By Bella 
The move to substitute the old wooden benches with plastic ones in Kilkee has sparked off a heated debate in this popular seaside resort of County Clare.
In the case when Clare County Council took away about 20 of the traditional blue and white benches and replaced them with brown recycled plastic ones the people felt that they were losing not only a place to sit but also part of their community identity.
The Traditional Benches at Kilkee.
The benches overlooking the seafront of Kilkee were unique landmarks and painted in saffron and blue, the GAA colors of the town.
It was not just any park bench but it represented the local pride and sporting heritage that is entrenched in the community.
The wooden benches were in the most strategic places such as Esplanade prominence, Head car park of George, closer to the old Strand Hotel green space and the old Kilkee Bandstand.
Their blue and white color scheme gave an overall appearance that people could recognise as being part of the character of Kilkee whenever they visited or passed by the locals.
Rationales of Change in Clare County Council
Officials of the council justified the bench replacement program by legitimate maintenance problems. The initial wooden bench was heavily worn due to weather conditions such as salt air, strong winds and heavy rains that are common in the Irish Atlantic coast.
Wooden benches had to be maintained regularly: they needed to be repainted, sealed, and treated so that they did not rot and get spoiled.
The plastic substitutes which had been recycled were even more promising with less up-keep expenses with high resistance to marine surroundings.
Practically, recycled materials such as plastic benches do not crack, warp, or suffer any other damage because of weather.
They can be immersed in water, do not rot, and have very little maintenance needs (usually only occasionally, it is necessary to wash them).
Most manufacturers are also available with a warranty up to 20-50 years, which is financially appealing to the municipal budgets.
Response by Community: Not Only Benches.
Reception of the bench replacement on the local level has been very negative. People talk about how they felt blindsided by this new change, especially angering since they were not consulted when making the changes.
The plastic benches of Brown color contradict the traditional appearance of Kilkee. Residents believe that generic town furnishings are taking the character out of the town and that anything meaningful in the town as a heritage sign is replaced by the seating that might be found anywhere in Ireland.
The displacement particularly targeted the main tourist destinations. Four benches were cleared over the Esplanade promenade, another five over by the old Strand Hotel and dozens more were cleared over George Head and the bandstand- all high-profile spots where the traditional color scheme helped create the visual aspect of Kilkee.
The GAA Association: Cultural Implication.
It is important to understand the controversy because of the GAA heritage of Clare. The colors of counties hold significant connotation within the Irish societies, both as a tradition of sporting activities, a sense of pride and community unifying factors that bring about the County life together with the generations of shared experiences.
The saffron and blue colors developed by Clare are evident in Brian Boru, who supposedly brought these colors during the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
The crest of Clare GAA includes the symbols that celebrate the O’Brien family, and the Celtic interlocking knots, and the county motto Na ceada sa g-cath; Na deigheanaaca as (The first into battle, the last out of it).
Killeen built visual links to community identity and public infrastructure by the painting of benches in GAA colors. This significant connection is cut by the sterile brown substitutes.
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Environmental Considerations
The county council of Clare highlighted the environmental impact of recycled plastic benches.
These benches are manufactured using 100 percent recycled HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and they also keep plastic waste off landfills and give the user a long life outdoor bench.
These environmental benefits are:
- Reduction of waste: Recycling plastic bottles, milk jugs and recyclables.
- Longevity: Spans of decades or generations as compared to 3-20 years of wooden benches.
- Few environmental footprint: No painting of any type, no wood treatments, and minimal replacements.
- Energy conservation: Low maintenance levels decrease the continued use of resources.
Critics however claim that environmental gains should not supersede the preservation of culture. They propose the investigation of the sustainable options that do not change the traditional aesthetics but provide longevity.
The Consultation Gap
The largest complaint is, perhaps, the community consultation. The residents believe that such drastic changes to the character of their town were worth a discussion prior to being implemented.
The correct consultation would have revealed ambivalent solutions between practical demands and heritage conservation. How decisions are viewed made without input of the community has enhanced the opposition even more than the visual change may have brought about.
Tourism Impact Concerns
Kilkee is a destination that is tourist-based, as it has attracted tourists who are interested in getting the Irish culture of the coast.
The local business owners are concerned that the generic infrastructure reduces the uniqueness of the town.
The old fashioned features such as the blue and white benches helped in making Kilkee what they are like; the kind of originality that tourists want to find in the destinations that they visit. The issue is not about aesthetics but also the economic impact of a possibly diminished appeal to visitors.
Possible Solution to Compromise.
