BOYNE AND CLOGHERHEAD ARE ‘LITTERED’

A new survey has revealed that both the River Boyne and Clogherhead Beach are heavily littered, with the Drogheda Port area singled out for particular criticism.

The nationwide survey, using data accumulated from An Taisce studies of beaches, harbours, rivers and their immediate environs, concluded that both areas were well behind in terms of reaching European standards of cleanliness.

In fact, just four areas of 50 surveyed nationwide were deemed to be clean to European norms. While the Rover Boyne and Clogherhead beach were not deemed litter blackspots, the lowest categorisation in the survey, it was found there is much work to do to improve both areas.

‘What was most striking walking beside the river was the way in which some parts were very nicely presented and maintained with just a litter,’ the River Boyne report stated. ‘But once within the area under ‘Drogheda Port’, it was a completely different story – this stretch was not just poorly maintained, but neglected with very high levels of litter.

‘ The street level car park for Scotch Hall Shopping Centre was generally fine with regards to litter but an area behind the green railings, on the river side, was heavily littered – (with) all manner of food and beverage related litter and occasional other items e.g plastic bucket, rope and debris.’

In regards to Clogherhead, the beach was regarded as ‘generally poorly managed’, especially related to marine type litter.

‘Many of the litter bins were full/overflowing, resulting in further litter in the immediate vicinity of the bins,’ the report said. ‘Fishing crates were being used as unofficial bins. Harbour itself was littered with care tyres, oil cans, a ladder and other fishing related materials.’

Balbriggan and Skerries beaches fared better than Louth with ‘Littered’ and ‘Moderately Littered’ categorisations.