Calls for action as litter blights Buncrana beaches during heatwave
Regular visitor says rubbish left by day-trippers is damaging the environment and creating safety hazards, while Buncrana Tidy Towns volunteers step up beach clean-ups.
Calls have been made for stronger measures to tackle littering on Buncrana's beaches after large volumes of rubbish were left strewn across the shoreline during the recent spell of warm weather.
Former Derry community worker Frankie McMenamin, a regular visitor to Buncrana, contacted the Inishowen Independent after witnessing the aftermath of hundreds of day-trippers visiting the town's beaches.
Mr McMenamin said the amount of litter left behind was damaging the environment and creating a hazard for beach users.
“I saw a lot of young people drunk on the beach. I was young myself once, so I know how it is. But there were bottles getting washed into the water. Even broken toys. Lots of plastic.
“That's bad all round, for wildlife as well as for the people visiting the beach,” he continued. “With broken bottles, I'd be worried of a child or someone walking along and getting badly cut.
“People have to respect the beaches. It's not just young people, it's adults leaving stuff behind as well.
“There was towels, blankets, bottles, sun cream containers all left behind.”
While he acknowledged large crowds had travelled to Buncrana to enjoy the good weather, Mr McMenamin said the responsibility for the litter did not rest with local people.
“It's not the Buncrana people doing this. It's people from my own town - I recognised a lot of faces - and other places.”
And he believes more should be done to manage the problem.
“I don't think the council in Buncrana is doing enough to deal with and police this,” he said. “There could be staff on the beach distributing bags for the rubbish.”
Mr McMenamin said other countries appeared to cope better with busy beaches.
“Friends told me that in some other countries there are patrols and on-the-spot fines for dumping stuff.
He also highlighted the lack of toilet facilities at Porthaw beach, saying the issue had surprised visitors from overseas.
“I'm a regular visitor to it, and sometimes rent a house down there,” he said. “There really needs to be toilets put in at Ned's Point.
“I was speaking to a couple of foreign tourists down there who were looking for toilets, and were shocked to be told there was none and they'd have to go behind the bushes.
“There were portable toilets down there one time, but they were vandalised. To be honest, I think the council needs to put in vandal proof toilets that can be locked up at night.”
Appealing directly to beachgoers, Mr McMenamin urged visitors to dispose of their rubbish responsibly.
“I'd ask people who are going to the beach to bring bags with them, and put their rubbish in that.
“Even if the council isn't emptying the bins as often as they should, at least if rubbish was bagged and left beside them there wouldn't be such a mess.
“We all want to use and enjoy the beach.
“We need to protect it, not just for ourselves but also for the sea-life.
“Have a bit of respect.”
Meanwhile, Buncrana Tidy Towns volunteers have been working flat out during the warm weather, carrying out regular beach clean-ups in addition to their normal litter-picking rounds throughout the town and filling countless refuse sacks.
Their efforts come during the national Tidy Towns judging period, when litter can have a significant impact on the overall score. Buncrana is a serial gold medal winner in the national competition, and the prospect of becoming Ireland’s Tidiest Town is within reach.