By Sean ORiordan

Thursday, August 23, 2012

One of the seven Cork beaches closed due to pollution had more than six times the EU permissible limit for the potentially fatal bacteria E.coli.

It emerged yesterday that a test reading taken at Oysterhaven, near Kinsale, last week showed an E.coli presence of 12,033 particles per 100ml of water. The maximum safe limit is 2,000 per 100ml.

Thats significantly more than Youghal Front Strand, which had a reading of 7,701.

Cork County Council said it expects further test results to be known this morning. However, its unlikely that all seven beaches will get the all-clear.

Further tests were also carried out yesterday at Youghals two other beaches in Redbarn and Claycastle, as well as Garryvoe, Garretstown, Oysterhaven, and Coolmaine, near Kilbrittain. The results of those will be known tomorrow.

Children, meanwhile, were enjoying water sports in Oysterhaven yesterday.

A spokeswoman for the Oysterhaven Centre which specialises in marine pursuits said programmes had been adapted to ensure children, in particular, "were in boats on the water and not in the water".

She said all swimming activities had been cancelled in line with advice from the local authority. That would continue until water quality, locally, had improved.

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Beach pollution six times EU limit