Appeal to public not to swim at Tipperary quarry lake following discovery of decomposing body of horse

A renewed appeal to the public not to swim at a south Tipperary quarry lake has been issued following the discovery of the decomposing body of a horse there last weekend.

The dead animal was found in a cove area at the “Blue Lagoon” at Lagganstown between Golden and New Inn last Saturday when water levels dropped due to the heatwave.

The lake at the former limestone quarry is a popular swimming spot, particularly with young people.

But Tipperary County Council and gardaí have repeatedly issued annual appeals to the public not to swim there as it is a dangerous location not manned by lifeguards. Golden’s Cllr Michael Fitzgerald has added his voice to these appeals in the wake of the discovery of the dead horse as it highlights how the lake is not just physically dangerous but is also a location for illegal dumping.

He was at the “Blue Lagoon” with Tipperary County Council environment officers on Monday morning when the horse was removed from the lake and reports the stench from the body was overwhelming and the water in the area of the lake it was found in was discoloured due to the bodily fluids leaking from its decomposing body.

“The Blue Lagoon is dangerous to swim in anyway. They say it’s bottomless and there are no lifeguards and no lifebuoys,” he said.

“When you walk into the site it looks like the Mediterranean with the blue water. It’s so inviting when you get on one of the stone ledges to dive in but people don’t know what they are diving into.”

He said people may have unknowingly swam in the area where the horse was dumped when it wasn’t visible before the water level fell or if they came to the lagoon from an angle where the smell wasn’t wafting.

The FG councillor pointed out the lagoon and the area around it was also used as a rubbish tip. “There are tyres and every kind of dirt dumped in the Lagoon. It’s just horrible.” Marion O’Neill of Tipperary County Council’s Environment Section also appealed to the public not to swim at the Blue Lagoon and hopes people take notice of the warning during the current heatwave.

She said the dead horse was removed from the lake on Monday morning and brought to a local knackery. She hadn’t received a report from the knackery in relation to the cause of death.

She said the “Blue Lagoon” was privately owned and confirmed the illegal dumping of rubbish has been a problem there but she was not aware of any recent incidents.