Some of the alternatives that have been suggested by the community members in dealing with the maintenance issues as well as heritage preservation are:
- Customization of colors: To preserve GAA relations, it is possible to customize the colors of recycled plastic benches so that they are blue and white, and to have the advantage of durability. The current process of plastic production permits any combination of color.
- Selective replacement: It might be a good idea to keep the original wooden benches in the most important heritage sites and introduce the plastic substitutes to those places where they would be most exposed to the weather, in order to create a compromise between practical and cultural goals.
- Alternative materials: The search to use powder-coated metal, composite materials or other durable materials that can be more helpful to keep the traditional appearances and have better weather resistance.
- Memorial bench program: To provide alternatives that would replace the benches without disturbing the color customs, a program of well-wishing and memorial benches may be provided in blue and white plastic material.
Advantages of Recycled Plastic Benches.
Nevertheless, recycled plastic seating has real benefits that should be taken into account despite the controversy:
- Durability: Extravagant weather, moisture, insect and rot repellency in comparison to wood. None of splitting, warping and cracking even on harsh coastal conditions.
- Easy to maintain: It can be washed with simple soap and water. No painting, staining, sealing or seasoning storage.
- Cost-efficiency: Increased initial expenses are compensated by decades of small maintenance. A single plastic bench will last longer than several wooden replacements.
- Safety: They have no splinters so they can be used in the areas where children and other elderly visitors are to be found.
- Graffiti resistance: Surfaces that are non-porous are simple to clean, which prevents vandalism.
- UV protection: A good bench should have UV stabilizers that are capable of withholding the effects of UV rays, preserving the looks without reproofs.
Lessons in Other Communities.
The Kilkee controversy provides a good learning point to the coastal towns that face such a choice in the infrastructure:
- Form early relationships with communities: Consultation with communities prior to change in community character can help avoid opposition and find compromises.
- Stability vs. tradition: Technical excellence is not always a reason to make changes in case of cultural values.
- Take customization into account: Traditional materials can be customized nowadays to accommodate looks, still keeping traditional looks and offering practical advantages.
- Pilot programs: Before the massive implementation of the new solutions, it is possible to test them on a smaller scale and evaluate how the community is going to react.
Moving Forward
To solve the bench controversy, it is probable that Clare County Council and the community members will have to work together. There are possible directions to go:
- Asking residents what colour to install in future.
- Installing consultation procedures on major infrastructure transformations.
- Designing heritage areas that demand traditional looks.
- Coming up with memorial bench programs that will enable donor selection of colors.
- Gradual replacement with gradual transition and response evaluation.
The ardent neighborhood reaction is an indication of the attachment people have towards factors that make their town unique.
As much as the functional aspects of maintenance are understandable, the cultural importance of the blue and white benches were obviously given much more weight than what officials saw first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the reason why Clare County Council changed the benches?
The council substituted wooden benches citing massive weather damages due to coastal conditions.
The recycled plastic substitutes are more durable, have low maintenance and save a long run cost on the wooden seating that has to be kept in constant repair.
What were the original Kilkee benches, what color were they?
The benches were conventional and painted in blue and white which symbolized the GAA colors of Kilkee (saffron and blue).
These colours have a relation to sporting heritage of Clare and formed the specific image of visual nature along the seashore.
The number of benches changed in Kilkee.
More or less 20 original wooden benches had been taken off and substituted with brown recycled plastic ones.
The Esplanade promenade, Georges head car park, the former Strand hotel grounds and Kilkee bandstand were some of the key locations.
Do recycled plastic benches make it green?
Yes, recycled plastic benches not only avoid the wastage of the landfills, but also, they also do not need any wood harvesting, they do not need many chemicals to maintain them and they last several decades compared to the traditional materials.
Critics however mention that environmental gains should not take precedence over cultural heritage conservation.
Did it consult the Kilkee residents before the bench replacement?
No, and this consultation omission was a huge grievance. People were concerned that major developments that would impact on the visual appearance and cultural identity of their town should be discussed by the community before its execution.
Is it possible to produce recycled plastic benches in other colors?
Yes, modern manufacturing permits used plastic benches in any possible type of color mix. The members of the community proposed that blue and white would offer GAA traditions and at the same time give plastic its durability.
Why are GAA colors meaningful in the Irish communities?
GAA colors symbolize sporting history across the counties, local pride and identity. In Clare, the saffron and blue lead to Brian Boru and are an indication of local history.
Painting these colors on public infrastructure enhances community associations that are not necessarily related to sporting situations.