The grounds of a small west Clare church are being used for organised public sexual events, commonly known as dogging.Knockerra Church, located just two miles outside of Kilrush, has been identified as one of 14 locations in Clare where public exhibitionist sex is being practiced.
Other sites include a council owned yard on the Miltown Malbay road in Ennis as well as the car park of the Bunratty Woolen Mills.
Local priest, Fr Michael Sheedy, has condemned the actions.
“Apart from this happening on church grounds this kind of thing should not be happening at all as far as I’m concerned,” said the Kilrush parish priest.
“But the idea that this is happening on church ground makes it all the worse.”
The practice of dogging is a relatively new one, having first come to the attention of the general public around 10 years ago.
It is believed that the advent of the Internet and mobile phone technology has made it easier for interested people to organise dogging events.
In the past dogging has been predominantly confined to urban areas, but indications are that it is on the increase in rural Clare.
The Swinging For Ireland organisation has identified 14 sites in County Clare where dogging has been practiced since 2005. Of these 14 sites, nine new sites have been registered in the past 18 months.
Other locations identified as dogging hot-spots include an area behind the NCT car testing centre on the Quin Road in Ennis, a road past the Railway Bridge in Sixmilebridge, Pier Head in Killaloe, the beach car park in Spanish Point and the Knockalough Lake car park in Kilmihil.
While dogging can occur between one couple watched by a number of observers it can frequently involve more than two people in the sexual congress.
As observation by others is involved and actively encouraged, psychologists have associated voyeurism and exhibitionist personalities with dogging.
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