Anyone living with 5km of Enniscrone beach, or any Sligo beach, can continue to access the beach despite the present Level 5 pandemic restrictions.

Yesterday Sligo county council updated its information concerning the closing of beaches in the county to the public in an effort to reduce people gathering, and in line with current restrictions.

In a statement the local authority said it had received numerous queries from members of the public following the announcement on Tuesday of restrictions on access to beaches and public amenity areas in the county.

It now states that the authority and Sligo gardai have confirmed that people living within a 5km distance of a beach or recreation area are not prevented from accessing the facility. However, social distancing must be observed at all times.

The statement continued, that due to serious concerns over the Christmas  holiday period of large numbers congregating at beaches and other recreation areas in the county and not observing social distancing, access to these areas is now being restricted.

People who have travelled beyond the 5km limit are not permitted access and the gardai will be monitoring the locations to ensure compliance with current national guidelines.