Dublin City Council has advised that very strong easterly wind combined with high tide on Thursday 5th February 2026 resulted in parts of the existing sea wall at Clontarf becoming overtopped by waves at a number of locations. The worst affected area was in the vicinity of Clontarf Baths and Oulton Road, where waves overtopped the sea wall and formed a pool across the full width of the promenade and Clontarf Road, and consequently accessed a number of gardens.
Dublin City Council’s emergency on-call drainage crew responded by protecting gardens with sandbags, with the property owner’s permission, and opening the manholes to drain away the seawater. Dublin City Council has advised that no reports of either house or building flooding from this event have been received to date.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) understands that the Council is planning to prepare an application for funding to the OPW’s Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protect Scheme, to install temporary flood barriers as flood protection in the Clontarf Baths area. The Council's proposal will be similar to the interlocking barriers currently installed near Alfie Byrne Road, as temporary flood protection for Clontarf in advance of the delivery of the permanent scheme. The Council is considering the application against the criteria for this scheme, including the technical and economic requirements.
