DUBLIN – The latest survey from Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) has found that the majority of Ireland’s beaches and harbours are “clean,” a significant improvement from previous years. The survey, conducted in June and July, assessed 33 coastal areas and found that while three were “littered,” none were classified as “heavily littered.”
The three seaside areas found to be “littered” were Daingean Uí Chúis (Dingle), Co Kerry; Cuan an Mhada (Dog’s Bay), Co Galway; and White Bay, Co Cork.
Conor Horgan from IBAL noted the “tremendous improvement” in cleanliness, particularly highlighting that over half of the sites surveyed were deemed clean. He credited this positive trend to the work of volunteer groups, investment by local councils in new facilities, and legislative measures like the Deposit Return Scheme.
Notable improvements were seen in areas that had previously been “littered.” Portmarnock Beach in Dublin, which was “littered” in the last survey, is now rated “clean.” Similar improvements were observed at Blackrock Castle and Castletownbere in Cork.
The most common types of litter found were sweet wrappers, plastic bottles, and cans. While the survey found a decrease in the prevalence of vapes compared to previous years, there was no reduction in litter from coffee cups, which were present in 42% of the surveyed areas.
