STUNNING IMAGES TO MAKE YOU LOVE YOUR COAST

Clean Coasts Announces Winners of Love Your Coast Photography Competition, Showcasing the Beauty of the Irish Coast.

3^rd November | Today, Clean Coasts proudly announced the winning photographers of the 14^th edition of the Love Your Coast photography competition. With a prize fund of €6,000, the competition has attracted hundreds of photographers all around Ireland this year, receiving a record number of over 1,300 entries.

Stephen Dunbar, with his “Humpback Feeding”, captured in Broadhaven Bay, Co. Mayo won the “Photographer of the Year” title and 1^st place in the Wildlife and the Coast category.

About the picture, Stephen said: “This image of a Humpback Whale was captured in Broadhaven Bay. I watched the whale feeding the day before from land. The next day, I was lucky enough to get out on a rib with Brendan and Marcus from IWDG. We first encountered two huge Basking Sharks when they came over to our boat. After that, we found the Humpback Whale feeding in the bay with a handful of Minke Whales and lots of common Dolphins. Many birds feed in the bay, including Kittiwakes, which are seen in the image, along with Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills.”

Winners in other categories included:

• Coastal Landscape: Peter Vandermeersch, Horizon, Bray, Co. Wicklow
• Coastal Heritage: Karol Ryan, Sturgeon Moon, Ballycotton, Ballycotton, Co. Cork
• People and the Coast: Megan Gayda, The Ocean Flare, Co. Clare
• Underwater: Derek Bolton, Emerald Jewel, Sovereign Island, Co. Cork
• Protectors of the Coast: Robert Ledwith, A Ray of Hope, Co. Clare

For a full list of top 10 images in each category and runners-up, please see the editor’s notes.

In 2023, Clean Coasts celebrated its 20th anniversary. Since 2003, Clean Coasts has been working with communities to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life. Since 2010, the Love Your Coast photography competition has been a celebration of all the beauty and uniqueness of the Irish coast, that Clean Coasts volunteers work to protect.

As part of its commitments under the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive and OSPAR’s Marine Litter Action Plan, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is proud to support An Taisce’s ‘Clean Coasts Programme’, in its enthusiastic engagement with marine communities in relation to marine litter and in heightening public awareness and influencing positive behaviour among civil society.

Clean Coasts is also sponsored by Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority.  The Green Coast Awards and associated Clean Coasts groups act as custodians for the beaches, seas, and marine life in Ireland, ensuring that they are managed appropriately and that they are litter and pollution free for our visitors to enjoy.

“ Love Your Coast mission extends beyond a mere photography competition,” stated Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager. “Our coastal and marine environment form an integral part of Ireland’s identity. Through this competition, we invite the people in Ireland to appreciate, celebrate, and safeguard our coast, echoing the dedication of our over 2,000 volunteer groups working tirelessly to protect our marine environment.”

The Love Your Coast photography competition stands as a testament to Ireland’s coastal beauty and character, encapsulated through the lens of photographers who take part in the competition year after year. Clean Coasts wants to congratulate all the winning and shortlisted photographers and thank them for being part of this year’s celebrations.

END

Images can be found here:https://cleancoasts.exposure.co/love-your-coast-2023-images

A video announcement can be found here: https://youtu.be/PEBJgOURAtc

Shortlisted and winning entries:

COASTAL LANDSCAPE

1. Peter Vandermeersch, Horizon, Bray, Co. Wicklow
2. Piotr Machowczyk, Kilfarrasy Winter Session, Kilfarrasy, Co. Waterford
3. Peter Bijsterveld, Oyster Beds in the Morning, Woodstown Beach, Co. Waterford
4. Adrian Hendroff Sea, Cliffs and Stars, Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare
5. Conor Corbett, Winter at Glassilaun Beach, Co.Galway, Glassilaun Beach, Co. Galway
6. Myles Lambert, What Once Was, Connemara, Co. Galway
7. Rob Plant, Waiting for the Tide River Scorid entering Fermoyle Strand, Castlegregory, Co. Kerry
8. Darragh Gorman, Electric Sea, Donegal Bay, Co. Donegal
9. Darragh Gorman, Northern Delight, Cliffoney Bay, Co. Sligo
10. Zhi Jun Jin, Bad Eddie, Bunbeg, Co. Donegal

COASTAL HERITAGE

1. Karol Ryan, Sturgeon Moon, Ballycotton, Ballycotton, Co. Cork
2. Todor Tilev, Abandoned Ship, Hook Peninsula, Co. Wexford
3. Piotr Machowczyk, Blackhead Lighthouse, Co. Clare, Black Head, The Burren, Co.Clare
4. Declan Roche, Sunset at Hook Lighthouse, Hook Lighthouse, Co. Wexford
5. Myles Lambert, One Golden Glance, Hook Head, Co. Wexford
6. Pawel Zygmunt, Liffey, Dublin
7. Tadhg O’Connell, Northern Gannets Gathering, Bull Rock, West Cork
8. Leszek Pawella, Skellig, Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry
9. Kathy Masterson, Bád Eddie Magheraclogher Beach, Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal
10. Michelle Duffy, Doe Castle Views, Creeslough, Co. Donegal

PEOPLE AND THE COAST

1. Megan Gayda, The Ocean Flare, Co. Clare
2. Kevin Doyle, Rescue 117, Tramore, Co. Waterford
3. Ryan Murray, Cahersiveen in Seine Mood, Cahersiveen, Co. Kerry
4. Francisco Romo, Summer Swimmers, Vico Baths, Killiney, Co. Dublin
5. Des Byrne, Calvin Klein, Naylors Cove, Bray, Co. Wicklow
6. Todor Tilev, At the Cave at Boyeeghter Bay, Boyeeghter Bay, Co. Donegal
7. Christine Taylor, Flat Out, Laytown Beach, Co. Meath
8. Fran Cassidy, Achill Surfers, Keel Strand, Achill Island, Co. Mayo
9. Peter Vandermeersch, New Year in Ireland, Bray, Co. Wicklow
10. Terry Conroy, Marching to the Pipes, Dooagh, Achill, Co. Mayo

UNDERWATER

1. Derek Bolton, Emerald Jewel, Sovereign Island, Co. Cork
2. Ryan Murray, Basking Shark Plankton Buffet, Ventry Bay, Co. Kerry
3. Richard O’ Donnell, Sun Bathing Compass Jellyfish, The Birds, Valentia Island, Co. Kerry
4. Ivan Donoghue, Collision Avoidance, Saltee Islands, Co. Wexford
5. Maria McSweeney, Moon Jellyfish Bloom, Inis Mor, Co. Galway
6. Ivan Donoghue, Permission To Land, Hook Head, Co. Wexford
7. Shazia Waheed, Shore Clingfish, Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford
8. Maja Stankovski, My First Basking Shark, Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry
9. Mark Thomas, Plaice Face, Aughrus Bay, Claddaghduff, Co. Galway
10. Rory Maccanna, Common Blenny, Trá an Dóilín, Co. Galway

WILDLIFE AND THE COAST

1. Stephen Dunbar, Humpback Feeding, Broadhaven Bay, Co. Mayo
2. Karol Waszkiewicz, Godwit Digging Skills, Black Rock, Co. Kerry
3. Donal Power, Storm Chaser, Outcrop off Greater Saltee Island, Co. Wexford
4. Christopher Howes, Time to Ourselves, Briedshead, Co. Wicklow
5. Pat Somers, Little Egret with Mullet, Ferrybank, Co. Wexford
6. Ailish Treviss, Sunbathing Babes, Seal Island, Glengarriff, Co. Cork
7. Declan Roche, Homeward Bound, Saltee Islands, Co. Wexford
8. Graham Murphy, Elegant and Beauty, Dingle, Co. Kerry
9. Caoimhe Tyndall, Ringed Plover, Bundoran, Co. Donegal
10. Liam Mc Laughlin, Cormorant in Full Mating Colours, Inch Island Wildlife Reserve, Co. Donegal

PROTECTORS OF THE COAST

1. Robert Ledwith, A Ray of Hope, Co. Clare
2. Alan Davis, Loopers on a Log, Co. Wexford
3. May Burns, The Beach Cleaners, Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo

Over 46 tonnes of litter removed across Ireland for the Big Beach Clean this September

28th September 2023 | In an extraordinary display of environmental stewardship and community spirit, 7,700 Clean Coasts volunteers rolled up their sleeves and removed a staggering over 46 tonnes of litter all across the country as part of the Big Beach Clean. That is the equivalent of 12 hippos! 

Supported by Cully and Sully, the Big Beach Clean is part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) organized by the Ocean Conservancy, and it entails an annual call-to-action for individuals, families, and communities to join forces to carry out a clean-up at the end of the bathing season and join a worldwide citizen science project.    

The Big Beach Clean flagship event organised in conjunction with Cully and Sully took place today, Thursday 28th September from 10:30am-12:30pm in Youghal Redbarn Beach, in Cork, to wrap up the initiative. Cully and Sully provided warm soup and kit for supporters who attended. The event marked the end of a successful and busy summer for Clean Coasts volunteers, as well as a celebration of Sustainable Development Goals Week. Among the participants, there were several schools, including 4th class Gaelscoil Chorain, Youghal and Glamire Community College from the city suburbs. Glanmire Community College were eager to collect data about cigarette and vape litter for their BT Young Scientist project. 

During the event, volunteers collected an additional 260.5kg of litter, including a couch and door. In addition to the usual litter items, such as cigarette butts and plastic items, volunteers found a Teddy bear and fishing gear. Youghal had been badly hit by Storm Agnes with a roof blowing off a building on Front Strand.

This year’s Big Beach Clean was also part of Clean Coasts 20th anniversary celebrations, and the charity programme was delighted to see volunteers from all walks of life, including community groups, Tidy Towns associations, students, families, local businesses, and environmental enthusiasts, unite with a shared commitment to tackle marine litter.  

Cully and Sully, who sponsored the initiative commented: “What a tremendous clean-up effort by the nation again this year. It’s mind blowing to think nearly 8,000 people took some time this September to come clean up Ireland’s shores and waterways. We hope this campaign has helped bring an awareness of the importance of preventing waste, disposing of it correctly and recycling where possible.”

What’s next? 

The next crucial step for volunteers who joined the initiative is for them to record the types and quantities of litter they collected on their local coastlines. By participating in this citizen science project, volunteers will contribute valuable data that will shape future campaigns and strategies aimed at preserving our oceans. 

By recording the amount and types of litter collected, volunteers contribute to a comprehensive overview of the marine litter problem. The information collected is used to shape Clean Coasts’ campaigns, events and resources for volunteers, initiating targeted actions against the top litter offenders. For instance, in 2022, the top three items recorded during the Big Beach Clean weekend were cigarette butts, plastic food wrappers and plastic pieces. These results were a starting point for the development of the Clean Coasts Anti-Smoking Litter campaign, as well as the creation of new resources for the Break Up With Plastic campaign.   

Furthermore, data collected are shared with Ocean Conservancy, who will use the information received to create reports and advocate around the world to tackle ocean trash at a global scale. 

Overall summer achievements and Sustainable Development Goals 

The success of the Big Beach Clean campaign comes at the end of a summer full of environmental initiatives by local groups.  

Clean Coasts is a charity programme, run through the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, which is one the SDGs Champions for 2023-24. Throughout the summer, Clean Coasts, working in conjunction with local communities, has been working once again towards achieving and promoting the Sustainable Development Goals through a series of initiatives and campaigns, focussing in particular on SDGs 3, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. 

Working in partnership with Uisce Éireann to promote the Think Before You Flush and Think Before You Pour campaigns, Clean Coasts hosted 20 events. Among them, Think Before You Flush attended Bord Bia Bloom Festival. The team spent the day chatting to attendees and distributing informational resources. In addition, Mariana Coleman hosted a Think Before You Flush talk to an engaged audience. Moreover, throughout the summer Think Before You Flush started a collaboration with Local Authorities to display educational resources on Blue Flag beaches to help protecting coastal waters from sewage related waste. 

During the summer, Clean Coasts also worked with Local Authorities and community groups to promote the #2MinuteBeachClean campaigns, providing beach goers with what they needed to do an impromptu cleanup, and highlighting the benefits of a clean environment on the mind and body. 

Clean Coasts also worked with groups promoting the Enjoy And Protect campaign, focusing on the physical and mental benefits of spending time outdoors and protecting our environment. As part of this campaign, volunteers have organised several events, including yoga and beach cleaning series or kayak/SUP clean-ups.  

Moreover, Clean Coasts hosted several biodiversity events as well as events to mark Sand Dune Day in Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Mayo and Sligo, to highlight the importance of biodiversity and coastal habitats and what we can do to protect them.  

Finally, working with community groups, Clean Coasts developed a campaign and resources to help people learn more about the impact of smoking related litter and how to dispose of it correctly.

This summer, keep your butt off Irish beaches! 

Irish environmental charity Clean Coasts warns people about the impact of smoking related litter on marine environment and wildlife, and are asking smokers to dispose of their butts correctly.  

30th May 2023 | May 31st is World No Tobacco Day, a day in which the World Health Organisation highlight the harmful impact tobacco has on human health and our environment. Tobacco growing, manufacturing and use poison our water, soil, beaches and city streets with chemicals, toxic waste, cigarette butts, including microplastics, and e-cigarette waste. 

On June 1st, Ireland’s bathing season starts, and Clean Coasts are launching a campaign asking people to dispose of their smoking related litter correctly to protect our environment and marine life. 

Ireland has amazing beaches and coastal landscapes, including 94 Blue Flag and 65 Green Coast Award sites, and everybody can play a key role in protecting them. [see more in the editor’s notes] 

The issue 

In Ireland, cigarette butts are the most common item found on Ireland’s beaches and they account to for almost 50% of all discarded waste in the country. For the past several years, cigarette butts have been the top litter item found on Irish beaches during the Big Beach Clean, our end of bathing season call to action sponsored by Irish business Cully and Sully.  

Cigarette butts and filters are often assumed to be biodegradable, but in fact, one cigarette butt might take over a decade to decompose. Cigarette filters are made of a plastic called cellulose acetate, which does not biodegrade and can remain in the environment for very long periods of time in the form of microplastics. Globally littered cigarette butts amount to an estimated 0.3 million tons of microfibers released per year. 

When ingested, the hazardous chemicals in microplastics cause long-term mortality in marine life, including birds, fish, mammals, plants and reptiles.   

According to research, just one cigarette butt per litre of water leaches enough toxins to kill half the freshwater or saltwater fish exposed to it.  

In addition to cigarette butts, volunteers hosting clean-ups have noticed that incorrectly discarded vapes are also increasing. Vapes are made of materials such as plastic, rubber and metal that don’t break down naturally, and 1.3 million single-use vapes are thrown away every week. 

The solution 

Clean Coasts are highlighting the work of community groups to tackle smoking litter on their local beach, and hope to inspire other groups and communities to take action in their local community. Two such groups that worked to create awareness locally about smoking related litter are  Bettystown Tidy Towns in Co. Meath, and Keep Our Beaches Clean in Louisburgh, Co. Mayo. These community groups took the time to raise awareness within their communities about the impact smoking related litter and why it should be disposed of correctly, with pilot projects that entailed the installation of cigarette bins and informational stickers in key spots in their local area.   

Louise Hastings, from Keep Our Beaches Clean, commented: “We were having a big issue with butts being thrown in a few areas in particular, the pier, the carpark, the toilets and some hot spots on the beach. The volunteers were spending so much time picking up the butts, it’s so tedious. We decided to apply for a grant in the hope of purchasing the bins. We are hoping this solves the issue and the volunteers won’t have to spend so much time breaking their backs picking them up.” 

Kirsty MacKenzie, a member of Bettystown Tidy Towns commented: “Bettystown Tidy Towns made the decision to use the Clean Coasts grant to purchase cigarette butt bins after feedback from our volunteers. We regularly litter pick around the village and cigarette butts are one of the most commonly reported litter item that we find. There are several streams running through Bettystown and we are very conscious of trying to stop litter of all kinds from reaching the sea.  

We decided to install cigarette butt bins at specific points around the village where our volunteers have reported significant issues with cigarette litter. We are pleased to say that we have seen a reduction in cigarette litter in the village since the installation of the bins and we will continue to promote their use.” 

