Peter O’Donnell from Arranmore a Clean Coasts Ocean Hero 2022 award nominee

Peter O’Donnell from Arranmore island has been nominated for a Clean Coasts Ocean Hero 2022 award.

Peter is shortlisted for the Individual of the Year, which is a category that acknowledges those individuals who initiate change and inspire others to do more to protect and conserve their coastline.   

He faces competition for the award from Anne Nolan, Tramore Eco Group, Co Waterford; Sean Ferguson, Co Wexford; Liam Keane, Bettystown Tidy Towns, Co Meath; Peter O’Donnell, Arranmore Island Clean Coasts, Co. Donegal; Jess Leahy, Clean Coasts Ballynamona, Co Cork. 

Each year, the Ocean Hero Awards honour the invaluable contribution Clean Coasts volunteers, groups and communities have made towards conserving our spectacular coastline. The awards, originally called the ‘Clean Coasts Merit Awards’, were conceived in 2006, consisting of only one category, ‘The Clean Coasts Group of the Year’.    

2021 saw three Donegal groups be shortlisted across three categories. These included Friends of Rossnowlagh for the Group of the Year category, Clare Wall (a member of Friends of Rossnowlagh) in the Individual of the Year category and Scoil Mhuire Buncrana in the Youth of the Year category. 

Clean Coasts is a charity programme, run through the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, which engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. Clean Coasts works with communities to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life. 

The in-person awards ceremony will be taking place on Tuesday,  November 22.