Thoughtless litter louts have become scourge of Ireland
Irresponsible day-trippers and campers are leaving a disgusting mess at many of our beauty spots, writes Louise McBride
IT ALL kicks off on a Friday afternoon. Rucksack-laden youths make their way past my home to head to Lough Dan. Many of them are carrying crates of beer. Some are pushing shopping trolleys full of alcohol and firewood. Others are dragging heavy trolley cases which clink and clank behind them as they make their way down the 20-minute trail to the lake.
Sadly, much of what is taken down to the lake shore by some of these campers is left there.
I live in the Wicklow Mountains opposite a well-known trailhead for Lough Dan. This is a popular walk with hikers, particularly in the summer months. Lough Dan is a stunning ribbon lake in the middle of a mountain valley surrounded by deep woods, green fields and rugged mountains.
Unfortunately, its beautiful shores — and the fields nearby — have been blighted this summer by rubbish left by some campers. Beer cans, beer bottles, raw and cooked meat, broken glass, barbecue grills and fire pits, plastic bags, plastic bottles, sweet wrappers, used toilet paper, cigarette butts, broken umbrellas and discarded clothing have all been left behind.
So, too, have tents, inflatable camping beds, sleeping bags, trolley cases and picnic chairs. Some campers have even cut down trees for firewood.
There are no sanitary facilities. Given the sheer numbers of people camping there in recent weeks, I dread to think what my children might step in if I allow them to paddle or walk along the sandy beach.
Wildlife is also at stake. There are deer, red squirrels, otters, foxes, hares, hedgehogs and bats here. I have seen birds which I have never seen in the city — such as woodpeckers and kingfishers.
Lough Dan is not a designated camping site. Much of the land around the lake is private. There is a ‘no camping’ sign on the trailhead which is blatantly ignored. Signs advising people that camping is prohibited were pulled down by some irate campers earlier in the summer.
It breaks my heart to see the complete lack of respect some have for such a beautiful spot. There are similar stories all across the country. Parts of the Glenmalure Valley in Wicklow have been destroyed. A number of beaches in Kerry and Cork have also been ruined.
Every summer, beauty spots around Ireland are littered by thoughtless people who see nothing wrong with walking away from a place where they picnicked or camped at — without even attempting to pick up their rubbish. However, this is the worst I have seen.
My neighbour — a farmer in his early 70s — has spent most of his Sunday mornings since Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were eased in early June picking up rubbish left by campers.
The Government has urged us to holiday at home this summer and rightly so if this saves lives. It shouldn’t have to tell us to pick up our litter and take our rubbish home and to respect our surroundings. So for God’s sake, if you’re a camper, hiker or day-tripper — leave nothing behind but your footprints.