Clean Coasts released  resources for people to learn more about the issue and create their own campaign. Moreover, they are inviting Clean Coasts groups and communities living in an area affected by the issue to get in touch if they would like to host a similar initiative on their local beach, by visiting their website at www.cleancoasts.org.  

ENDS 

About Clean Coasts:      

In 2023, Clean Coasts is celebrating its 20th birthday. 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.   

Since 2003, Clean Coasts has been working with communities to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life. Clean Coasts thrives to create tangible and immediate improvements to Ireland’s coastal environment, involving thousands of volunteers removing large quantities of marine litter from our coastline each year.   

For the past 20 years, Clean Coasts has grown from strength to strength and now includes two main national clean-up drives, as well as other initiatives, including the Green Coast Award, the Love Your Coast Photography competition, the Clean Coasts Roadshows for coastal communities and the Ocean Hero Awards. All these initiatives are aimed at celebrating the beauty of our coast and the efforts of our volunteers across all of Ireland.     

Currently, there are over 2,000 registered Clean Coasts volunteering groups. There are a variety of group types such as community groups, residents’ associations, tidy towns groups, sports clubs, schools, businesses, universities etc. Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Ireland’s beaches and waterways. Our volunteering has expanded to also include Corporate Volunteering.   

Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards: 

An Taisce announced the recipients of the International Blue Flag and the National Green Coast Awards for 2023. A total of 159 awards were presented by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Mr. Darragh O’Brien. 

In the 36th edition of the award in Ireland, 84 beaches and 10 marinas were awarded the prestigious Blue Flag this year. The Green Coast Award has achieved a noteworthy milestone by granting 65 awards for the 2023 bathing season. This is an increase of 3 awards compared to last year, and the highest number of awards given since its establishment. These achievements coincide with the celebration of Clean Coasts’ 20-year anniversary. 

The Green Coast Awards were first presented back in 2003 to four beaches in County Wexford, it was rolled out nationally in 2008 and has gone from strength to strength ever since. An important aspect of the Green Coast Awards is the involvement of Clean Coasts groups, of which they are currently over 2,000. Volunteers participate in community clean-ups and, in cooperation with Local Authorities, help manage their local beaches throughout the year. 

Register online to receive a free clean-up kit to celebrate Clean Coasts 20th birthday on World Ocean Day

With less than one month left to go until World Ocean Day on 8th June, Clean Coasts are inviting people to request a free clean-up kit to carry out a clean-up and mark their 20th anniversary. 

09 May 2023 | World Ocean Day is celebrated annually on 8th of June and, with less than one month to go, Irish environmental charity Clean Coasts are asking volunteers to sign up to request a free clean-up kit and take action on the day.  

In June 2023, Clean Coasts will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. Since 2003, Clean Coasts has been working with communities to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life. For the past 20 years, Clean Coasts has been working to create tangible and immediate improvements to Ireland’s coastal environment, involving thousands of volunteers removing large quantities of marine litter from our coastline each year.  For this reason, the programme are looking forward to marking this milestone by doing something to protect the Irish coast and celebrating the amazing groups and volunteers around Ireland for the work they do all year round.  

For 2023, the focus of World Ocean Day will be on the 30×30 campaign meaning that for us to create a healthy ocean with abundant wildlife and to stabilize our climate, it’s crucial that 30% of our planet’s lands, waters, and ocean are protected by the year 2030. 

Marine litter has become a global problem for humans and marine life alike. For the past 20 years, Clean Coasts has been working with communities to tackle this issue. Making sure litter is collected and disposed of properly at the source is vital for a cleaner ocean and a greener world for all of us to enjoy.   

Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager, speaking of the event said, ‘Happy 20th Birthday to the Clean Coasts community! Let’s celebrate by working together to protect our coastlines and waterways. The Clean Coasts network has over 2000 groups working across Ireland to clean up Ireland coastline, beaches and waterways. Join us in our clean-up efforts and let’s continue to make a positive impact and celebrate the incredible natural environment Irish has to offer.’ 

The charity is asking everybody around Ireland to join their birthday celebrations and make a difference for our marine environment and wildlife. To request a kit, visit www.cleancoasts.org.  

More about the initiative and events will be announced later this month.  

Ireland’s outdoor is amazing: let’s Enjoy and Protect it! 

Irish environmental charity Clean Coasts launches a campaign providing people in Ireland with easy ideas and free resources to explore the Irish coast and spend time outdoors sustainably.  

20th April 2022 | On 22nd April, to celebrate Earth Day, Clean Coasts are launching their Enjoy and Protect campaign, by releasing a new free resource guide and hosting two water sport and beach cleaning events. 

The Irish Coast presents its visitors with amazing landscapes and numerous opportunities to have fun, from water sports, to camping, to outdoor eating and more. According to the CSO “Our Lives Outdoors’ survey”, carried out in spring 2022 prior to the creation of Ireland National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027, 98% of Irish adults like to spend time outdoors, and 55% people spend more time outdoors than before COVID, with recreational walking being #1 activity practiced in country. Moreover, with the nice weather on the way, more people are expected to be visiting the beautiful coastal areas around the country. The Enjoy and Protect campaign calls people to enjoy these outdoor treasures sustainably.  

For over 20 years, Clean Coasts has been working with communities and volunteers toto help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life, by organising hundreds of beach clean-ups each year, mobilising thousands of volunteers, and removing large quantities of marine litter from our coastline. Currently, we can count on the work of over 2,000 groups and 40,000 volunteers. 

The Enjoy and Protect Guides and Resources  

With their Enjoy and Protect campaign, Clean Coasts invite people to enjoy and celebrate Ireland’s stunning coastline, but also to protect these natural treasures for future generations to enjoy too, by making more sustainable choices, taking part in beach cleans, or learn more about our micro-volunteering campaigns, such as the #2MinuteBeachClean – carried out in partnership with the 2 Minute Foundation – or the Think Before You Flush and Think Before You Pour campaigns – two Uisce Éireann’s campaigns operated by Clean Coasts [see editor’s notes].  

As part of the campaign, Clean Coasts has released five free guides containing tips and guidance on how to enjoy our coast, while doing your bit to protect it. The Outdoor Living and A Day at the Beach guides focus on activities such as camping, eating outdoors and spending a day discovering marine biodiversity. A third guide, our Community Guide, is available exclusively to registered Clean Coasts groups and will include guidance on organising beach cleans, building a network, attracting new volunteers and promoting your work. Another guide, Wildlife Photography, was released in 2022, and it is a resource to support photographers wishing to enter Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast Photography competition, as well as the general public. 

Finally, in 2023, Clean Coasts launched a new Water Sports Guide, that will be available to download on the organisation website on Earth Day. 

In addition to these guides, throughout the summer, Clean Coasts will share tips to make more sustainable choices, and will offer the online community a space to exchange ideas through social media. 

The Enjoy and Protect Events 

To celebrate the launch of the campaign, Clean Coasts in conjunction with Big Style SUP are hosting  a Stand Up Paddle Boarding clean up around Dún Laoghaire Harbour, Co. Dublin, on April 22nd. More details can be found here. 

Moreover, on April 22nd, Clean Coasts are teaming up with Atlantic Scuba Adventures for a beach clean at Tra An Doilin, An Cheathru Rua, Co. Galway, followed by a free SSI Snorkel Diver course straight after the clean-up for the first 20 people who register, as a thank you for protecting our ocean. Atlantic Scuba Adventures will also provide all other cleaners with a 50% discount code to complete their snorkel course at a later day if they wish. More details can be found here. 

More events will be organised during the summer throughout the Irish coast. To stay up to date, keep an eye on Clean Coasts social media channels, or www.cleancoasts.org. 

Clean Coasts’ annual ‘Love Your Coast’ photography competition opens submissions for its 14th year!  

This summer, bring your camera with you when you are exploring our coast, and submit your best shots for a chance to win from a prize fund of €6,000. 

 12th April 2023 | Clean Coasts’ annual Love Your Coast photography competition has officially opened for entries for its 14th edition. 

The Love Your Coast competition asks for photographers to capture and celebrate the uniqueness of our coastal communities, environments, or waterways such as its stunning coastline, beautiful beaches, epic cliff faces, and raging rivers.     

 Ireland has some of the most spectacular coastlines in the world and Clean Coasts want to encourage people to get out their cameras this summer as they explore the Irish coast and capture its beauty. 

 This year, the Clean Coasts programme is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and the Love Your Coast competition will be a chance to celebrate this achievement. For the past 20 years, Clean Coasts has been working with communities on the ground, to help foster pride in our coastline, supporting Clean Coasts communities, groups, and volunteers to tackle issues affecting their local area.  

 To mark the occasion, a new category has been added to the competition, “Protectors of the Coast”  which will showcase what volunteering on the coast and community spirit is all about. Other changes to this year’s competition are the reintroduction of the Underwater category, which was temporarily removed during Covid due to restrictions around diving.  

The competition’s categories this year are:  

• Wildlife and Coast 
• Coastal Landscape  
• People and the Coast    
• Coastal Heritage    
• Underwater 
• Protectors of the coast 

Photographers have until 9 am on 28th August 2023 to submit their best images in one of five categories to be in with the chance to win a prize from a fund of €6,000 across all categories. 

Last year, 15 images scored top places in the competition with Darragh Gorman’s image “Splash”, taken in Mullaghmore Co. Sligo from the Coastal Landscape category winning the overall Love Your Coast title for 2022. 

 For the past 14 years, the Love Your Coast photography competition has represented an opportunity to view and celebrate the coast and our waterways that the Clean Coasts programme has been working to protect since 2003, and see the beauty captured therein. The competition began in 2010 and has grown from strength to strength since, with entries going from approximately 500 in year one to over 1,100 in 2022 with massive improvement in quality. For 2023, Clean Coasts is looking forward to receiving even more amazing entries. 

Photographers are encouraged to explore new and different methods and angles in capturing the coastal regions and wildlife and would discourage photographing of locations and species that have been heavily submitted in previous years.  

Clean Coast manager Sinead McCoy stated:  

“Clean Coasts are delighted to be launching the Love Your Coast competition for the 14th year. The competition draws considerable interest from Ireland’s photographers and coastal enthusiasts and over the previous years it has received thousands of entries with the standard getting higher with each passing year. We are delighted to welcome back the Underwater category and excited to introduce the new category Protectors of the Coast. The Love Your Coast competition is a fantastic addition to the Clean Coasts programme as it showcases the stunning environment that our groups work so hard to protect.” 

To enter, visit the Clean Coasts website at https://cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/love-your-coast/

To sign up to receive your own #2minutebeachclean kit, visit the Clean Coasts website at https://cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/2minutebeachclean/ and pledge to do a #2minutebeachclean.    

Clean Coasts’ Ocean Hero Awards 2022  

Clean Coasts celebrated groups and individuals from all over Ireland who made a difference for our marine environment this year, with an in-person awards ceremony and Ocean Talks 

22nd of November, 2022| Today Clean Coasts hosted the Ocean Hero Awards Ceremony and Ocean Talks at Number 6 Kildare Street, in Dublin, to celebrate and thank the groups, individuals, communities, and businesses who, throughout the year, have done outstanding work to protect their local coastline and environment.  

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 then of only one category, ‘The Clean Coasts Group of the Year’.    

This year, Clean Coasts has chosen 7 dedicated categories with a total of 28 groups, organisations and individuals shortlisted for the title of Ocean Hero within each category. 

During the ceremony, the work and achievements of all 28 groups have been showcased and celebrated, and winners for each category have been announced: 

• Group of the Year Award:  Keep Our Beaches Clean in Co. Mayo
• Individual of the Year Award: Peter O’Donnell – Arranmore Island Clean Coasts in Co. Donegal 
• Youth of the Year Award: St Colmans Community College in Co. Cork, Gasoga Mara na Galtachta in Co. Galway, and West Coast Surf Club in Co. Clare 
• Local Action Award: Bettystown Tidy Towns in Co. Meath 
• Campaigner of the Year Award: Sean Ferguson in Co. Wexford 
• Beach Clean Award: St Colman’s College & Clean Coasts Ballynamona in Co. Cork 
• Special Achievement Award:  Maharees Conservation Association CLG in Co. Kerry 

The full list of nominees is available in the editor’s notes. 

In addition to raising awareness about issues related to marine litter and relevant solution, this year the Clean Coasts programme put a particular focus on biodiversity, and this was reflected in the Ocean Talks, which were held on the same day as the Ocean Hero ceremony, giving attendees the opportunity to learn more about this topic.  

Speakers included: Timothy Butter from Seasearch, Dave Wall from National Biodiversity Centre, Proinsias O’Tuama from East Cork Biodiversity Network, Mícheál Callaghan from Community Wetlands Forum and Martha Farrell from Maharees Conservation Association 

Malcolm Noonan, Minister of State, was the keynote speaker of the event. He said: “The Clean Coasts brand is intrinsically associated with environmental excellence and it is widely acknowledged that its community engagement initiatives and environmental campaigns are making a tangible difference to our coastal environment.   The Ocean Hero Awards recognise the effort, dedication and commitment of individuals, volunteers, groups and the wider community to safeguard the future of our oceans.  I am struck and heartened by the wide variety of entries and the amazing work that is going on around the length and breadth of the country.  My Department will continue to support the Clean Coast range of programmes into 2023.  We consider these to be important national anti- marine litter and citizen activation measures which we will continue showcase internationally as examples of best practice.” 

Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts Manager said: “For the past 15 years, the Clean Coasts programme’s Ocean Hero Awards have been celebrating the incredible efforts of Clean Coasts volunteers around the Irish Coastline. We have nothing but awe and respect for the amazing groups and individuals highlighted in our shortlist for this year’s Ocean Hero Awards. We were delighted to have received so many inspirational nominations that show not only the true dedication of these coastal custodians, but also that their efforts don’t go unnoticed by the community” 

Further information on the Clean Coasts Ocean Heroes can be found on the Clean Coasts website for updates here.   

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END 

1. Group of the Year Award  

• Bettystown Tidy Towns – Co. Meath  

• Bull Island Action Group – Co. Dublin 
• Spanish Point Community Group – Co. Clare 
• Keep Our Beaches Clean – Co. Mayo (Winners) 
• Clean Coasts Ballynamona – Co. Cork 

1. Individual of the Year Award 

• Peter O’Donnell – Arranmore Island Clean Coasts – Co. Donegal (Winner) 
• Anne Nolan – Tramore Eco Group – Co. Waterford 
• Sean Ferguson – Co. Wexford 
• Liam Keane – Bettystown Tidy Towns – Co. Meath 

• Jess Leahy – Clean Coasts Ballynamona – Co. Cork  

1. Youth of the Year Award 

• St Colmans Community College – Co. Cork  
• Gasoga Mara na Gaeltachta – Co. Galway 

• West Coast Surf Club – Co. Clare 

1. Local Action Award 

• Bettystown Tidy Towns – Co. Meath (Winners) 
• Alpha Diving Group – Co. Louth 

• Friends of Doohoma Coastline – Co. Mayo 
• Costa Alainn – Co. Louth 
• Fenit Coast Conservation – Co. Kerry 

1. Campaigner of the Year Award 

• Sean Ferguson – Co. Wexford (Winner) 
• Cranmore Community CO-OP Water Project – Co. Sligo 
• Martina Healy (Leitrim Litter Picker) – Co. Leitrim 
• Galway Atlantaquaria – Co. Galway 
• Rediscovery Centre Science Fair – Co. Dublin 

1. Beach Clean Award  

• St Colman’s College & Clean Coasts Ballynamona – Co. Cork (Winners) 
• Maharees Conservation Association CLG – Co. Kerry 
• Tomhaggard Clean Coasts Group – Co. Wexford 

• Big Liberties Clean up – Co. Dublin  
• Burrenbeo Conservation Volunteers – Co. Galway 

1. Special Achievement Award  

• Cooley Community Alert – Co. Louth 

• Maharees Conservation Association CLG – Co.Kerry (Winners) 
• Western Care Group – Co. Mayo 
• Clean Coasts Ballynamona – Co. Cork 
• Galway City Partnership – Co. Galway 

Clean Coasts has announced their Ocean Hero 2022 Shortlist 

Groups and individuals from all over Ireland are being honoured with nominations in 7 different categories 

10th of November, 2022| This week, Clean Coasts announced the groups, individuals, communities, and businesses who have been nominated in 7 categories for the Ocean Hero Awards for their outstanding work and commitment to their coastlines and areas.  

