sea.

“Grim and upright as they are, it seems incredible that those slender, rocky buttresses should hold in check the waters of the great Atlantic. 

“Here and there one sees the beginning of another victory for the sea, and the relics of a stern battle fought and won maybe a century or more ago - firstly the Fairy Bridges, where lovers sit and wish, heedless of the golf balls flying overhead; secondly, Rougey’s giant rocks, divorced from the mainland but still presenting a stern front to the waves which thunder on its ledges of fallen rock.” 

The cliffs at Rougey also gave rise to not one, but two local GAA town league teams in the early 1960s - Rougey Harps and Cliff Harps!

The late Peter Quinn and the late Leo Doherty were Captains, local sporting aficionados will be keen to know as well.

But in recent times, they have been inaccessible and a hazard for use by the public.

Commenting on the decision to demolish them, Cllr Michael McMahon said that the works were necessary as the shelters concerned had been inaccessible to the public for quite some time and were deemed unsuitable for restoration.

“The two shelters at Rougey had to come down."

He said the reality was that they had been “caged” and inaccessible to the public for a considerable period of time.

He pointed out that many people felt that they were no longer fit for purpose, and dangerous.

He said that plans were now being drawn up, as to the best way to replace the existing shelters and to enhance the walking and visitors experience to the area.

Cllr Micheál McMahon at the second shelter at Augross Point, Rougey before it was demolished 

He said that a footpath linking the car park at Tullan Strand to the Rougey walk had also been recently completed.

This would allow easier access to people with disabilities and mothers with prams to be able to park their car at Tullan Strand car park.

The Rougey shelter at Augross Point, just after its demolition

He said: “There are a few bits and pieces that have to be done, but it is essentially done. With cars and camper vans reversing in the parking spaces, the footpath has been put back a bit to allow full access to the footpath and be wheelchair and buggy/strollers friendly.”

By 5pm, just hours before the approach of Storm Barra, the shelter near Tullan Strand had disappeared 

In April of this year,  Tullan Strand was identified as one of 22 locations that will share in a  Fáilte Ireland investment “to provide new state of the art facilities for outdoor water based activities”. 

Each new centre will provide hot showers, changing and toilet facilities, secure storage, induction spaces, equipment washdown and orientation points and they will improve the user experience to a whole new level.