Donegal had the highest number of volunteer beach clean-ups nationally during the Coca Cola Clean Coasts week, which ran last month from June 2 until June 11.
135 registered beach cleanups took place throughout Ireland, with 22 taking place around the coastal area’s of Donegal. This included the 10 mile Wild Atlantic Way Coastal Clean-up for World Oceans Day on June 8, which was the biggest clean up in the country.
Coca-Cola Clean Coasts awareness week is run by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with Coca-Cola and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The event is a celebration of our beautiful coastline and to raise awareness of the importance of keeping beaches clean from litter.
Cathaoirleach Cllr Gerry McMonagle praised the efforts of everyone that took part in the cleanups. “The people of Donegal take enormous pride in their localities and this has been reflected by the number of people who gave up their time to help clean their local beaches. Local communities undertake beach clean ups not just during Clean Coast week but all year round and are a credit to their area,” he said.
It wasn’t all about cleaning up. Many events were help on beaches during the week including Yoga on the Beach, Marram Grass planting and Marine litter talks.
Becky-Finn Britton, Clean Coasts Officer for Donegal, highlighted the importance of the event, “Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week is about fun and informative events with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of protecting our coastline. Coastal celebrations range from beach fitness activities that incorporate clean-ups to talk on the role of marram grass planting in halting coastal erosion.”
A full list of all the Coastal Celebrations & clean up’s that took place can be seen below. Coastal Celebrations:
Yoga and Mindfulness on Rossnowlagh
Marine Litter Talk and Beach Clean with Downings
Tidy Towns, local primary school and Sarah Carr Miss Earth Eco-Warrior award winner Marram Grass Planting at Lisfannon beach with Donegal County Council as part of Marram Grass Planting Day 10 mile Wild Atlantic Way Coastal Cleanup for World Oceans Day
Cleanups:
Scoil Íosagáin (6th class) in Buncrana
Carrigart Tidy Towns – Carrigart Strand
Culdaff Tidy Towns – Culdaff Beach and River Estuary Malin Head Clean Coasts Group Arranmore Island
Killybegs Tidy Towns – Fintra
Holy Cross NS Green-Schools – Dunfanaghy
Greencastle Community Childcare – Greencastle
ISF Donegal Crew – Inch Island
Downings Beach Clean – Downings
11th Donegal Beaver Scouts – Ladies Beach Buncrana
Buncrana Tidy Towns – Ladies Beach Buncrana
Ionad An Mhachaire – Maghery
Iasc na Mara Swimming Club – Thrupenny Pool to Boat Quay in Bundoran
Drumbeg Cleanup Crew – The Warren beach (near Inver)
Keep Cruit Clean – Cruit Island
Dunfanaghy Tidy Towns – Tramore Beach Dunfanaghy
Abbott Ireland Diabetes Care – Murvagh
Rossnowlagh Beach Clean – Rossnowlagh
Kilcar Tidy Towns – Muckross
Coiste Forbairt Oileán Ruaigh – Shores of Island Roy
Downings Tidy Towns – Downings