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 then of only one category, ‘The Clean Coasts Group of the Year’.    

This year, Clean Coasts has chosen 7 dedicated categories with a total of 28 groups, organisations and individuals shortlisted for the title of Ocean Hero within each category. 

The categories and their respective nominees are: 

Group of the Year Award  

• Bettystown Tidy Towns – Co. Meath 
• Bull Island Action Group – Co. Dublin 
• Spanish Point Community Group – Co. Clare 
• Keep Our Beaches Clean – Co. Mayo 
• Clean Coasts Ballynamona – Co. Cork 

Individual of the Year Award 

• 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  

Youth of the Year Award 

• St Colmans Community College – Co. Cork  
• Gasoga Mara na Galtachta – Co. Galway 

• West Coast Surf Club -Co. Clare 

Local Action Award 

• Alpha Diving Group – Co. Louth 
• Friends of Doohoma Coastline – Co. Mayo 

• Costa Alainn – Co. Louth 
• Bettystown Tidy Towns – Co. Meath 
• Fenit Coast Conservation – Co. Kerry 

Campaigner of the Year Award 

• Cranmore Community CO-OP Water Project – Co. Sligo 
• Martina Healy (Leitrim Litter Picker) – Co. Leitrim 
• Sean Ferguson – Co. Wexford  
• Galway Atlantaquaria – Co. Galway 
• Rediscovery Centre Science Fair – Co. Dublin 

Beach Clean Award  

• St Colman’s College & Clean Coasts Ballynamona – Co. Cork 
• Maharees Conservation Association CLG – Co. Kerry 
• Tomhaggard Clean Coasts Group – Co. Louth 

• Big Liberties Clean up – Co. Dublin  
• Burrenbeo Conservation Volunteers – Co. Galway 

Special Achievement Award  

• Cooley Community Alert – Co. Louth 

• Maharees Conservation Association CLG – Co.Kerry 
• Western Care Group – Co. Mayo 
• Clean Coasts Ballynamona – Co. Cork 
• Galway City Partnership – Co. Galway 

This year, we are hosting our award ceremony in person for the first time in two years to pay tribute to our ocean heroes after two years of alternative celebrations. 

Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts Manager said: “For the past 15 years, the Clean Coasts programme’s Ocean Hero Awards have been celebrating the incredible efforts of Clean Coasts volunteers around the Irish Coastline. We have nothing but awe and respect for the amazing groups and individuals highlighted in our shortlist for this years Ocean Hero Awards. We were delighted to have received so many inspirational nominations that show not only the true dedication of these coastal custodians, but also that their efforts don’t go unnoticed by the community” 

In 2021 a total 36 groups, organisations and individuals were shortlisted for the title of Ocean Hero within each of the ten categories. 

After announcing the shortlist in 2021, we went on a road trip across Ireland to meet the winners of each category and surprise them with the news and say thank you. 

These various ceremonies were filmed and compiled into a celebratory video that can be found on Clean Coast’s YouTube Channel here. 

Our in-person awards ceremony will be taking place on Tuesday, the 22nd of November so, watch this space to see who will be named a 2022 Clean Coasts Ocean Hero in the coming weeks. 

Be sure to keep an eye on the Clean Coasts website for updates here.   

50 reasons to Love Your Coast 

Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast photography competition winners have been announced, showcasing all the beauty of the Irish coastal landscape, heritage, wildlife and more in 50 beautiful images. 

03 November 2022 | Tonight, Clean Coasts were thrilled to announce the winners of the 13th edition of their Love Your Coast photography competition during an in-person award ceremony in the Smock Alley Theatre, in Dublin. 

After a two-year break, when the awards were held in a virtual ceremony, Clean Coasts and the photographers who were shortlisted, were happy to be back celebrating the beauty of the Irish coast in person. 

For the past 13 years, the Love Your Coast photography competition has been inviting photographers to capture the uniqueness of our coastal landscape, heritage, wildlife, communities and more, and to submit their best shot across five categories – Coastal Heritage, Coastal Landscape, People & the Coast, Wildlife & the Coast and Creativity and the Coast – for a chance to win prizes from a €5,000 prize fund and plenty of exposure opportunities.  

This year, we receive over 1,100 entries and the 50 best images were shortlisted and displayed at our event at Smock Alley.  

Darragh Gorman with his “Splash”, captured in Mullaghmore Co. Sligo has been awarded the title of Image of the Year, who also won first place in the Coastal Landscape category. Moreover, these photographers were awarded the first place for the remaining categories: 

• Brian Campbell with “In the shadow of a giant!” taken in Classiebawn Castle, Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo for Coastal Heritage; 

• Adrian Hendroff  with “Labyrinth” taken in Dunmore Head, Co. Kerry  for Creativity and the Coast; 
• Gary McCall with “Conor Maguire surfs the largest wave ever ridden in Ireland”taken at Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo for People and the Coast; and  
• Aoife Hester with “Compass Jelly” taken in Sandycove, Co. Dublin for the Wildlife and Underwater Category 

A list of all shortlisted images for each category can be found in the editor’s notes.  

Working with communities on the ground, Clean Coasts’ mission is to help foster pride in our coastline, supporting Clean Coasts communities, groups, and volunteers to tackle issues affecting their local area. This competition provides an opportunity to view the coast and our waterways that the Clean Coasts programme works to protect from a completely different perspective and see the beauty captured therein.    

Coastal Communities Manager Sinead McCoy said: “We were delighted to be able to celebrate in person again both the beauty of the Irish coast and the talent of the photographers who entered our competition, after a two-year break.  

Over the last 13 years, the competition has been very successful and very well received. For Clean Coasts, this is more than just a photography competition: we are an island nation, and our coast and marine environment are incredibly important to us. Clean Coasts has over 1,800 volunteer groups who are doing amazing work when it comes to managing and protecting our marine environment, so these photographs are a way for everybody to appreciate and celebrate our coast and be inspired to get involved too.” 

Thousands of Irish people take part in The Big Beach Clean weekend with Clean Coasts

Over 500 clean-ups were organised for Clean Coasts’ latest call to action at the weekend, and volunteers removed over 63 tonnes of litter across the country as part of the world’s largest clean-up initiative

19th September 2022 | Clean Coasts received overwhelming support and commitment from volunteers and communities across Ireland for the Big Beach Clean weekend that took place between 16th and 18th September.

This year, a record number of over 500 clean-ups were organised by volunteers who removed over 63 tonnes of litter nationwide.

Clean Coasts also joined forces with Irish business Cully and Sully, who supported the initiative again this year, and one of their registered group Clean Coasts Ballynamona, to host a flagship event at Ardnahinch, Co. Cork. Clean Coasts officers also attended beach cleans in several locations around Ireland.

The Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action that runs as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy and invites communities and volunteers around the country to remove litter from around the Irish coast after the end of the bathing season.

Once more, volunteers were asked to join the call to action, no matter how far from the coast. Statistics show that the number one cause of marine litter is litter dropped in towns and cities and getting involved in the Big Beach Clean has been a way for residents of non-coastal counties to help prevent litter entering our waterways tackle the problem at its source.

Each year this initiative is also an opportunity for Big Beach Clean volunteers to get involved in a worldwide citizen science project, which entails collecting the amount and types of litter on Irish beaches and filling in Clean Coasts’ Marine Litter Data Cards to share with Ocean Conservancy, help heighten awareness about the issue of marine litter serving as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem and help shape future policies and campaigns.

So far, data collected from the International Coastal Cleanup have informed policy in a number of areas, leading to laws banning the use of plastic grocery bags; prohibiting smoking-related litter; encouraging the use of reusable bags; prohibiting mass balloon releases; and prohibiting foam food and beverage takeaway containers.

For the third year, Cully and Sully joined Clean Coasts as sponsors of this call-to-action. Cullen Allen (Cully) said, “We were delighted with yet another amazing Big Beach Clean weekend. The Clean Coasts staff and volunteers were fantastic across the weekend, although we know many are out every weekend of the year.. not just Big Beach Clean weekend. So Thank You all. This is one of our favourite initiatives across the year and it was so heartwarming to see the great turn out yet again for 2022.”

Clean Coasts and Cully and Sully have also teamed up to create some resources to help people educate themselves on which household items are recyclable, which ones aren’t and how to correctly dispose of rubbish in your home as well as rubbish found on the beach. If you’re curious about recycling basics, common beach finds and how to dispose of them, what happens to our waste, stats on recycling in Ireland and more, head to recycling webpage at: https://cleancoasts.org/how-to-recycle/

Volunteers across the Wild Atlantic Way Collect 435kg of litter with Clean Coasts and Fáilte Ireland 

Volunteers from all over the West Coast of Ireland came out on Saturday to take part in Clean Coasts and Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way Community Clean-ups in 7 locations, including Cork’s Inchydoney beach, Enniscrone beach in Sligo, Killahoey Beach in Donegal, Fenit Beach in Kerry, Lahinch beach in Clare, Silverstrand Beach in Galway and Keel Beach on Achill Island just off County Mayo.  

Ireland is known for its magnificent coastlines, picturesque scenery, wildlife and exciting activities with a large majority of these landscapes located along the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s first defined touring route, stretching along the Atlantic coast from Donegal to West Cork.  

It is important that as we enjoy the coast that we remember to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life by ensuring they are free of litter and educate ourselves on how best to do that.  

These events were created by Clean Coasts as part of their summertime Enjoy and Protect campaign with support from Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development who support the long-term sustainable growth in the economic, social, cultural and environmental contribution to tourism in Ireland with the events’ overall aim was to raise awareness to keeping our marine and wildlife spaces clean for locals and tourists alike to enjoy and admire.  

Each event had tea and coffee provided from various organisations for participants to enjoy.  

Throughout the 7 clean-ups volunteers removed approximately 435 kilograms of litter across the west coast of the country.  

Clean Coasts Coastal Communities Manager Sinead McCoy stated on the event: 

“With the summer in full swing, the Wild Atlantic Way is a prime route for both Irish and international tourists alike to explore and with the sunny weather there is no better place to explore in the west than the glorious beaches and coastal landscapes. We are proud of our partnership with Fáilte Ireland for this series of community clean-ups where we and participants across all seven of our events ensured that these popular west coast bathing spots were free of litter for all to enjoy. We are also extremely grateful for the participants insight and feedback which will help us at clean coasts provide the most effective and functional clean-up events for volunteers and groups within these areas.” 

In addition to a clean up and talk, volunteers were asked about the Wild Atlantic Way via survey with questions such as: 

1. ‘Have you encountered any issues with the Wild Atlantic Way?’ 

1. ‘What do you see as the benefits to the Wild Atlantic Way?’  

1.  ‘Are there any potential projects that we could fund to enhance the Wild Atlantic Way Experience?’  

The suggestions from these surveys will be implemented by both Clean Coasts and Fáilte Ireland in their future events concerning the Wild Atlantic Way.  

Shane Dineen, Fáilte Ireland Planning & Environment Manager said;   

“Fáilte Ireland and the Wild Atlantic Way team were delighted to participate with Clean Coasts groups for the community beach clean ups the length and breadth of the Wild Atlantic Way on Saturday. In addition to the beach clean ups, the events allowed for engagement with the communities along the Wild Atlantic Way who have played no small part in driving its success. We must continue to ensure that we protect the quality, character and distinctiveness of environmental and heritage assets along the Wild Atlantic Way. Initiatives such as this allow for the sharing of ideas and collaboration with our local communities and ensure that they are at the centre of any decision-making around tourism affecting the place where they live.” 

Over 230 clean-ups set to take place in Ireland this World Ocean Day

Thousands of volunteers answered Clean Coasts and National Spring Clean joint call-to-action to organise a clean-up to protect our ocean this June

7^th June | Last May, Irish environmental charity Clean Coasts joined forces with National Spring Clean, to provide communities around Ireland with free clean-up kits to host a clean-up during the week around World Ocean Day.

World Ocean Day is celebrated annually on June 8^th to highlight the important role the ocean has for our life and the planet. In 2022, the focus will once more be on the 30×30 campaign: to create a healthy ocean with abundant wildlife and to stabilize the climate, it is critical that 30% of our planet’s lands, waters, and ocean are protected by 2030.

One of the issues affecting our ocean is marine litter that has become a global problem for both humans and marine life. However, communities around Ireland have demonstrated their desire to be part of the solution by taking part in several beach cleaning and clean-up calls to action.

Statistics show that the number one cause of marine litter is litter dropped in towns and cities. Building on the success of the Spring Clean 22 campaign, which took place in the month of April and saw 500,000 volunteers organising over 5,600 clean-ups, the National Spring Clean programme is joining Clean Coasts this year in supporting these communities around Ireland.

Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager said: “We were so overwhelmed with the support received from the public. In under 72 hours over 230 clean-ups had already registered on the Clean Coasts website. Now over 4,000 volunteers are set to take action for World Ocean Day by organising or joining a clean-up event around Ireland.”

Volunteers who didn’t manage to secure a clean-up kit can still take action by joining an existing clean-up, a list of which can be found on the Clean Coasts website.

World Ocean Day events are happening in the context of a very few busy months for the organisation, which saw other initiatives to protect and learn more about the ocean being launched recently. These initiatives included the launch of our Enjoy and Protect campaign and several events, such as SUP clean-ups or surf lessons followed by a #2minutebeachclean around all the coast of Ireland. In addition to that, Clean Coasts joined Galway City Council for a clean-up of the Claddagh Basin and lower Eglington Canal, where over 2 tonnes of litter were removed from an area that would normally be hard to clean. Other events include the release of two marine biodiversity directories, the launch of our Love Your Coast Photography Competition, the release of new Enjoy and Protect guides, marram grass planting events and more.

Finally, to celebrate World Ocean Day and following the launch of two Marine Biodiversity directories last month, yesterday Clean Coasts has also issued a fourth Enjoy and Protect guide about wildlife photography, specifically designed not just for amateur photographers wishing to enter the Love Your Coast Photography competition, but also for the general public who wish to capture the beauty of our coastline while doing something to protect it. 

In 2021, the initiative changed its name from “World Oceans Day” to “World Ocean Day”. By dropping the “s”, its organisers wanted to highlight the fact that we are all connected by a large ocean. This shared ocean supports all life on the planet, by producing most of the oxygen we breathe and regulating climate. No matter where we live, we all depend on the ocean to survive.

This means that each piece of marine litter removed from a beach, river, lake, park or street in Ireland, will have a positive impact on a global scale.

This summer let’s Enjoy and Protect our coast

Irish environmental charity Clean Coasts released resources to help communities protect our coast

 The Irish coast offers breath-taking views, beautiful beaches, epic cliffs, and more, and its unique beauty and character have been attracting visitors from all over the world. Furthermore, it provides its visitors with numerous opportunities to have fun, by taking part in water sports and coastal activities.

The Clean Coasts programme works with over 1,800 communities and over 37,000 volunteers nationwide to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life.

With the nice weather on the way, more people are expected to visit the beautiful coastal areas around the country, whether it is for sea swimming, water sports, or simply to enjoy the stunning landscape.

With our ‘Enjoy and Protect’ campaign, we are asking people to enjoy and celebrate Ireland’s stunning coastline, beautiful beaches, epic cliffs and all outdoor areas, but also to protect these natural treasures for future generations to enjoy too, by making more sustainable choices, taking part in beach cleans or even do something as quick and simple as a #2minutebeachclean.

This is an opportunity for beach users, outdoor enthusiasts and hundreds of other communities in Ireland to make a tangible difference for our marine environment and marine life while doing something they enjoy. 

Clean Coasts released three guides containing tips and guidance on how to enjoy our coast, while doing your bit to protect it. Two of these guides – Outdoor Living and A Day at the Beach – will be available to download on our website and will focus on activities such as camping, eating outdoors and spending a day discovering marine biodiversity.  A third guide, our Community Guide, will be available exclusively to registered Clean Coasts groups and will include guidance on organising beach cleans, building a network, attracting new volunteers and promoting your work. Another guide about outdoor photography will be launched at the end of the month, so Clean Coasts are inviting people to keep an eye on their social media channels and website.

Clean Coasts’ annual ‘Love Your Coast’ photography competition opens submissions for its 13^th year! 

Clean Coasts’ 13th annual Love Your Coast photography competition has official opened for entries!

