Regular swimmers in Salthill expressed concerns this week that barriers installed on the Blackrock Diving Tower were ‘the beginning of the end’ for the almost 70-year-old iconic amenity.

This comes after a ‘health and safety’ intervention from Galway City Council resulted in the blocking of all exits off the middle section of the tower last week.

Over the weekend, divers were stunned to find the second level of the tower rendered useless as new barriers were erected closing off all access points.

Area councillors were contacted by outraged divers and, having not been informed of the move in advance, they were later informed that the works had been “done on safety grounds”.

In an email to councillors, seen by the Galway City Tribune, it was set out that just two access points were due to be closed off, while two others had been blocked ‘by mistake’.

“Galway City Council had a contractor in to close off two of the access points on the middle platform of the tower. These are the jumping points directly below the jumping points on the top platform.

“There were issues with people jumping off the middle and top platforms at these locations at the same time, putting themselves at risk of landing on top of each other.

“The contractor mistakenly closed off all points on the middle platform. Once we were made aware of this, Galway City Council organised the removal of two of the barriers that were put in incorrectly.”

The “mistakenly” placed barriers, which were measured and made to size, have since been removed.

Local Councillor Clodagh Higgins (FG) said no information about these plans had been given to local representatives in advance of the move, nor had regular swimmers been told about the works.

Pictured: One of the new barriers erected at the middle level of the Blackrock Tower.