Primrose cleans up (with the help of her grandchildren)

Primrose Rankin is a lady on a mission. What started off as an attempt to do a quick clean up along her own road, has turned into a full scale clean-up for Primrose and her grandchildren.

A nana with seven grandchildren, Primrose Rankin has spent every spare minute over the last number of weeks cleaning up litter and rubbish dumped by others.

“Now that I have started I don’t seem to be able to stop” laughs Primrose Rankin.

“When I walk or drive along the road the amount of rubbish is shameful and no-one else seems to see it. I contacted the Council a few weeks ago about getting some help to do a clean-up along our road and I got speaking to one of the girls who gave me the number of the Litter Warden Martin Roarty. Martin contacted me and that’s how I got started.”

“I am amazed at some of the things people throw away along the road. For instance, I have picked up a roasting tin, with the spuds still stuck to it. Nappies, underwear, drink tins you name it, and you will find it along the road. One day I found a bag with 80 green beer bottles dumped behind a hedge. I couldn’t believe that someone would do that especially when there is a bottle bank where you can dispose of the bottles free of charge up the road. I just can’t understand the mentality of some people.”

Primrose is employed as a carer with Home Instead and finds that even on her way home from work she is stopping along the road to pick up rubbish. “I was coming home the last night and I must have stopped about 15 times to pick up rubbish along the road” laughs Primrose.

“This weekend I cleaned from the bottom of Killyclung along Rathdonnell where the school is until I reached Trentagh School, then to Boyles Fish Farm and then from Trentagh School up by Clooncarney to Terhillion and then from Trentagh School the whole way to Kilmacrennan. I collected 31 bags of rubbish. I will contact the Councils Litter Warden and he will arrange to collect this rubbish from me.”

Primrose is very grateful for all the support she has received and her greatest support has come from her grandchildren.

“I have taken Amyleigh (9), Brooklyn (6) and Kensie (6) out with me on a few occasions and they have been a great help. They can’t understand why people throw rubbish and litter along our roads and Amyleigh passed the remark that even though they are only children, they are cleaning up after adults who should know better. These people who drop rubbish and litter have no shame”.

Primrose has no intention of stopping now and will continue on her quest for a cleaner, litter free countryside.

Martin Roarty Litter Warden with Donegal County Council has commended the great work that Primrose has done. “The work that Primrose has done over the last few weeks is outstanding. Every time I get a call from Primrose she doesn’t have one or two bags of rubbish for collection but 10, 20 or 30 bags and it is just Primrose and her grandchildren doing the work. She really deserves full credit for all this work”.

If you would like to take part in the Big Donegal Clean Up by organising a clean-up in your area contact the Council on 074 91 53900 for more information.

Primrose Rankin with bags of rubbish she collected

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