The Love Your Coast competition asks for amateur photographers to capture and celebrate the uniqueness of our coastal communities, environments, or waterways such as its stunning coastline, beautiful beaches, epic cliff faces, and raging rivers.    

Ireland has some of the most spectacular coastlines in the world and we want to encourage people to get out their cameras this summer as they explore the Irish coast and capture its beauty.

Last Year, 15 images scored top places in the competition with Declan Roche’s image from the Wildlife and Underwater category, entitled Let Me Out (taken at the Wexford Harbour Quayfront in Co. Wexford) winning the overall Love Your Coast title for 2021.

Photographers have until 9 am on Monday the 29th August 2022 to submit their best images in one of five categories to be in with the chance to win a prize fund of €5,000 across all categories.

The categories for this year include

1. Wildlife and Underwater
2. Coastal Landscape 
3. People and the Coast 
4. Coastal Heritage 
5. Creativity and the Coast

Each year Love Your Coast draws in a large amount of interest from Ireland’s amateur photographers, coastal enthusiasts, and conservation and biodiversity-minded. Clean Coasts have ensured there is a diverse range of categories so there truly is something for everyone!

Photographers are encouraged to explore new and different methods and angles in capturing the coastal regions and wildlife and would discourage photographing of locations and species that have been heavily submitted in previous years.

Working with communities on the ground, Clean Coasts’ mission is to help foster pride in our coastline, supporting Clean Coasts communities, groups, and volunteers to tackle issues affecting their local area. This competition provides an opportunity to view the coast and our waterways that the Clean Coasts programme works to protect from a completely different perspective and see the beauty captured therein.   

Clean Coast manager Sinead McCoy stated:

“The Clean Coasts programme works with communities and supports them in their efforts to protect our coastline. What the Love Your Coast Photography competition does is augment this work by showcasing our breathtaking coastline which helps foster and inspire both the public and communities to protect it into the future.” 

Visit our website  to find out more about the competition and how to enter at: https://cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/love-your-coast/

This Valentine’s Day show your love for the ocean – Break Up with Plastic 

Clean Coasts is calling people around Ireland to ditch single-use plastic and find a better match 

04^th February 2022| Valentine’s Day is a time to reflect and appreciate the relationships in our lives. However, it can also be a time to reflect on our relationship with things that may not be benefitting us or our environment. Such as single-use plastic.

This February, Clean Coasts are calling for people all over Ireland to end their relationship with single-use plastic items they thought they couldn’t live without by finding new, more sustainable items to love and sharing what some of their favourite plastic-free alternatives are!

Why #BreakUpWithPlastic?

Recent statistics show that Ireland is the number one plastic waste producer in the European Union, with 54kg of plastic waste per person produced each year, as well as being the country with the fourth lowest recycling rate.

Ireland has some of the most diverse and spectacular coastlines in the world. However, our excessive use of plastic is polluting our oceans and it is having impacts on our waterways and threatening our marine wildlife and people’s health.

According to Ocean Conservancy’s Coastal Clean-up Report 2021, the most common items found on the Irish Coast were plastic food wrappers, cigarette butts and plastic beverage bottles.

In 2021, the EU ban on certain single-use plastic items was transposed into their national law by member states, including Ireland, and certain items were banned from the Irish market, such as cotton bud sticks, plastic cutlery, plates, stirrers, straws, and balloon sticks. However, there is still more we can do.

The #BreakUpWithPlastic initiative aims to raise awareness of the impact of plastic pollution on our planet and marine environment by asking people to stop opting for single-use plastic.

Speaking about the campaign, Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts said: “We once again are asking people to stop and think how they are using plastic and to educate themselves about plastic and its impact.  If we continue with the use of plastic as a single use item, we will continue to create immense waste issues and high demands on our natural environment. We need now more than ever before to discover ways to move away from the overly convenient individually packaged lifestyle we have adopted and find a way to break up with single use plastic.’ Sinead continued to say, ‘We realise it can be difficult to make the break from single use, so for anybody starting the journey towards new, reusable, long-lasting loves, we have tips and hints on our website to get you started.’

What Can We Do?

Throughout the month of February, to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Clean Coasts, alongside the Think Before You Flush campaign, will be sharing tips and resources to help people around Ireland to end their toxic relation with single-use plastic and find themselves a better match.

Think Before You Flush is a public awareness campaign tackling the issue of sanitary waste projects being disposed of incorrectly. Every day thousands of wet wipes, cotton buds, sanitary products and other unsuitable items are flushed down toilets in Ireland instead of being put in the bin, causing blockages and plastic pollution in rivers, on beaches and in the ocean. Think Before You Flush is operated by Clean Coasts and run in partnership with Irish Water.

Clean Coasts and Think Before You Flush will be sharing on social media and on their website some downloadable resources, easy daily swaps, blog posts and more. In addition, Clean Coasts and the Think Before You Flush campaign will be hosting a social media live session on 14^th February to discuss the impact of plastic on the marine environment, how to reduce plastic within our communities and actions that can be taken to protect our ocean from home.

Active participation of just 3.5% of the Irish population can bring about change – so imagine what could be achieved with more. Breaking up with plastic may seem daunting at first, but we’re here to help.

Check out how other people have already made the switch on social media @CleanCoasts and try out these top tips for Valentine’s Day below. All positive actions make a difference!

Join the campaign on social media @CleanCoasts and at www.cleancoasts.org.

Meet Ireland’s Ocean Heroes!

Winners from across Ireland were surprised by Clean Coasts to celebrate being Ocean Heroes

Over the past two weeks, Clean Coasts have honoured winning groups, individuals, communities and businesses who have won an Ocean Hero Award for outstanding work and commitment to their coastlines and areas.

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 then of only one category, ‘The Clean Coasts Group of the Year’.

Being Ireland’s foremost community-based coastal education programme, the Clean Coasts programme can count on the work of over 1,800 volunteer groups and over 37,000 volunteers nationwide. The involvement and support of the whole community are essential to the work of Clean Coasts and the Ocean Hero Awards, which have been running for the past 15 years, is an award thought to recognise the invaluable contribution volunteers, groups and communities have made towards conserving the Irish coastline.  

It has been an unusual year, and, like everyone, Clean Coasts and its volunteers have had to adapt. The continued support, engagement, and interest from the many Clean Coasts volunteers around the country has been outstanding, showing dedication and resilience through these testing times.

Clean Coasts understands that it was not possible for everybody to take part in clean-up activities this year and for some, it was incredibly frustrating not to be able to get out to those places that they love and normally care for. Nonetheless, there is great value in sharing examples of the creative solutions that groups have come up with to inspire us all to look ahead to the new year. 

In an effort to recognise the growth of our volunteer groups, the number of Ocean Hero categories has expanded to include ten categories in 2021.

The categories include:

1. Clean Coasts Group of Year
2. Clean Coasts Volunteer of the Year
3. Clean Coasts Youth of the Year
4. Clean Coasts #2minutebeachclean Leader Award
5. Clean Coasts #BigBeachClean Award
6. Clean Coasts Beach Clean Bubble Award
7. Clean Coasts #EnjoyandProtect Award
8. Think Before You Flush Community of the Year (supported by Irish Water)
9. Clean Coasts Corporate Volunteering Award
10. Clean Coasts Amazing Achievements Great and Small Award

In 2021 a total of 36 groups, organisations and individuals were shortlisted for the title of Ocean Hero within each of the ten categories.

All shortlisted nominees were sent a congratulatory package to thank them for their contribution to coasts across Ireland despite the various challenges that 2021 brought.

The ten winners from each of the categories hail from all over Ireland, including Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Louth, Mayo, Sligo and Wexford.

This year in place of a traditional awards ceremony Clean Coasts decided to do something a little bit different. They surprised the winners in each of the ten categories located across Ireland with their very own Covid safe awards ceremony where they were presented with their very own engraved Ocean Heroes trophy.

Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts Manager said: “I would like to congratulate all of the Ocean Hero Awardees, our shortlist and winners are incredibly inspiring volunteers, groups and communities that have made an outstanding contribution to protecting Ireland’s coastal environment.  The Clean Coasts programme’s Ocean Hero Awards have been celebrating the incredible efforts of volunteers around the Irish Coastline since 2006. Although 2021 has been challenging at times it has been an incredible year for Clean Coasts and our network has grown so much and shown an incredible amount of dedication and care for our beaches, coastline, marine life and oceans. We were delighted to have received so many inspirational nominations that show not only the true dedication of these coastal custodians but also that their efforts don’t go unnoticed by the community.”  

These various ceremonies were filmed and compiled into a celebration video that can be found on Clean Coast’s YouTube Channel here: (Link)

2021 Ocean Hero Award winners included:

Group of the Year Award Winner 2021 

 Cooley Community Alert Peninsula Marine, Dundalk, Co. Louth  

Individual of the Year Award Winner 2021 

Mairead Staunton Keep Our Beaches Clean, Co. Mayo 

Youth of the Year Award Winner 2021 

St Colman’s Community College, Midleton, Co. Cork 

#2minutebeachclean Leader Award Winner 2021 

Sean Ferguson, Co. Wexford  

Big Beach Clean Award Winner 2021 

 Banna Beach Coastcare Group, Tralee, Co. Kerry  

Enjoy and Protect Award Winner 2021 

Subowti, Co. Cork 

Beach Clean Bubble Award Winner 2021 

 Keep Our Beaches Clean, Co. Mayo

Think Before You Flush Award 2021 

Martina Butler – North West Sea Kayaking Association, Co. Sligo

Corporate Volunteering Award Winner 2021 

Lidl Ireland 

Amazing Efforts Award Winner 2021 

 Caroline Davy, Co. Cork

Join the 5,000 volunteers who have already registered for the Big Beach Clean 

Over 200 clean-ups have already been planned for the third weekend of September and Clean Coasts is calling more people to join this international weekend of citizen science 

Registrations for the Big Beach Clean only opened a couple of weeks ago and 5,000 volunteers from all over Ireland have already registered to receive free clean-up kits to tackle litter in over 200 different locations. 

The Big Beach Clean is an annual call-to-action organized by Clean Coasts that calls volunteers from communities all over Ireland getting involved to remove litter from our beautiful coast at the end of the bathing season, as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy. This year, the initiative will run between 17th-19th September, which is also the same weekend as World Clean-up Day.  

Communities and volunteers across the country are invited to register their own clean-ups in any location in Ireland, no matter how far from the coast. Alternatively, Clean Coasts will be facilitating a number of clean-ups in several counties, for people who wish to join them. Places will be limited, so make sure you check the calendar of events and register your interest through Clean Coasts’ website or social media. [details below in editor’s note]. 

The Big Beach Clean is also an opportunity for volunteers to get involved in a worldwide citizen science project, which entails collecting the amount and types of litter on Irish beaches and filling in Clean Coasts’ Marine Litter Data Cards. This will help heighten awareness about the issue of marine litter serving as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem.  

Public participation through Citizen Science is the key concept in which everyone does their small part to increase knowledge and provides a lifeline to scientists that would not have the capacity to carry out this research alone and the data collected contributes to a growing body of knowledge, helping to reveal patterns and trends, identify areas for further research and even inform policy. The benefits of citizen science, however, are not only confined to the scientific community. Taking part in these collaborative efforts also promotes active citizenship, increases environmental awareness, and enables people to be part of a bigger picture.  

Statistics show that the number one cause of marine litter is litter dropped in towns and cities. This is why the Big Beach Clean will once more be open to all residents of Ireland, no matter how far from the coast they are based, thanks to the involvement of the National Spring Clean Programme. Getting involved in the Big Beach Clean is a way for residents of non-coastal counties to help prevent litter entering our waterways and seas by holding a clean-up no matter where they are in the country and tackling the problem at source. 

Finally, Cully and Sully will support the initiative again, by providing registered volunteers with the Big Beach Clean kits. Cullen Allen (Cully) said, “Cully & Sully are proud to be partners with the Big Beach Clean again for 2021. The work carried out by the teams across the Island of Ireland is amazing and unfortunately very much needed during these times. We all use our local beaches and have spent time on many of the beautiful beaches and waterways across Ireland and are so thankful for the work that the groups and organisations do.” 

“Highlighting the importance of taking your rubbish home with you and encouraging everyone to do their part really is critical in the world we are living in. We would urge everyone to get out during the Big Beach Clean 2021. Why not get together with your family, friends, work colleagues or even your classmates and make a fun day of it whilst also helping this amazing initiative. We need maintain our clean beaches and waterways and protect them for future generations.”  

Join in Dublin’s Biggest clean-up event which will take place from the 11th to the 19th of September.  
 
16 August 2021 | Dublin’s Four Local Authorities, Clean Coasts, National Spring Clean, Local Authority Waters Programme, Dublin City Canals, Dodder Action, residents, volunteers, and community groups county-wide are coming together for Dublin’s largest clean-up event this September. 

The Dublin Community Clean-up is building on the success of the 2019 event when over 180 clean-ups took place across the county. This year’s event will take place from the 11th to the 19th of September and is part of Dublin’s Climate Action week. You can either organise your own clean-up or join an existing one in your community. All kit will be provided by the Dublin local authorities. Check Dublin Community Clean Up website for more information www.dublincommunitycleanup.ie.  

 
Richard Curtin Clean Coasts Officer for the Dublin region commented, “We were delighted to be part of the Dublin Community Clean-up event again for 2021. Over the last year and a half so many of us have benefitted from spending time exploring the beauty of our locality. The Dublin Community Clean-up gives us an opportunity to give back and help protect our environment into the future”. 

 
Environmental Awareness officer Sinead Fox commented “This is a great opportunity for Fingal community groups and residents to push for a significant clean-up. The picking of litter will prevent waste from getting washed into the sea. This will have a positive impact on our spaces and on the marine ecosystems. Well done to everybody involved and a special word of Thanks to people who go out picking litter all year round”. 

Speaking at the launch of Dublin Community Clean-up 2021, Mary O’Keeffe mentioned that: 

“Dún Laoghaire Tidy Towns Group is committed to improving our local area and have recruited a team of selfless volunteers who organise regular litter picks and green projects throughout the town to protect our parks, streets and open spaces. I see the negative impacts litter can have on the environmental quality and amenity of our unique coastal area. Dún Laoghaire residents have pride in their area, value their heritage and their environment. Our mission is to Clean, Green, Nurture and Preserve. We are delighted to be part of the launch of this anti-litter collective call to action that takes a stand against people who litter.” 

 
 
Fionnghuala Ryan  Climate Change and Environmental Awareness Officer said 
“South Dublin County Council is delighted to see the return of the Dublin Community Clean -Up. Extending it to a week-long event and aligning it with Dublin Climate Action Week shows the link between what we consume, how we dispose of it and our changing climate. “ 

Speaking about the initiative Richard Whelan, Administrative Officer with DCC’s Waste Management Division, says “Dubliners have great pride in their city and Dublin City Council would like to thank communities throughout Dublin who regularly arrange clean up days in their areas with great results. During Climate Action Week we are asking everyone to get involved, in whatever way they can, in this week long initiative to clean up our local areas. Everyone benefits from this work, including our local areas, the environment and ultimately our planet.” 

This September, let’s get the whole community involved and from the mountains to the sea we can make Dublin litter-free. 

Grab your camera & get snapping as Clean Coasts’ ‘Love Your Coast’ photography competition opens! 
 
 
Clean Coasts’ 12th annual Love Your Coast photography competition is now open for entries. Capture the uniqueness of our coastal communities, environments, or waterways and you have till 9 am on the 30th August 2021 to submit your best images. Last year’s overall competition winning image “Jellyfish and Diver” submitted by Ivan Donoghue was taken off the Aran Island in Co Galway. 
 

With some of the most spectacular coastlines in the world, make sure you bring your camera as you explore the Irish coast this summer and capture its beauty. There is a prize fund of €5,000, up for grabs across five categories: Coastal Heritage, Coastal Landscape, People & the Coast, Wildlife & the Coast and finally we are delighted to introduce our new category Creativity and the Coast. The competition receives thousands of entries that fit happily into our existing categories, but we also receive pictures that transcend categories or labels and are simply stunning pieces of art in their own right. We want to take the opportunity to facilitate the creatives amongst us to showcase their capacity to create beauty and joy with this new category. 

