Breaking point over abuse of Rann Point

Incidents of anti-social behaviour and evidence of human faeces, beer bottles, and food waste abandoned by the shoreline of one of the county's most celebrated beauty spots, Rann Point, has led to the council to consider introducing bye-laws to better police the area.
Overlooking the historic Clough Oughter Castle, concerns at the landmark scenic viewing point have been heightened by reports a dog was let loose in an attempt to threaten local authority staff attending the site located north east of Killeshandra Town.
Fianna Fáil's Sean Smith, who visited Rann Point only last weekend at the behest of one local resident reported witnessing the remnants of the mess first-hand.
Arising from that, he tabled a motion before last Monday's meeting of representatives to the Cavan-Belturbet Municipal District area calling on the council to better regulate activity in the area.
Along with widespread littering, so shocking he refused to go into detail on, Cllr Smith also highlighted where fencing had been damaged as people dragged wood across in order to light fires by the lake shore.
Senior Area Engineer Derry Scanlan admitted the council were “aware” of the complaints, and likened the situation at Rann to past issues reported on the opposite shoreline at Innishconnell.
He commented: “[Some people] can be aggressive and take over the whole area.”
Council staff had, in the course of their duties, suffered some of the brunt of that behaviour. They were forced to back off when a person with a dog took up a threatening stance to their arrival.
“It needs bye-laws,” Mr Scanlan suggested to Cllr Smith's highlighted concerns, and indicated the local authority was willing to begin to engage with members of An Garda Siochana to examine what enforcements were necessary.
The proposal follows a similar implementation of bye-laws at the Town Lake in Bailieborough, where public drinking is now banned. Arising from that there were calls for such bye-laws to be extended to cover areas such as Castle Lake in the east Cavan town, and also Killykeen Forest Park.
Speaking to The Anglo-Celt after the meeting, Cllr Smith welcomed the move to introduce bye-laws.
“It's a disgrace what's happening up there, after all the work that's been done to promote and highlight the beautiful area that it is. What I'm being told is that there are parties taking place up there no end, with people making it their own. It can be like a festival sometimes. That sort of carry-on is not on. 
“Now there is no problem with people enjoying themselves but there has to be a line drawn where things are being left thrown about, and the place left in a mess. I saw it myself, it is shocking. The council are full-time up there, so regulation and bye-laws I feel is the right way to go on this. At least then the gardaí have some to enforce order.”