Safety of winkles on Sandymount beach?

Blub2k4

I was down on the beach today in sandymount and on the way I noticed a large bed of winkles and there were also a lot of muscles farther on. I was wondering would they be safe to eat, being that it's near Poolbeg and all that. They were all alive, the beach was still very moist in the area. The muscles were all still closed.
Razor fish from the same area would also interest me but I'm wary of the pollution levels etc.

Does anyone know how safe the shellfish etc would be from the area?

Thanks.

Santa Claus

I'd be wary of any shellfish from Dublin bay, although I see a lot of people collecting mussels on Dollymount beach recently.

Blub2k4

Santa Claus wrote:

I'd be wary of any shellfish from Dublin bay, although I see a lot of people collecting mussels on Dollymount beach recently.

Dublin Bay Prawn included?

luckat

Completely unsafe, tainted by sewage. Do not under any circumstances think of dreaming of considering trying to eat them. People pick them, but that's for bait.

Sandymount was the centre of the big polio outbreak of 1956, when the sewage started getting serious there. They've now built a new sewage scheme, but it's not working very well - viz the stench across most of Dublin 4 all last summer and part of this summer.

If you want a scare, hunt out Sinead McCool's exhibition on republican women of the 1912-23 era, which was in Rathmines Library last time I noticed. One of these women (forget which) was the only surviving child of her family.

In June 1880 (when Dublin was a lot smaller and cleaner than today), she was five, and was living with her family in Seapoint. Her dad went out to work in his job at the Freeman's Journal, and mammy and five (six?) children and maid were at home.

Two of the little girls went out and collected some shellfish, and these were cooked as a treat for lunch. But our future republican was being bold, so she was sent upstairs with no dinner.

An hour after eating, the first child became so ill that the mother sent the maid for the doctor. When he arrived, the first child was dying and the others were falling ill. The mother nursed all of them as they died, until she herself died, as did the maid.

When the father came home, he discovered his whole family dead - except for the bold child, who was playing unconcernedly upstairs, not having realised anything was going on.

Few foods are so instantly fatal as tainted shellfish. Never, ever, ever pick shellfish from anywhere that there's sewage - shellfish filter the nutrients (and also botulism and the like) out of the water and concentrate it in their bodies.

In fact, even when I buy farmed or wild shellfish I'll always do as I was taught as a sprog, and leave it overnight in lots of fresh cold water, changed at least three times, with a handful of oatmeal in the water, so the shellfish will filter out any sand they might have.

But eat shellfish from Sandymount Strand? Yikes!

Blub2k4

Ok thanks, my instincts were correct as to the state of the beach, I remember what it was like in the 80's and it wasn't pleasant.

I also knew shellfish concetrate heavy metals and general detritus in their systems, I wasn't aware that they collect disease.

I just wasn't sure as to the present state of the place.

subway

luckat wrote:

lots of words

its a wonder any of us are still alive at all!!!!

Santa Claus

luckat wrote:

Completely unsafe, tainted by sewage. Do not under any circumstances think of dreaming of considering trying to eat them. People pick them, but that's for bait.

Sandymount was the centre of the big polio outbreak of 1956, when the sewage started getting serious there. They've now built a new sewage scheme, but it's not working very well - viz the stench across most of Dublin 4 all last summer and part of this summer.

If you want a scare, hunt out Sinead McCool's exhibition on republican women of the 1912-23 era, which was in Rathmines Library last time I noticed. One of these women (forget which) was the only surviving child of her family.

In June 1880 (when Dublin was a lot smaller and cleaner than today), she was five, and was living with her family in Seapoint. Her dad went out to work in his job at the Freeman's Journal, and mammy and five (six?) children and maid were at home.

Two of the little girls went out and collected some shellfish, and these were cooked as a treat for lunch. But our future republican was being bold, so she was sent upstairs with no dinner.

An hour after eating, the first child became so ill that the mother sent the maid for the doctor. When he arrived, the first child was dying and the others were falling ill. The mother nursed all of them as they died, until she herself died, as did the maid.

When the father came home, he discovered his whole family dead - except for the bold child, who was playing unconcernedly upstairs, not having realised anything was going on.

Few foods are so instantly fatal as tainted shellfish. Never, ever, ever pick shellfish from anywhere that there's sewage - shellfish filter the nutrients (and also botulism and the like) out of the water and concentrate it in their bodies.

In fact, even when I buy farmed or wild shellfish I'll always do as I was taught as a sprog, and leave it overnight in lots of fresh cold water, changed at least three times, with a handful of oatmeal in the water, so the shellfish will filter out any sand they might have.

But eat shellfish from Sandymount Strand? Yikes!

Lets get a reality check here....The sewage treatment system has come on a lot since 1880 and 1956!
(I still wouldn't eat anything that came from the beach mind)

luckat

Sure, the sewage system has come on since 1880 and 1956, but remember that in the *1940s* Dublin had just 240,000 of a population. Much lower in 1880, I assume. So there were a lot fewer people producing sewage processed by the system than today's 1.5m or so. And our new improved sewage system was built to contain the expected population, not to serve the huge population that's rapidly growing. :eek:

I know that's a bit of a scéal mór an úafás, but of all places in Ireland to eat shellfish, Sandymount would be the one I'd be most cautious of - against strong competition.

Geordie_Girl

The only thing that made me think was the actual amount of wildlife that was on the beach, it was teeming with it literally, so that made me think that it cant be all that badly polluted, or was my thinking wrong there?

Blub2k4

Mareth wrote:

The only thing that made me think was the actual amount of wildlife that was on the beach, it was teeming with it literally, so that made me think that it cant be all that badly polluted, or was my thinking wrong there?

Damn this was me, gonna have to remember to check that the girlfriend has logged out.

Gilgamesh

/me points finger at Blub2k4 HAHA

Shabadu

Gilgamesh wrote:

/me points finger at Blub2k4 HAHA

Don't worry Gilgamesh, one day YOU'LL have a girlfriend and won't have to cover up your insecurities w/ teasing. ;p

Anyway, there is no way I'd go near shellfish from the east coast of Ireland. Not a hope. I try to only buy fish that's been caught in the Atlantic too, depending on what we're having. The Irish Sea is also the most radioactive sea on the planet. Yum.

Blub2k4

Shabadu wrote:

Anyway, there is no way I'd go near shellfish from the east coast of Ireland. Not a hope. I try to only buy fish that's been caught in the Atlantic too, depending on what we're having. The Irish Sea is also the most radioactive sea on the planet. Yum.

mmmmradiation.....

Irishpimpdude

Emm wonder if theres any 3 eyed fish like in the simpsons...

subway

i heard your much better off with radioactive spiders.

luckat

I wouldn't trust the fact that there are other animals than humans eating things and not visibly dying. Their mileage may vary.

Contact these guys if you want to ask about where it's safe to pick shellfish:

http://www.marine.ie/scientific+services/monitoring/shellfish+safety/index.htm