Every year this competition draws a large amount of interest from Ireland’s amateur photographers, coastal enthusiasts, and the conservation-minded. There is a diverse range of categories ensuring there is something for everyone.  This year across all the categories our Judges are also encouraging photographers to explore new methods and angles in capturing the coastal regions and wildlife and would discourage photographing of locations and species that have been heavily submitted in previous years. The Love Your Coast competition aims to celebrate Ireland’s diverse waters by capturing its stunning coastline, beautiful beaches, epic cliff faces, and raging rivers.    
 
The competition is being launched tonight with an online event “Behind the Lens – A Photographer’s Perspective” hosting some of its top photographers over the years in conservation and chat about some of their top submissions and the stories behind them. 

Working with communities on the ground, Clean Coasts’ mission is to help foster pride in our coastline, supporting Clean Coasts communities, groups, and volunteers to tackle issues affecting their local area. This competition provides an opportunity to view the coast and our waterways that the Clean Coasts programme works to protect from a completely different perspective and see the beauty captured therein.   

Visit Clean Coasts to find out more about the competition and how to enter. 

This Valentine’s Day it’s time to #BreakUpWithPlastic

Did you #BreakUpWithPlastic and find a real keeper?

Clean Coasts and Irish Water want you Break Up With Plastic and Think Before You Flush

Issued Monday, 01 February 2021 – In the lead up to Valentine’s Day, Clean Coasts in partnership with Irish Water and the Think Before You Flush campaign, are asking you to share your plastic-free love story. We want to hear from people who have ended their relationship with a single-use plastic item they thought they could not live without and found a new more sustainable love. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be the one inspiring someone else to #BreakUpWithPlastic too!

Ireland is the number one plastic waste producer in the European Union, with 54kg of plastic waste per person produced each year, as well as being the country with the fourth lowest recycling rate. Over the past few years, with the #BreakUpWithPlastic initiative, Clean Coasts are raising awareness about the impact of plastic pollution on our planet and marine environment and asking people to stop opting for single-use plastic.

 Ireland has some of the most diverse and spectacular coastlines in the world. However, an excessive use of plastic is not only polluting Irish oceans and seas, but it is also threatening our marine wildlife and people’s health. According to Ocean Conservancy’s Coastal Cleanup Report 2020, the most common items found on the Irish Coast were plastic food wrappers, cigarette butts and plastic beverage bottles.

 This February, Clean Coasts are joined by the Think Before You Flush campaign to raise awareness regarding the flushing of unsuitable items down the toilet. Think Before You Flush is a public awareness campaign addressing the issue of flushing items such as wipes, cotton buds, dental floss and sanitary products, down the toilet. Many of these items contain plastic, and as well as blocking our wastewater systems, they can contribute to plastic pollution in our oceans, littering our coasts and causing serious harm to our marine life if disposed of incorrectly.

 One item Think Before You Flush aims to raise awareness of is the wet wipe. The common misconception that wet wipes can be flushed, even if labelled ‘flushable’, causes blockages in our network, pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants. These items can also end up on our beaches. Many wet wipes contain plastics which can break down into microplastics, causing damage to our marine environment. This Valentine’s Day, Think Before You Flush are asking you to #BreakUpWithPlastic and say goodbye to single-use wipes. When this isn’t possible, make sure you ‘love your loo’ and dispose of them properly in the bin, and never down the toilet.

Speaking about the campaign, Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts said: “This year Clean Coasts want to hear your good news stories of how you have been able to break up with single use plastic. We realise it can be difficult to make the break from single use, especially with all that is going on, so for anybody starting the journey towards new, reusable, long-lasting loves, we have tips and hints on our website to get you started.”

Talking about the size and scale of the problem associated with flushing the wrong things down the toilet, Tom Cuddy, Irish Water said, “Everyday people flush thousands of items such as wet wipes down the toilet instead of simply putting them in the bin. This causes blockages in our network, pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants. Recent studies have found that 4 out of 10 people admit to flushing wipes down the toilet. It is no surprise therefore that we are clearing approximately 2,000 blockages from our wastewater network every month. A significant proportion of which are caused by wipes.”

Tom continued, “People are using more wipes than ever to keep hands and surfaces clean. While it is critical that we follow the HSE guidance, it is important that we dispose of items like wipes correctly. A simple solution is to only flush the 3 P’s – pee, poo and paper down the toilet and throw wipes and other sanitary products in the bin. In the lead up to Valentine’s Day, Think Before You Flush are asking you #BreakUpWithPlastic and bin your wipes.”

To encourage people to ‘break-up with plastic’, Clean Coasts and Think Before You Flush are giving away three personalised plastic-free hampers, as well as a custom laser-engraved Ecoset refillable bottle and tumbler gift set. To be in with a chance to win, visit our social media channels and share your ‘love story’ of how you’ve fallen in love with a plastic-free solution or product, and how your love has helped you #BreakUpWithPlastic.

Find out more at www.cleancoasts.org and www.thinkbeforeyouflush.org or find us on social media @CleanCoasts.

Clean Coasts 2020: Celebrating the winners of this year’s Love Your Coast photography competition

The Love Your Coast competition has been an integral part of the Clean Coasts programme for numerous years, as seen last year when we celebrated our 10th anniversary of the competition and showcased photos submitted over the past decade. Being Ireland’s foremost community-based coastal programme, Clean Coasts counts on the work of over 1200 volunteer groups nationwide, engaging 24,000 volunteers to help protect our coastline, waterways, seas, ocean, and marine life.

This year even with the country in lockdown and facing challenging circumstances our fabulous volunteers and groups have been eager to engage with us and support the fight against marine pollution. Working with our incredible volunteers on the ground, Clean Coasts mission is to foster pride in our coastline and waterways and the Love Your Coast competition is an opportunity to see this reflected in the entries.

Last night, Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast Photography awards were held virtually, where the winning photographers for the Love Your Coasts Photography competition were announced. The competition had a prize fund of €5,000 for the amateur photographers competing in four categories: Coastal Heritage, Coastal Landscape, People & the Coast and Wildlife & the Coast.
Ireland has some of the most spectacular and diverse coastline in the world. For the past 11 years, the ‘Love Your Coast’ competition has been about capturing the essence of the Irish coastline, its beauty, and its diverse character.

This year, Clean Coasts received over 1,000 entries and the 40 best shots were shortlisted for an online gallery. The winning images showcased the stunning coastlines of Mayo, Wexford, Donegal, Galway and Sligo. Ivan Donoghue with his two winning images, Jellyfish & Diver and Diver in Cave was the overall winner for 2020 Love Your Coast photography competition.

Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts Manager said: “The Clean Coasts programme are incredibly proud that our Love Your Coast photography competition, capturing the most incredible images that celebrate all aspects of Irelands stunning coastline that we are working to protect. The shortlisted images, and those selected throughout the past 11 years of this competition, illustrating the vast character of our coastline from Fanad in Donegal to the Skelligs in Kerry, from whales to surfers and from families enjoying a day out at the beach to dramatic seascapes, these photographs truly captured the essence of the Irish Coastline.’

Clean Coasts would like to wish a huge congratulations to Ivan Donoghue and the rest of the prize winners and thank all the entrants for submitting their photographs.
A gallery of the winning photographs can be found on www.cleancoasts.org

WINNERS 2020
Overall winner:
Ivan Donoghue, Jellyfish and Diver, Aran Island, Co Galway

Coastal Heritage
1.Dara Vaughan, Blue hour at Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara, Co. Galway
2.Andrew Watchorn, The Fish Shop, Coal Harbour, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
3. Marie Hayes, The Mighty Hook, Ballymun, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
Coastal Landscape
1. Mick Hunt, Sea Cave at Downpatrick Head, Ballycastle, Co. Mayo
2. David Valentine,Clearing Mist, North looking from Cahore, Ballygarret, Co. Wexford
3. Pawel Zygmunt, Incoming Rain, Glencolumbkille, Co. Donegal
People and the Coast
1. Garr Cleary, Low Tide, Malahide, Co. Dublin
2. Gary McCall, Enda Curran Surfing, Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo
3. Ivan Donaghue, Diver in Cave, Taken in the caves off Hook Head, Co. Wexford
Wildlife and the Coast
1. Ivan Donoghue, Jellyfish and Diver, Aran Island, Co Galway
2. Nigel Motyer, Territorial Seals, Dalkey Island, Co. Dublin
3. Sean O’Callaghan, Limp Leviathan, Mace Head Co. Galway

The Judging Panel:
• Karen Staunton: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
• Jim Wilson: Wildlife Writer, International Wildlife Tour Guide and Broadcaster
• Ken O’Sullivan: Natural History Filmmaker, Author and Ocean Conservationist
• Eoin McDonnell: Project Officer, Failte Ireland
• Naoise Culhane: Press and Commercial Photographer
• Aine Purcell-Milton: Coastal Programmes Officer, Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce
• Sinead McCoy: Coastal Communities Manager, Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce

How do you solve a problem like Clean Coasts?!

So how does a coastal/ river clean up engagement programme continue to operate during a pandemic lockdown?

Being Ireland’s foremost community-based coastal education programme, Clean Coasts counts on the work of over 900 volunteer groups nationwide, engaging 24,000 volunteers.

But with the country on lock down we’ve been looking at how to keep engagement with our fabulous Clean Coasts groups and volunteers throughout the country. This has been a challenge, but also a great opportunity to look at alternative ways of engaging and educating our community; sharing stories, ideas and in some small way bringing the coast to those who can’t get there at the moment.

So this is some of what we are doing during this time:

• Volunteer chats and interviews – with some of the amazing people driving the Clean Coasts programme in their communities. Keep your eye on cleancoasts.org and our social media accounts for details. If you would like to partake in a virtual one-on-one or group chat get in touch with your local Clean Coasts Development Officer, or email Clean Coasts at cleancoasts@eeu.antaisce.org
• Online Clean Coasts Roadshows – we will be featuring talks from specialists over the coming weeks. These talks will feature work and research on various coastal topics. Keep your eye on cleancoasts.org and our social media accounts for details.
• Online Coastal Quizzes – Check out Clean Coasts Facebook every Thursday evening at 7.30pm, for a Facebook Live Coastal Quiz. Join us to show off your knowledge and learn about our amazing Irish coastline, heritage, marine life, and much more.
• My2K – we are featuring short videos showcasing people’s 2km stretch. As we can’t travel around our beautiful country right now we are asking people to share their 2km with us, so we can experience each other’s journeys. If you’d like to take a short video/image of your 2km please post on social media, tagging @CleanCoasts on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter.
• This week in celebration of Earth Day Clean Coasts is hosting the Irish premier of the live streaming of “The Story of Plastic”, an incredible new documentary on the plastic industry. Clean Coasts will be screening live this Wednesday night, 22^nd April, between 8pm and 9.30pm. This documentary is from the same organisation who brought us the brilliant ‘Story of Stuff’. Places are limited due to licence, so you need to book your tickets via Eventbrite.

Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts Manager said, ‘As with any organisation at this time, Clean Coasts has to adapt and change.  The continued support, engagement and interest from the many Clean Coasts volunteers is outstanding. There is much discussion on future plans, review of projects and previous events, alongside good chats. We always want to hear more from our Clean Coasts community, so if you have any ideas or what to share anything with us, please get in touch.’

10 February 2020 | Clean Coasts’ Valentine’s Day initiative #BreakUpWithPlastic is back again. This February 14^th, Clean Coasts is challenging people from all over Ireland to end their toxic relationship with single use plastic and find a more suitable match – how about a bamboo toothbrush or a reusable straw?

With the #BreakUpWithPlastic initiative, Clean Coasts want to raise further awareness about the global issue of plastic pollution and ask people to stop opting for single-use plastic. Ireland has some of the most diverse and spectacular coastlines in the world. However, an excessive use of plastic is not only damaging its image and polluting Irish oceans and seas, but it is also threatening our marine wildlife and people’s health.

Recent statistics show that Ireland is the number one plastic waste producer in the European Union and over a third of all produced plastic, such us straws, shopping bags or bottles, is used only once and then discarded. Approximately 9 million tons of plastic waste enter our ocean each year. Plastic generally takes between 450 and 1,000 years to decompose and plastic waste is suffocating our ocean.

The good news is – there is a solution to this crisis!

This Valentine’s day join Clean Coasts in ditching single use plastic and switch to a bamboo toothbrush, a reusable cup/water bottle, or a reusable straw.

On this occasion, Clean Coasts will release new downloadable materials containing tips on how to avoid single use plastic.

Clean Coasts organizes hundreds of beach clean-ups every year, with the help of thousands of volunteers who remove a considerable amount of plastic litter from our coastline. With the help of everybody, our aim is to end plastic pollution.

Visit www.cleancoasts.org to find out more.

To find out about our #BreakUpWithPlastic initiative and download our free resources, visit https://cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/break-up-with-plastic/

– END –

About Clean Coasts

Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The programme is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is currently funded by the Department of the Housing, Planning and Local Government, and Fáilte Ireland. The Clean Coasts volunteering effort engages communities in the protection and conservation of their local coastal environment. There are currently over 900 registered Clean Coasts groups in Ireland and last year over 24,000 volunteers engaged with the programme. There are a variety of group types such as community groups, residents’ associations, tidy towns groups, sports clubs, schools, businesses, universities etc. Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Ireland’s beaches and waterways.

A few more tips to help out our ocean

Please remember personal action is very important. Everyday choices matter to the future of our ocean. Here’s our Clean Coasts top tips for helping out the ocean that we all can do:

• Avoid cosmetics that contain micro-plastic beads. For more information see here
• There are many green alternatives on the market today: try beeswax food wrap instead of plastic wrap, or washable instead of disposable snack baggies. For more info on how to break up with plastic, download our brochure here.
• If you can’t reduce or reuse, recycle; know where and how to recycle all types of waste.
• Never litter!
• Even cigarette butts contain plastic (cellulose acetate in their filter) that never biodegrades
• Remember to ‘‘Think Before You Flush”, sanitary waste is very harmful for marine life, put a bin in your bathroom and only flush the 3 P’s, (Paper, Pee, Poo)
• If a bin is overflowing, hold onto your rubbish until you can dispose of it properly
• When visiting the beach or park, do a quick #2minutebeachclean or #2minutestreetclean: spend two minutes before you leave the beach picking up a bit of rubbish to leave.

Think Before You Flush on World Toilet Day

Clean Coasts, Irish Water and the National College of Art and Design unveil an installation of 4 toilets with a difference

19 November, 2019 | Clean Coasts, Irish Water and the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) have collaborated to highlight the “Think Before You Flush” campaign on World Toilet Day as they unveil an installation of four toilets with a difference. The toilets will be displayed in Heuston and Connolly stations in Dublin. The collaboration marks the launch of the fourth year of the Think Before You Flush campaign and the installation will be showcased in public locations across Ireland in the coming months.

Students from NCAD Bureau+ worked on the toilets as part of a “Design for Debate” project. Their brief was to bring the issues raised by the “Think Before You Flush” campaign to the public’s attention in a creative way. Each toilet highlights a different element of the campaign, from the size and scale of the problem to the impact our flushing behaviour can have on the environment.

Speaking about the installation of four toilets, Ian Walton, NCAD Bureau+ said, “We have used Design for Debate to provoke conversations around peoples flushing behaviour. Using simple white toilets as a blank canvas, we tasked the designers to respond to the environmental issues created by flushing rubbish into the sewer system. What they have created is four very different pieces, each of which is engaging and hopefully will grab people’s attention on their commute. If we can educate even a small percentage of those people and change their behaviours then our job is done.”

World Toilet Day is celebrated annually on 19 November and is about inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis affecting millions. In Ireland we are lucky to have a functional sanitation system but for many across the globe this is not the case. It is our responsibility to create and maintain good bathroom behaviour to keep our precious infrastructure running smoothly and to safeguard our environment.

Speaking about the importance of World Toilet Day, Elaine Doyle, Clean Coasts, said, “’The Think Before You Flush’ campaign highlights the importance of not using your toilet as a bin. The toilet can be seen as a gateway to the sea. During beach cleans the Clean Coasts staff and volunteers find sewage related waste such as wet wipes and cotton bud sticks, these have been flushed down a toilet and made their way to the beach. This World Toilet Day we ask people to regard the privilege we have that we have access to proper sanitation, unfortunately more than half the world’s population do not, and always think before you flush. We are delighted to work with Irish Water and NCAD Bureau+ for World Toilet Day with their reimagined toilets and to get the public talking about the power they hold with a simple flush.’

