Clare County Council's summer ban on dogs on beaches may have come into force yesterday, but there were still animals walking on Lahinch strand.
Dog-owners face fines of up to €1,270 if found on the beach with their pets between 11am and 6pm each day.
However, at Lahinch yesterday, the council had yet to erect any signage informing people of the new bylaws and there was no trace of any official patrolling the beach on the lookout for anyone contravening the new rules.
Dog-owner Michael O'Halloran travelled from Clooney in east Clare to bring his two Labradors for a walk on the beach. He said: "I have bought two new leads for my two dogs today and I have been told that I can't walk them on the beach. I think it is ridiculous. It doesn't make any sense. I intend to bring them on the beach, it is a crazy law."
Carlow woman Evelyn Carroll was on Lahinch promenade with her cocker spaniel, Wally. She said: "A total ban on dogs. What is the world is coming to? Ah, my God. A curfew? It's lucky they don't smoke. What next?"
However, the new council ban won the support of mothers of young children at Lahinch. Sophie Coughlan, a mother-of-three on holidays from Britain, said: "I would be very much in favour. My two youngest are scared of dogs and it upsets them to see dogs bounding about. My children were building a sandcastle yesterday and a dog fouled nearby with the owner carrying on and he had to be asked to clean it up.
"In the UK, people are very good about scooping, but dogs wouldn't be banned on the beach."
Another mother, Jane O'Shea, said: "I would be in favour of the new law because I would be very anxious when stray dogs come close to my children. It is not safe."
Opposed to the outright ban, Cllr Joe Carey (FG) said yesterday: "If Clare County Council enforced the existing laws that are there, there would be no need to introduce the dogs ban."
