Taxpayer to foot bill to clear ‘illegal’ dump at Limerick bog
LIMERICK City and County Council (LCCC) has been allocated €4,000 to clean up a local bog which is being used as an illegal dumping site.
Ballymackeogh Bog, which lies adjacent to Gooig Bog near Castleconnell, has been the subject of “constant” illegal dumping over the last number of years.
During an inspection by LCCC in June 2022, it was determined that no dumping had occurred on the Limerick side of the bog which borders County Tipperary but dumping has occurred in the ‘Limerick section’ since the last inspection.
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “The council applied for Anti-Dumping Initiative (ADI) funding for clean-up works at this location. This application was recently approved. Funding for the clean-up at Gooig Bog is €4000.”
During a visit to the bog, this reporter came upon four areas of extensive dumping along the popular walking routes.
A local man who walks the bog “almost every day” with his pet dog has called the dumping “tiring”.
He said he has witnessed dead horses and goats dumped along the sides of the walking path.
According to the resident, barriers have recently been installed to help combat and stop the dumping.
Barriers are now in place at most of the entrances to the bog along the Newport Road however locals insist that one entrance remains open allowing those with the intention of dumping to do so.
At the locations seen by the Limerick Leader, the rubbish which had been dumped included household items such as appliances and furniture.
A washing machine, a couch, used tires, toy tractors and rubbish, which had been set on fire, was also noted at both Ballymackeogh and Gooig Bogs.
Castleconnell native and Fine Gael councillor for the Limerick City East LEA, Michael Murphy called the dumping a “disgrace”.
“There is a build-up of waste constantly there. This is going on a while now.”
Mr Murphy says he was only conscious of dumping on the ‘Tipperary side’ of the bog but says that “different parts of the bog” had been subject to dumping over the years.
LCCC has stated the illegal dumping is not “commercial dumping, it is domestic waste and furniture.”
The clean-up of the bogs is expected to take place over the next six to eight weeks.