“Think Before You Flush” is a public awareness campaign about the problems sanitary products and other items can cause in our marine environment and our wastewater network when they are flushed down the toilet. When the 3 Ps (Pee Poo & Paper) are flushed down the toilet they travel along the sewer network to our wastewater treatment plants, where they are treated and the effluent is returned safely to our rivers and seas.

Speaking about the size and scale of the problem associated with flushing the wrong things down the toilet, Tom Cuddy, Irish Water said, ”Every day people flush thousands of sanitary items such as wet wipes and cotton bud sticks down the toilet instead of simply putting them in the bin. This causes blockages in our network, pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants. These items can also end up on our beaches. We have removed more than 8,000 reported blockages from the sewer network so far this year, dealt with thousands of other blockages during planned work and we have also removed thousands of tonnes of ragging from wastewater treatment plants around the country.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with Clean Coasts to deliver this important campaign and I would like to commend the students in NCAD on their installation which will really spark the public’s interest in the “Think Before You Flush” campaign and shine a light on the importance of World Toilet Day”.

Whilst “Think Before You Flush” is a national campaign that is promoted across the country, every year we select a number of communities where we work closely with businesses, schools and the community to deliver educational workshops and engage the local residents in the campaign. This year the six “Think Before You Flush” Communities are; Wicklow Town; Dundalk in Louth; Bundoran in Donegal; Sligo; Mallow in Cork and Tralee in Kerry.

For more information about ‘Think Before You Flush’ and the design for debate project please visit, www.thinkbeforeyouflush.org / www.water.ie/thinkbeforeyouflush.org

Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast Photography Awards 2019 took place in Dublin

During the 10^th anniversary of this competition, the best coastal shots of Ireland have been awarded a prize fund of €5,000

24 October 2019 | Last night, Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast Photography Awards were held in The Morrison Hotel, Dublin 1, where Minister Eoghan Murphy, Department of Housing Planning and Local Government presented the prizes to the winning photographers. The night awards also celebrated the 10^th anniversary of the Love Your Coast competition and was MCed by Michael John O’Mahony, Director of the Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce.

The competition had a prize fund of €5,000 for the amateur photographers competing in five categories: Coastal Heritage, Coastal Landscape, People & the Coast, Wildlife & the Coast and Underwater.

Ireland has some of the most spectacular and diverse coastline in the world. For the past 10 years, the ‘Love Your Coast’ competition has been about capturing the essence of the Irish coastline, its beauty and its diverse character.

Working with communities on the ground, Clean Coasts mission is also to help foster pride in our coastline and wants to see this reflected in the entries. This year, Clean Coasts main clean-up initiatives in June and September, reported record-breaking numbers, with approximately 12,000 volunteers joining us all over the country, plus the increasing number of communities and individuals who work with us throughout the year to help protect the coastal areas and keep them beautiful. This shows a sense of pride in the Irish coastline that has been reflected in the Love Your Coast entries for the past 10 years.

This year, Clean Coasts received over 1,000 entries and the 50 best shots were shortlisted for the final exhibition displayed as part of last night’s awards in Printworks, Morrison Hotel, Dublin. The winning images showcased the stunning coastlines of Wicklow, Cork, Donegal, Waterford, Mayo, Meath Clare, Galway and Dublin. Martina Gardiner, with her Malin Head Storm, was the overall winner 2019s Love Your Coast Photography image. Pat Carey with ‘The Bull Wall’, Clontarf Co., Dublin took home the title of Photograph of the Decade.

Clean Coasts was honoured to be joined at the event by Minister Eoghan Murphy, who commented: “I am proud to support the “Love Your Coast” Photography competition and the invaluable work of An Taisce and the Clean Coast team. The level of talent and artistry in the photographs displayed here this evening is outstanding. These photographs inspire and motivate us to value and protect the spectacular and unique beauty of the Irish Coast and our magnificent and diverse marine environment.

Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts Manager said: “We are incredibly proud that our Love Your Coast photography competition is going 10 years with images celebrating all aspects of Irelands stunning coastline. The photography on display tonight and submitted over the past 10 years illustrating the vast character of our coastline from Fanad in Donegal to the Skelligs in Kerry, from dolphins to surfers and from families enjoying a day out at the beach to dramatic seascapes, these photographs truly captured the essence of the Irish Coastline”

Clean Coasts would like to wish huge congratulations to Martina Gardiner.

A gallery of the winning photographs can be found on www.cleancoasts.org

END

WINNERS 2019

Coastal Heritage

1              John O Brien, Storm Bay, Arklow, Co. Wicklow

2              Gar Byrne, Shipwreck Baltimore, Baltimore, Co. Cork

3              John Bennett, Fastnet Sunrise, Fastnet Rock, Co. Cork

Coastal Landscape

1              Martina Gardiner, Malin Head Storm, Malin Head, Co. Donegal

2              Kieran Russell, Old hag and the stars, Copper Coast, Co. Waterford

3              Marc Jennings, Newport Sunset, Newport, Co. Mayo

People and the Coast

1              David Stanley, Happy Out, Laytown, Co. Meath

2              Todor Tilev, At the Edge at Cliffs of Moher, Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare

3              Tim Beck, Collecting, Oranmore, Co. Galway

Underwater

1              Alan Cranston, Baby Octopus, Culdaff, Co. Donegal

2              Mark N Thomas, Starfish Embrace, Little Killary, Co. Galway

3              Shazia Waheed, All Encompassing, Ardmore, Co. Waterford

Wildlife and the Coast

1              Patrick Carey, Stretching its Wings, Donabate, Co Dublin.

2              Christopher Howes, Always Time to Laugh, Brides Head, Co. Wicklow

3              Shazia Waheed, Jurassic Coast, Ballycotton, Co. Cork

The Judging Panel:

• Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
• Failte Ireland
• Naoise Culhane, Professional Photographer
• Catherine Barrett, Bord Iscaigh na Mhara
• Mark Carmody, Professional Photographer
• Jim Wilson, Professional Photographer
• Declan McCarthy, Barefoot Wine

Big Beach Clean 2019 supported by Soup Makers Cully & Sully has reported record breaking numbers

At least 45 tonnes of litter removed across the country thanks to the help of thousands of volunteers

24 September 2019 | The Big Beach Clean 2019 took place between 20^th and 22^nd September all over Ireland and record-breaking numbers have been reported, making this year campaign the biggest yet!

This year, over 300 clean-ups took place around all of Ireland, engaging approximately 8,000 volunteers who removed at least 45 tonnes of marine of litter across the country. With the involvement of the National Spring Clean programme, the Big beach Clean 2019 was opened to all residents of Ireland, including volunteering groups who are not based around the coast, who tackled marine litter at its source.

Each year millions of tonnes of marine litter enter our seas and oceans, resulting in environmental, economic, health and aesthetic challenges. The Big Beach Clean weekend coincided with the World Clean-Up and the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Clean-up, and so it represents an opportunity for everybody to get involved and create an immediate positive impact for the Irish environment and protect marine wildlife.

During the Big Beach Clean, Clean Coasts volunteers were also asked to be part of a citizen science project, in collaboration with the Ocean Conservancy, and fill in Marine Litter Data Card, marine litter surveys to quantify the amount and types of litter on Irish beaches. These surveys are aimed at heightening awareness about the issue of marine litter and serve as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem.

For the Big Beach Clean 2019, Clean Coasts was joined by Cully & Sully, who supported the programme in providing volunteers with additional beach clean-up kit and hosted a flagship event on Garryvoe Beach, co. Cork. Cully & Sully also hosted a giveaway for a €1,000 prize for registered groups who shared their Big Beach Clean experience on social media to inspire more people in Ireland to get involved and protect our coastline.

End

 About Clean Coasts:

Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The programme is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is currently funded by the Department of the Housing, Planning and Local Government, and Fáilte Ireland. The Clean Coasts volunteering effort engages communities in the protection and conservation of their local coastal environment. There are currently over 800 registered Clean Coasts groups in Ireland and last year over 22,000 volunteers engaged with the programme. There are a variety of group types such as community groups, residents’ associations, tidy towns groups, sports clubs, schools, businesses, universities etc. Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Ireland’s beaches and waterways.

If you can’t join us this September for our Big Beach Clean, please remember personal action is very important. Everyday choices matter to the future of our ocean. Here’s our Clean Coasts top tips for helping out the ocean that we all can do:

• Avoid cosmetics that contain micro-plastic beads. For more information see here
• Skip the plastic disposable straw and the single-use cutlery when you can
• There are many green alternatives on the market today: try beeswax food wrap instead of plastic wrap, or washable instead of disposable snack baggies
• If you can’t reduce or reuse, recycle; know where and how to recycle all types of waste.
• Never litter!
• Even cigarette butts contain plastic (cellulose acetate in their filter) that never biodegrades
• Remember to ‘Think Before You Flush’, sanitary waste is very harmful for marine life, put a bin in your bathroom and only flush the 3 P’s, (Paper, Pee, Poo)
• If a bin is overflowing, hold onto your rubbish until you can dispose of it properly
• When visiting the beach or park, do a quick #2minutebeachclean or #2minutestreetclean: spend two minutes before you leave the beach picking up a bit of rubbish to leave.

27 TONNES OF MARINE LITTER REMOVED DURING COCA-COLA CLEAN COASTS WEEK 2019

27 tonnes of marine litter was removed from Irish beaches and coastlines during Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week 2019, which ran from Saturday, 1st June to Sunday, 9th June. Entire communities hosted beach clean-ups and celebrated the Irish coastline with fun activities based around the water, all of which aimed to get people more engaged with the coast. Events included free beach yoga classes, poc fada, kayaking, seaweed workshops and plogging (the Scandinavian trend of picking up litter while jogging) to just name a few.

Over the course of the week, in the Republic of Ireland alone, 189 registered clean-ups took place, with 3,591 volunteers taking part in the initiative, up from 2,908 in 2018. A monumental 22 tonnes of marine litter was removed from Irish shores by volunteers over nine days, 4 tonnes more than the previous year.

While in Northern Ireland, 65 events took place to clean and appreciate the shorelines. During the week 1,859 volunteers got involved and filled a towering number of 931 litter bags, which equates to over 5 tonnes of waste.

Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week encourages the whole country to protect and celebrate Ireland’s beautiful coastline, hosting events all over Ireland with the help of some community spirit. The aim is to engage and empower people and communities to protect our precious coastal resources and appreciate everything our coastline has to offer.

Michael John O’Mahony, Director of Environmental Education at An Taisce said: ‘With almost over 250 events taking place all over the country with the help of 5,450 volunteers, Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week 2019 has been one of our most successful yet. The week saw entire communities coming together to have fun and work together in taking care of their local beaches and coastlines. Everyone was motivated to help prevent the long term negative impact of marine litter, taking pride in looking after the scenic shorelines in their area. I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who got involved, and particularly give recognition to the dedicated volunteers who work hard all year round in protecting and preserving Ireland’s coasts.’

Speaking about their involvement, Gillian Shields, Packaging and Sustainability Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland said, “Coca-Cola has been proudly supporting the Clean Coasts programme for the past 15 years. Through our involvement in the Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week this year, we are delighted to have helped support the thousands of volunteers across the island of Ireland who are caring for our beaches whilst championing responsible behaviour when it comes to littering.”

-ENDS-

#BreakUpWithPlastic

Find Yourself a Better Match This Valentines

This Valentine’s Day we are inviting Irish people to break up with plastic. This February 14^th, ditch plastic and bring a reusable straw on a date.

With this initiative Clean Coasts want to raise further awareness about the global issue of plastic pollution and ask people to stop opting for single-use plastic. Ireland has some of the most diverse and spectacular coastlines in the world. However, an excessive use of plastic is not only damaging its image and polluting Irish oceans and seas, but it is also threatening our marine wildlife and people’s health.

Statistics show that, by 2050, the ocean will contain more plastic than fish. Although plastic generally takes between 450 and 1,000 years to decompose, it is still widely used for packaging and other disposable items in our daily life. As such, over a third of all produced plastic, such us straws, shopping bags or bottles, is used only once and then discarded.

Clean Coasts organizes hundreds of beach clean-ups every year, with the help of thousands of volunteers who remove a considerable amount of plastic litter from our coastline. With the help of everybody, our aim is to end plastic pollution.

To play an important role in our mission, end your toxic relation with plastic and find a better match.

For more details on this initiative and our work, please contact, Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager, email: smccoy@eeu.antaisce.org

Further images and details here. 

ENDS

About Clean Coasts

Clean Coasts is a charity programme, run through the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce. Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life.

 Clean Coasts has grown over the years and now includes two main national clean-up drives – Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week and the Big Beach Clean. Our volunteering has expanded to include Corporate Volunteering and the Ocean Hero Awards also. Other aspects include the Green Coast Award, the Love Your Coast Photography competition, the Clean Coasts Roadshow for coastal communities and we are continuing to grow the Clean Coasts programme with the likes of Ocean Talks. The programme also operates several campaigns in Ireland including ‘Think Before You Flush’ and international campaigns ‘#2minutebeachclean’ and ‘Beat the Microbead’.  The Clean Coasts volunteering effort engages communities in the protection and conservation of their local coastal environment. There are currently over 800 registered Clean Coasts groups. There are a variety of group types such as community groups, residents’ associations, tidy towns groups, sports clubs, schools, businesses, universities etc. Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Ireland’s beaches and waterway.  http://www.cleancoasts.org/

Media Contact:Sinead McCoy
Email: smccoy@eeu.antaisce.org
Phone: 087 1347950// 01 4002210

Clean Coasts Ocean Talks and Ocean Hero 2018

The Clean Coasts programme was delighted to host Ocean Talks with our Ocean Hero Awards on in Clayton Hotel, Co. Cork. 

The presence of marine litter in our oceans is a global concern that requires action.  Adequate measures are needed to address the impacts of litter in the marine environment both at sea and on land whereby public awareness and community action plays a vital role. The Clean Coasts Ocean Talks and Ocean Hero Awards will bring together key stakeholders in the area of marine litter such as coastal communities, NGOs, tourism bodies, the science community, business and the fishing industry.

 Ocean Talks speakers included, Minister of State Damien English, Ken O Sullivan, creator of Deep Atlantic (RTE), Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager with the Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce and Annabel Fitzgerald, Irish Water.

This year Clean Coasts’ Ocean Hero Awards are celebrating eleven years of honouring the invaluable contribution Ireland’s coastal communities have made towards conserving our spectacular coastline. The awards, originally known as the ‘Merit Awards’, were conceived in 2006, consisting then of only one category, ‘The Clean Coasts’ Group of the Year’.  Since then the Clean Coasts’ programme has grown to engage over 700 Clean Coasts groups, becoming embedded in many coastal communities nationwide. In an effort to recognise this growth the number of Ocean Hero categories have also expanded to include, Individual of the Year, Beach Clean of the Year, School of the Year and Business of the Year.

Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager with An Taisce’s Environmental Education Unit said “Over the past 12 years the Clean Coasts programme’s Ocean Hero Awards have really brought to the fore the remarkable work and wonderful coastal celebration events that Clean Coasts volunteers have been involved in along the Irish coastline. We hope this year is no different as we look forward to receiving inspirational nominations that show the true dedication of these coastal custodians.”

The Clean Coasts Ocean Hero Award Winners 2018 are as follows:

1. Keep Our Beaches Clean, Mayo: Ocean Hero Award – Group of the Year
2. Sean Ferguson: Ocean Hero Award – Individual of the Year
3. St Colman’s Community College, Cork: Ocean Hero Award School of the Year
4. Dive Academy, Wexford: Ocean Hero Award – Business of the Year
5. Havin’ a Laugh: Ocean Hero Award – Beach Clean of the Year
6. Galway Altanticquium: Ocean Hero Award – Think Before You Flush Campaign

For more information on any of the above winners please see the attached Ocean Talks and Ocean Hero notes or contact Clean Coasts for more information.

Clean Coasts is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is funded by the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government and Fáilte Ireland.

Ends/

About Clean Coasts

Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The programme is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is currently funded by the Department of the Housing, Planning & Local Government and Fáilte Ireland.

