It is not quite landscape, not quite seascape - a tranquil expanse of shallow water resembling a creek and sheltered from hypnotic Atlantic waves. Drive out west from Salthill in Galway city, and you may unwittingly pass a little piece of paradise known as Rusheen Bay, writes Lorna Siggins
Come springtime, though, it is the unusual shapes that catch one's eye. If it is low tide, they could be a trail of horses, carefully crossing the sands. At high tide, they could pass for wildlife which even a Bill Oddie or Eanna Ní Lamhna might be hard pressed to identify.
Too big for shark fins, they resemble enormous transparent insect wings. Like damselflys, they dart across the water surface, before pirouetting and skimming at speed on another tack. In a brisk wind, swarms of them swathed in polychloroprene and nylon are in their element. The bay is almost totally enclosed, shared only by oystercatchers, terns and other birdlife; little can harm them there.
At least, that was the way it was until last autumn when their "minder", Cathal Kavanagh, received a notice from Galway City Council. Kavanagh, owner of Galway's only windsurfing school - and one of the best in the State - was ordered to remove structures including offices, changing rooms and stores on foot of a complaint to the local authority. All of these facilities were and are based in five low-lying transport containers at Rusheen which cannot be seen from the road.
Kavanagh knew his options were limited. The containers didn't have planning permission, being on rented property, and the complainant was a birdwatcher who claimed to have witnessed a surfer "caught short" on shore. Anyone who has ever struggled into a wetsuit knows that spending a penny or two beforehand is essential, and almost anything is preferable to having to strip down again al fresco.
He could never prove a connection, but the coastal strip is more than a little tempting to any of Galway's many prosperous property developers. Recently, the European Commission noted that building on Ireland's coastline is increasing faster than in every other EU state except Portugal. This poses a threat to fragile habitats, to public access to shorelines, and to sustainable small-scale activities, like that run at Rusheen.
Kavanagh established Rusheen Bay Windsurfing in 1995, when Galway city's "new" suburb of Knocknacarra was beginning to expand. In the past 12 years, the school has not only taught 4,500 people, including eight of Ireland's top 10 windsurfers, but it has served its community well. All the classic mistakes had been made when housing estate after estate was approved on the west side of the city. Were it not for Barna woods, recently developed playing pitches, and the shoreline, Knocknacarra would have no recreational facilities at all.
Kavanagh provided a haven for youngsters - and their parents - who enjoy the water, and an alternative for those not adept at mainstream sports such as soccer, rugby, hockey or GAA. Not being part of that mainstream network himself, Kavanagh has always recognised that margins are tight. He has tried to keep the sport affordable and responsible, and has shunned the "elitist" tag.
The population base was never going to be big enough for a permanent premises. Kavanagh pays his VAT and his tax, and all his staff have a suite of safety and training qualifications - which, he notes, relatively few parents ever quiz him about.
However, as a private organisation, he cannot apply for Lotto funds. "We work really well within our limits, we encourage difference and eccentricity," he says. "And we are passionate about what we do." Ironically, the 40-day notice to quit came just several weeks after he had hosted a visit to the centre by Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue. The occasion was the ministerial endorsement of a bid by the Irish Windsurfing Association to ensure Ireland is represented on sailboards for the first time at Olympic level in the 2012 London games. Most competitive activity here has been focused on waves and freestyle, and the aim was to build up a corps of young Irish sailors trained in racing skills.
Many tears were shed when the enforcement notice appeared on the centre's noticeboard. Undaunted, supporters decided to use the internet at its best. They established an online petition late last year. To date, it has recorded several thousand signatures, many of them from current and former students. In comments, some have noted that the school should be encouraged by the city council, rather than, in the words of one contributor, "being harassed by it".
Thankfully, it appears that the council won't be taking this approach as it believes it has no case. If Kavanagh can prove that his containerised centre has been in place for seven years, proceedings may be dropped. "We're now satisfied that no planning enforcement is required, and we are communicating that in writing," a city council spokesman told the Diary. Cathal Kavanagh is anxiously awaiting the letter.