Clean Coasts has grown over the years and now includes two main national clean-up drives – Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week and the Big Beach Clean. Our volunteering has expanded to include Corporate Volunteering and the Ocean Hero Awards also. Other aspects include the Green Coast Award, the Love Your Coast Photography competition, the Clean Coasts Roadshow for coastal communities and we are continuing to grow the Clean Coasts programme with the likes of Ocean Talks. The programme also operate several campaigns in Ireland including Think Before You Flush and international campaigns #2minutebeachclean and Beat the Microbead.  The Clean Coasts volunteering effort engages communities in the protection and conservation of their local coastal environment. There are currently over 700 registered Clean Coasts groups. There are a variety of group types such as community groups, residents associations, tidy towns groups, sports clubs, schools, businesses, universities etc. Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Ireland’s beaches and waterway.  http://www.cleancoastsireland.org/

For media queries please contact:
The Riptide Movement:Brian Scally, 086 8132208, brian@milestonemanagement.ie
Clean Coasts Programme:Sinead McCoy, 087 1347950/01 400 2200, smccoy@eeu.antaisce.org

The Riptide Movement Plastic Oceans Web Series

The Riptide Movement’s Plastic Oceans is a three-part web series that hopes to add to the urgent and important debate about how to solve the global plastic crisis and the devastating effect it is having on our marine life. 

The Clean Coasts programme took the Riptide Movement along the incredible Irish coastline and met with some of Ireland’s leading marine biologists, researchers, campaigners and Clean Coasts volunteers to discover the real impacts of plastic in our oceans and what it means for the future of all life on our planet, including us. The Clean Coasts programme engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life and currently has over 650 volunteer groups working along our Irish coastline, carrying out beach cleans and coastal protection work.

The band also visit a number of locations leading the way in tackling plastic waste including University College Cork, a Green Campus awarded site, chatted with Amanda Byram at the launch of Sky Ocean Rescue in Ireland, and sat down with the Minister for Housing, Planning & Local Government Eoghan Murphy to see what actions the government are taking and what can be done to address the issue at policy level. Regarding wildlife, a visit to Ireland’s only seal sanctuary and a panel discussion with filmmaker Sophie Darlington highlights the impact our love of plastic is having on our marine animals.

The result is a web series aptly titled ‘The Riptide Movement’s Plastic Oceans’. Narrated by Jerry Fish, this web series highlights the extent of the plastic crisis in Ireland in an informative, artistic and engaging way, whilst also showcasing the small changes we can make to help stem the tide of single use plastics.

Talking about the web series and the bands’ collaboration with Clean Coasts, lead singer Malachy Tuohy said ‘We hope this web series and our music can help raise more awareness around one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time. Our reliance on single use plastics is destroying our oceans, a reality so poignantly highlighted by David Attenborough in Blue Planet 2. Through our web series we wanted to learn about the issue of plastic pollution here in Ireland and what small changes we can make to help stem the tide of single use plastics. Our oceans are drowning in plastic and it is not the legacy we want our generation to be remembered for’

Speaking about this web series Clean Coasts Manager Sinead McCoy said: Litter and particularly marine litter has a huge long term negative impact on our environment. Raising public awareness is incredibly important when it comes to reducing marine litter which we see washing up on our coastline on a daily basis. So, the Clean Coasts programme is delighted The Riptide Movement are using their influence to bring attention to not only the issue of marine litter but the incredible work being done by Clean Coasts groups and our Clean Coasts stakeholders.

For more information on how to get involved in Clean Coasts programme see cleancoasts.org

END////

Notes to the Editor:

Clean Coasts

Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The programme is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is currently funded by the Department of the Housing, Planning and Local Government, and Fáilte Ireland.

Clean Coasts is made up of two elements; Clean Coasts volunteering and the Green Coast Award. The Green Coast Award is an award for beaches that meet the excellent standard for water quality as set out in the revised Bathing Water Directive (EC 2006/7/EC) but may not have the necessary built infrastructure to achieve Blue Flag status. An important element of this award is that these beaches have a beach management plan in place and that the local community are engaged in this process.

The Clean Coasts volunteering effort engages communities in the protection and conservation of their local coastal environment. There are currently over 650 registered Clean Coasts groups in Ireland. There are a variety of group types such as community groups, residents’ associations, tidy towns groups, sports clubs, schools, businesses, universities etc. Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Ireland’s beaches and waterways.

The Riptide Movement

The Riptide Movement are four lifelong friends from Lucan about to release their first American-recorded album. There is an authenticity in everything they do. It permeates their sound and defines their approach. Having blown the Irish music scene wide open in 2014 with their Number One, gold-selling album ‘Getting Through’, a string of Top 10 singles and various sold-out headline tours, the four piece – comprising Malachy Tuohy (vocals, piano and guitar), John Dalton (guitar), Gerry McGarry (bass & harmonica) and Gar Byrne (drums & percussion) – are currently enjoying a successful spell in Germany – where the band’s latest album  Ghosts has just been released to superb reaction. The band look forward to returning to the USA, Canada and the UK in support of this album in 2018.  The band signed a global publishing deal with IMAGEM Music in 2017 this year, after they came to the attention of the company through the success of hit radio songs such as All Work Out, Elephant in The Room and most recently Changeling.

Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast
Photography Awards 2018

Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast Photography Awards were held on 11th October in Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin 2. Micheal John O’Mahony, Director of the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, presented the prizes to the winning photographers.

Clean Coasts was honoured to be joined at the event by Ken O’Sullivan, Filmmaker // Sea Fever Productions, delivered a key note speech on capturing his incredible documentary ‘Deep Altantic’ for RTE, released in April 2018.

Ireland has some of the most spectacular and diverse coastline in the world. Now in its ninth year, Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast Photography Competition is all about capturing the essence of the Irish coast – its extensive beauty and diverse character. Clean Coasts works with communities on the ground to help foster pride in our coastline and we look forward to seeing this reflected in the entries.

Clean Coasts launched the Love Your Coast Photography Competition in June during Clean Coasts Week and with a prize fund of €5,000 it attracted huge interest from Ireland’s amateur photographers. There are five categories in the competition; Coastal Heritage, Coastal Landscape, People & the Coast, Wildlife & the Coast and Underwater.

The difficult task of judging this year’s competition was undertaken by Ken O’Sullivan – Documentary Filmmaker, Naoise Culhane – Professional Photographer, Micheal John O’Mahony – Director, Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce, Assumpta Mannings, Conall O’Connor – Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and Meave Walsh – Failte Ireland.

Clean Coasts would like to wish huge congratulations to Derek Balfe for taking home ‘Photograph of the Year 2018’ Award for his image ‘Drumanagh Under the Stars

Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manger, spoke of the awards, “The images submitted to the Love Your Coast Awards this year was of an extremely high standard and illustrating the vast character of our coastline from Fanad in Donegal to the Skelligs in Kerry, from dolphins to surfers and from families enjoying a day out at the beach to dramatic seascapes, these photographs truly captured the essence of the Irish Coastline.”

A gallery of the winning photographs can be found on cleancoasts.org or on facebook.com/CleanCoasts.

Clean Coasts is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is supported by the Department of the Housing, Planning and Local Government, and Fáilte Ireland.

If you require images in high resolution or any other information, please contact Sinead McCoy
smccoy@eeu.antaisce.org // cleancoasts@eeu.antaisce.org
0871347950

WINNERS 2018

ENDS/////

Clean Coasts
Clean Coasts Ireland is owned and operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce – the National Trust for Ireland. It is funded by the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government, Coca-Cola and Fáilte Ireland. It has been operating in Ireland for 15 years and engages 650 Clean Coasts groups and thousands of beach users. The Green Coast award is also part of the Clean Coasts programme and is an award for beaches that have excellent water quality but may not have the necessary built infrastructure to be eligible for the Blue Flag award. www.cleancoasts.org

The Judging Panel:
Ken O’Sullivan, Documentary Filmmaker
Ken O’Sullivan has been a natural history filmmaker, cameraman and ocean conservationist for over twelve years. He has produced, directed and shot natural history series for RTÉ & TG4 and worked as freelance cameraman/director for BBC NHU, CBC Canada, ITV and many TV commercials and docudrama projects. Ken is a passionate marine conservationist and leads conservation projects on sharks, skates and rays in Ireland and continues to be at the forefront of cetacean (whale & dolphin) research in Ireland, working closely with Irish academic institutions, the Marine Institute and various conservation organisations.

Naoise Culhane, Professional Photographer
Naoise is a commercial photographer based in Dublin, working in the areas of Press, Public Relations, Corporate and Lifestyle photography.He has built a reputation for quality, style and delivery and works closely with clients to create unique images for national campaigns across all mediums.

Micheal John O’Mahoney, Director of Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce
In his role as Director of the Environmental Education Unit Micheal John O’Mahony oversees the delivery and development of Environmental Education Unit programmes such as Blue Flag, Green-Schools, Clean Coasts, Greening Communities, Neat Streets, Green Home, National Spring Clean, Green Communities and Green Campus. Alongside this, he is a keen wildlife photographer.

Failte Ireland
Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority is a proud sponsor of the Clean Coasts programme for the past 10 years. The Green Coast Awards and associated Clean Coasts groups act as custodians for the beaches, seas, and marine life in Ireland, ensuring that they are managed appropriately and that they are litter and pollution free for our visitors to enjoy. Local communities are at the heart of Irish tourism and the Clean Coasts groups provide a model for how communities can take a lead in protecting our core tourism assets.

Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
As part of its commitments under the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive and OSPAR’s Marine Litter Action Plan, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is proud to support An Taisce’s ‘Clean Coasts Programme’, in its enthusiastic engagement with marine communities in relation to marine litter and in heightening public awareness and influencing positive behaviour among civil society. The Department would also like to acknowledge the tremendous work done by hundreds of local clean coast groups around the coast in protecting the marine environment, for the generations to come.

Clean Coasts’ Big Beach Clean 2018 
@CleanCoasts#BigBeachClean

Clean Coasts’ Big Beach Clean took place from 14^th to 16th of September all over Ireland. Clean Coasts  once again teamed up with the International Ocean Conservancy for the International Coastal Cleanup event.

This year the Big Beach Clean weekend in Ireland was the biggest yet, with

• 194 beach cleans took place around the coast of Ireland
• Engaging 3,652 Clean Coasts volunteers
• Removing over 32 tonnes of marine litter from our coastline

Each year millions of tonnes of marine litter enter our seas and oceans, resulting in environmental, economic, health and aesthetic challenges.  Clean Coasts invited volunteers to join this global coastal clean-up helping remove marine litter from our beautiful coastline and in turn protecting our coastal habitats and marine life.

During the Big Beach Clean, Clean Coasts volunteers were asked to carry out marine litter surveys to quantify the amount and types of litter on Irish beaches. These surveys are aimed at heightening awareness about the issue of marine litter and serve as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem.

Speaking about the Big Beach Clean, Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts National Manager said, “We are so lucky in Ireland to have such spectacular sandy beaches and rocky shores but each year millions of tonnes of litter enter our seas and oceans causing environmental, economic, health and aesthetic challenges. We all have a responsibility in caring for our coastline so the Clean Coasts programme is incredibly proud of the amazing volunteer effort that joined this call to action over the past weekend,   helping to remove marine litter from our beautiful coastline and aid in the protection of our coastal habitats and marine life”.

Notes to editor:

Clean Coasts Programme

Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The programme is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is currently funded by the Department of the Housing, Planning & Local Government and Fáilte Ireland. Clean Coasts is made up of two main elements; Clean Coasts Volunteering and the Green Coast Award.

Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from our coastline. Clean Coasts has grown over the years and now includes two main national clean-up drives – Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week and the Big Beach Clean. Our volunteering has expanded to include Corporate Volunteering and the Ocean Hero Awards also. Other aspects include the Green Coast Award, the Love Your Coast Photography competition, the Clean Coasts Roadshow for coastal communities and we are continuing to grow the Clean Coasts programme with the likes of Ocean Talks.

An Taisce is the National Trust for Ireland working to preserve and protect Ireland’s natural and built heritage. The Environmental Education Unit is responsible for developing and operating some of Ireland’s most popular and successful environmental and sustainability programmes. It is the National Operator for all international environmental education programmes of FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education), including the Blue Flag Award for Beaches and Marinas and Green-Schools, the international environmental education programme in operation across 93% of Irish schools.

The Environmental Education Unit also operates a number of national programmes including: Green Campus, Neat Streets, National Spring Clean (Ireland’s largest anti-litter campaign), Green Home, Green Communities, and the Irish Greening Community Award Programme.

Clean Coasts’ Big Beach Clean 2018
Join the world’s largest coastal cleanup
@CleanCoasts#BigBeachClean

Clean Coasts’ Big Beach Clean is taking place on the weekend of the 15th, 16^th & 17^th of September all over Ireland. Clean Coasts is once again teaming up with the International Ocean Conservancy for the International Coastal Cleanup event.

In 2017 as part of the International Coastal Cleanup,

• Internationally, 789,138 volunteers in more than 100 countries collected nearly 9,300 tonnes of marine litter during International Coastal Cleanup event.
• In Ireland, 157 clean-ups took place in Ireland, with over 3,000 volunteers getting involved in beach clean
• In Ireland, over 18 tonnes of marine litter was removed from the coastline
• As in previous years, cigarette butts—which contain plastic filters—topped the list at approximately 4 million collected;
• The top items recorded in 2017 during the International Coastal Cleanup collected were,
  • food wrappers (1.7 million),
  • plastic beverage bottles (1.6 million),
  • plastic bottle caps (1.1 million),
  • plastic grocery bags (757,523)

Since the first International Coastal Clean Up event in September 1986, 13 million volunteers have collected in excessive of 100,000 tones of litter from beaches and waterway.

Each year millions of tonnes of marine litter enter our seas and oceans, resulting in environmental, economic, health and aesthetic challenges.  Clean Coasts are inviting volunteers to join this global coastal clean-up helping remove marine litter from our beautiful coastline and in turn protecting our coastal habitats and marine life.

During the Big Beach Clean, Clean Coasts volunteers are asked to carry out marine litter surveys to quantify the amount and types of litter on Irish beaches. These surveys are aimed at heightening awareness about the issue of marine litter and serve as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem.

This year Clean Coasts have teamed up with Coca-Cola and Centra to spread the word about the Big Beach Clean and take action to clean up our coastline. Coca-Cola will undertake its most ambitious volunteering initiative to date, with hundreds of employees across the island of Ireland taking part in the Big Beach Clean, on Friday 14^th September.

Coca-Cola staff based in Dublin, Ballina, Wexford, Drogheda, Lisburn, Cork and Tuam will get involved in the Big Beach Clean, with more than 300 of its 1,600 employees expected to turn out to support the movement to rid our beaches of litter. Three flagship events are planned for Enniscrone, Co. Mayo; Banna Beach Co Kerry, and Portavogie, Co. Down, led by coastal champions musician Kian Egan, comedian Colin Murphy and social influencer Anouska.

Clean Coasts programme are also partnering with Centra stores based in the heart of coastal communities to encourage their shoppers to take part in the Big Beach Clean. Sixty-five Centra stores across the Republic of Ireland will promote the Big Beach Clean in 2018, giving those who register the option of picking up their beach clean kit from their local store.

Notes to editor:  

Clean Coasts Programme

Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The programme is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is currently funded by the Department of the Housing, Planning & Local Government and Fáilte Ireland. Clean Coasts is made up of two main elements; Clean Coasts Volunteering and the Green Coast Award.

Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from our coastline. Clean Coasts has grown over the years and now includes two main national clean-up drives – Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week and the Big Beach Clean. Our volunteering has expanded to include Corporate Volunteering and the Ocean Hero Awards also. Other aspects include the Green Coast Award, the Love Your Coast Photography competition, the Clean Coasts Roadshow for coastal communities and we are continuing to grow the Clean Coasts programme with the likes of Ocean Talks.

An Taisce is the National Trust for Ireland working to preserve and protect Ireland’s natural and built heritage. The Environmental Education Unit is responsible for developing and operating some of Ireland’s most popular and successful environmental and sustainability programmes. It is the National Operator for all international environmental education programmes of FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education), including the Blue Flag Award for Beaches and Marinas and Green-Schools, the international environmental education programme in operation across 93% of Irish schools.

The Environmental Education Unit also operates a number of national programmes including: Green Campus, Neat Streets, National Spring Clean (Ireland’s largest anti-litter campaign), Green Home, Green Communities, and the Irish Greening Community Award Programme.

Kian Egan encourages the nation to ‘Do Good’ to ‘Feel Good’ this Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week

Research confirms the range of health benefits of ‘doing good’; another reason to get involved in the 300 events and clean-ups taking place this week to protect and celebrate the Irish coastline

1^st – 10^th June 2018

With support once again from musician and TV presenter Kian Egan, Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week returns from 1^st – 10^th June. The Week aims to encourage the nation to protect and enjoy our coastline, while celebrating the thousands of volunteers across the island of Ireland who tirelessly work to keep our beaches clean year around.

With extensive research showing that the act of ‘doing good’ or giving back to your community can reduce stress, negative feelings and improve overall health – even helping us live longer [1] [2] [3] [4]–  this year’s Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week returns with a ‘Do Good, Feel Good’ message. The campaign will highlight the personal benefits of volunteering, while also reminding the nation of the importance of protecting our coastline for generations to come.

Studies indicate that giving back, or doing something positive for others, can help us to feel fulfilled, energised and more connected to our communities[5]. This is something Coca-Cola, alongside partners An Taisce and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, want to celebrate this summer by creating a wealth of rewarding volunteering opportunities and fun activities, while also reducing the impact of litter on the marine environment.

‘Doing good’ can contribute to greater happiness, with endorphins released into the body following an act of good, activating parts of our brain associated with trust, pleasure and social connection. This happiness increases the chance that we will be altruistic and do good deeds in the future, ultimately creating a positive feedback loop of generosity and joy.[6]

Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week offers this opportunity to ‘Do Good’ and ‘Feel Good’, with 300 events taking place around the country from the 1^st – 10^th June. With beachside yoga, nature walks, seaweed workshops and family activities, there are many opportunities to celebrate the coastline in addition getting involved in the clean-up events taking place.

Speaking at the launch, musician, TV presenter and avid surfer Kian Egan also said; “I’m thrilled to be continuing with the great work of Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week to highlight the power of communities coming together and doing good to protect our beautiful island’s coastlines. As a keen surfer, I have always appreciated the positive physical and mental benefits that living along the Standhill coast has brought both me and my family – so I truly hope that everyone gets involved in the many opportunities to connect with the coast and plays their part in protecting it this week.”

Micheal John O Mahoney, Director, An Taisce Environmental Education Unit said; “Litter and particularly marine litter has a huge long term negative impact on our environment. Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week aims to demonstrate to everybody the importance of protecting our coasts. Furthermore we want to acknowledge the volunteer work of the hundreds of Clean Coasts groups across the country. We hope this Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week will be the most successful yet, with something for everyone.”

Matthieu Seguin, General Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland said; “At Coca-Cola HBC, sustainability lies at the heart of our business. We continually strive to minimise our impact on the environment, with ambitious targets to reduce water, energy, waste and packaging.

“We also believe in a world without waste, and our 15 year-long support for the Clean Coast programme plays an important role in that ambition. With the support of our partners An Taisce and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful we are keen to do even more in 2018 to champion responsible behaviour with respect to littering and encourage greater recycling.”

Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week celebrates the huge efforts of the thousands of volunteers across the island. 2017 was a hugely successful year with more than 3,000 volunteers taking part in activities across the island of Ireland and 16 tonnes of waste collected during the week.  There are many ways to get involved, from taking personal litter home to helping out at a local beach clean event, or becoming more informed at one of the many educational events held around the country. Information of key events can be found on www.cleancoasts.org.

For more information about Coca-Cola HBC’s sustainability credentials, visit https://ie.coca-colahellenic.com/ .

Join the conversation #CleanCoasts 

On Instagram: @CleanCoasts

On Twitter: @CleanCoasts

On Facebook: CleanCoasts

— ENDS —

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For PR queries, please contact Eimhear Breen, Edelman:

Email: eimhear.breen@edelman.com

Phone: 01 678 9333 / 087 098 7893

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Notes To Editors

Additional quotes, and information from those involved in Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week 2018:

Psychotherapist and activist NC Britton spoke at the launch of Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week; “Research has shown the benefits of time in nature for our health and wellbeing. With our special connection to the coast in Ireland, we are well aware of how good it is to spend time by the sea. Places like the coast give us the chance to not only connect with our environment but also, through practices such as mindfulness, connect with ourselves.”

Flagship Events:

Havin’ a Laugh in Sligo for Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week

As part of Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week activities, a charity comedy night will be hosted at the Stand Bar, Sligo on 7th June at 9 pm in aid of a local Sligo mental health charity Havin’ a Laugh. The charity provides activity vouchers to people in mental health recovery and also runs events year-round promoting life-enhancing activities available in their locality.

Founder of the charity, Blaithin Sweeney, said, “Working on our Havin’ a Laugh project over the last six years, we have observed that people coming through mental health recovery benefit greatly from being part of a community initiative. The act of giving back helps build in layers of self worth and emotional resilience.  Being involved in community events can also help re-connect people on a social level and help them meet like-minded good-hearted people in their community.

“We are delighted to engage with this years’ Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week, to spread the ‘Do Good, Feel Good’ message.”

Exploring and Deeping our Connection with Nature – Workshop Hosted by Nicola Winters

 Join us at Shelly Banks beach on 2nd June for a free two-house workshop which will be exploring and deepening our connection with nature. This two-hour workshop will playfully explore how humans are a part of nature and will engage the senses through nature connection games; creating and sharing stories informed by the particular setting of Shelly banks, and through practicing the art of communication and deep listening.

The workshop will conclude with a shared picnic and participants are welcome to bring along any food or drink they wish to contribute.

As a human community we often neglect the very real and transformative impact that our
relationship with nature has on our personal and collective development. Whether we engage with
this relationship consciously, or not, we can’t deny that the natural world is ever present and
constantly colouring and shaping our day to day experiences.

For any information please contact Richard Curtin at 01 4002202 or rcurtin@eeu.antaisce.org.

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About Clean Coasts Programme, An Taisce – Environmental Education Unit

Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The programme is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is currently funded by the Department of the Housing, Planning & Local Government and Fáilte Ireland. Clean Coasts is made up of two main elements; Clean Coasts Volunteering and the Green Coast Award.

Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from our coastline. Clean Coasts has grown over the years and now includes two main national clean-up drives – Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week and the Big Beach Clean. Our volunteering has expanded to include Corporate Volunteering and the Ocean Hero Awards also. Other aspects include the Green Coast Award, the Love Your Coast Photography competition, the Clean Coasts Roadshow for coastal communities and we are continuing to grow the Clean Coasts programme with the likes of Ocean Talks.

An Taisce is the National Trust for Ireland working to preserve and protect Ireland’s natural and built heritage. The Environmental Education Unit is responsible for developing and operating some of Ireland’s most popular and successful environmental and sustainability programmes. It is the National Operator for all international environmental education programmes of FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education), including the Blue Flag Award for Beaches and Marinas and Green-Schools, the international environmental education programme in operation across 93% of Irish schools.

The Environmental Education Unit also operates a number of national programmes including: Green Campus, Neat Streets, National Spring Clean (Ireland’s largest anti-litter campaign), Green Home, Green Communities, and the Irish Greening Community Award Programme.

[1]Karren KJ, Frandsen KJ, Smith NL. Volume Five (2005). Mind/body health: The effects of attitudes, emotions and relationships. Pearson

[2] Mental Help. Socialization and Altruistic Acts as Stress Relief. Available at https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/socialization-and-altruistic-acts-as-stress-relief/ [accessed May 2018]

[3] Brown SL, Smith DM, Schulz R, Kabeto MU, Ubel PA, Poulin M, Yi J, Kim C, Lange KM. (2009). Caregiver behaviour is associated with decreased mortality risk. Psychological Science. 20(4), 488-494

[4] Brown SL, Nesse RM, Vinokur AD, Smith DM. (2003). Providing social support may be more beneficial than receiving it. Results from a prospective study of mortality. Psychological Science. 14(4), 320-327

[5] Mental Health Foundation, Altruism and Wellbeing. Available at https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/a/altruism-and-wellbeing [accessed May 2018]

[6] Project Happiness. 7 Happiness Habits Backed by Science. Available at http://www.projecthappiness.org/science-of-happiness/ [accessed May 2018]

Media Contact:Sinead McCoy
Email: smccoy@eeu.antaisce.org
Phone: 087 1347950// 01 4002210

Clean Coasts Ocean Talks and Ocean Hero 2017

The Clean Coasts programme was delighted to host Ocean Talks with our Ocean Hero Awards on 21st November 2017 at the Royal College of Physicians, Dublin. 

The presence of marine litter in our oceans is a global concern that requires action.  Adequate measures are needed to address the impacts of litter in the marine environment both at sea and on land whereby public awareness and community action plays a vital role. The Clean Coasts Ocean Talks and Ocean Hero Awards will bring together key stakeholders in the area of marine litter such as coastal communities, NGOs, tourism bodies, the science community, business and the fishing industry.

Ocean Talks Speakers:

Dr Easkey Britton, NUI Galway, Pro Surfer: Dr Easkey Britton, founder of Like Water, is a big-wave surfer and marine social scientist at NUIG. Her work explores the relationship between people and the sea, using her passion for the ocean to create social change and connection across cultures. She is currently a post-doctoral research fellow at NUI Galway co-leading NEAR-Health.

Dr Yvonne Lang, Sligo Institute of Technology: Dr Yvonne Lang is an assistant lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences in IT Sligo. Yvonne’s doctoral research explored the potential use of marine organisms for pharmaceutical industry related applications. Her current research interests include marine microorganisms and microorganism-microplastic interactions.

Soibhan Faulker, Clogherhead Development Group: Siobhan and her family are active members of the Clougherhead fishing industry and community. Siobhan volunteers and chairs the Clougherhead Development Group. The group are the local drivers for participation and award winning local and national success on a number of key initiatives such as Tidy Towns, Louth Looking Good and Pride of Place. The Clougherhead Development

Group work closely with the local fishing fleet on these initiatives as well as industry specific initiatives such as BIM’s Net Recycling and Fishing For Litter.

This year Clean Coasts’ Ocean Hero Awards are celebrating eleven years of honouring the invaluable contribution Ireland’s coastal communities have made towards conserving our spectacular coastline. The awards, originally known as the ‘Merit Awards’, were conceived in 2006, consisting then of only one category, ‘The Clean Coasts’ Group of the Year’. Since then the Clean Coasts’ programme has grown to engage over 600 Clean Coasts groups, becoming embedded in many coastal communities nationwide. In an effort to recognise this growth the number of Ocean Hero categories have also expanded to include, Individual of the Year, Bright Idea of the Year, School of the Year, Business of the Year and Beach Clean of the Year.

Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager with An Taisce’s Environmental Education Unit said “Over the past 11 years the Clean Coasts programme’s Ocean Hero Awards have really brought to the fore the remarkable work and wonderful coastal celebration events that Clean Coasts volunteers have been involved in along the Irish coastline. We hope this year is no different as we look forward to receiving inspirational nominations that show the true dedication of these coastal custodians.”

The Clean Coasts Ocean Hero Award Winners 2017 are as follows:

1. Maharees Conservation Group, Kerry Ocean Hero Award – Group of the Year
2. Seamus McGoldrick, Strandhill, Sligo Ocean Hero Award – Individual of the Year
3. NorthWest Coastal Clean Ups Ocean Hero Award – Idea of the Year
4. St Colman’s Community College, Cork Ocean Hero Award – School of the Year
5. Galway Atlantaquaria, Galway Ocean Hero Award – Business of the Year
6. Creevy Co-Op, Donegal Ocean Hero Award – Beach Clean of the Year
7. Clean Coasts Ballynamona Ocean Hero Award – Outstanding Achievement Award

For more information on any of the above winners please see the attached Ocean Talks and Ocean Hero Brochure or contact Clean Coasts for more information.

Clean Coasts is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is funded by the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government and Fáilte Ireland.

Ends/

About Clean Coasts

Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The programme is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is currently funded by the Department of the Housing, Planning & Local Government and Fáilte Ireland.

Clean Coasts has grown over the years and now includes two main national clean-up drives – Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week and the Big Beach Clean. Our volunteering has expanded to include Corporate Volunteering and the Ocean Hero Awards also. Other aspects include the Green Coast Award, the Love Your Coast Photography competition, the Clean Coasts Roadshow for coastal communities and we are continuing to grow the Clean Coasts programme with the likes of Ocean Talks. The programme also operate several campaigns in Ireland including Think Before You Flush and international campaigns #2minutebeachclean and Beat the Microbead.  The Clean Coasts volunteering effort engages communities in the protection and conservation of their local coastal environment. There are currently over 600 registered Clean Coasts groups. There are a variety of group types such as community groups, residents associations, tidy towns groups, sports clubs, schools, businesses, universities etc. Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Ireland’s beaches and waterway. http://www.cleancoastsireland.org/

Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast
Photography Awards 2017

Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast Photography Awards were held on 31^st October in Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin 2.  Micheal John O’Mahony, Director of the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, presented the prizes to the winning photographers.  

Ireland has some of the most spectacular and diverse coastline in the world. Now in its eight year, Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast Photography Competition is all about capturing the essence of the Irish coast – its extensive beauty and diverse character. Clean Coasts works with communities on the ground to help foster pride in our coastline and we look forward to seeing this reflected in the entries. 

Clean Coasts launched the Love Your Coast Photography Competition in May during Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week and with a prize fund of €5,000 it attracted huge interest from Ireland’s amateur photographers. There are five categories in the competition; Coastal Heritage, Coastal Landscape, People & the Coast, Wildlife & the Coast and Underwater.

The difficult task of judging this year’s competition was undertaken by Ken O’Sullivan – Documentary Filmmaker, Naoise Culhane – Professional Photographer, Keith O’Hara – InstaIreland,  Micheal John O’Mahony – Director, Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce, Philip O’Donovan – Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and Eoin McDonnell – Failte Ireland.

Clean Coasts would like to wish huge congratulations to Gino Perfetti for taking home ‘Photograph of the Year 2017’ Award for his image ‘Withstanding the Storm’.

Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manger, spoke of the awards, “The images submitted to the Love Your Coast Awards this year was of an extremely high standard and illustrating the vast character of our coastline from Fanad in Donegal to the Skelligs in Kerry, from dolphins to surfers and from families enjoying a day out at the beach to dramatic seascapes, these photographs truly captured the essence of the Irish Coastline.”

A gallery of the winning photographs can be found on www.cleancoasts.org or on Facebook/CleanCoasts.

Clean Coasts is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is supported by the Department of the Housing, Planning and Local Government, and Fáilte Ireland.

If you require images in high resolution or any other information, please contact Sinead McCoy

smccoy@eeu.antaisce.org // cleancoasts@eeu.antaisce.org

0871347950

WINNERS 2017

ENDS/////

Clean Coasts

Clean Coasts Ireland is owned and operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce – the National Trust for Ireland. It is funded by the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government, Coca-Cola and Fáilte Ireland. It has been operating in Ireland for 14 years and engages 600 Clean Coasts groups and thousands of beach users. The Green Coast award is also part of the Clean Coasts programme and is an award for beaches that have excellent water quality but may not have the necessary built infrastructure to be eligible for the Blue Flag award. www.cleancoasts.org

The Judging Panel:

Ken O’Sullivan, Documentary Filmmaker

Ken O’Sullivan has been a natural history filmmaker, cameraman and ocean conservationist for over twelve years. He has produced, directed and shot natural history series for RTÉ & TG4 and worked as freelance cameraman/director for BBC NHU, CBC Canada, ITV and many TV commercials and docudrama projects. Ken is a passionate marine conservationist and leads conservation projects on sharks, skates and rays in Ireland and continues to be at the forefront of cetacean (whale & dolphin) research in Ireland, working closely with Irish academic institutions, the Marine Institute and various conservation organisations.

Brenda Fitzsimons, Irish Times

Brenda Fitzsimons is a staff photographer and deputy picture editor with The Irish Times. Brenda has won numerous awards including the prestigious AIB/PPAI Photojournalist of the Year Award and the A.T.Cross Photographer of the Year. Her work has brought her on many assignments around the world including Afghanistan, Libya, Bangladesh, Malawi and the earthquake in Haiti where her work was exhibited in the Gallery of Photography. She has worked in Sierra Leone where she contributed to the 1000Days project with Concern. Brenda instigated the book ‘Caught On Camera’ a project where schoolchildren documented their lives in the Dublin Docklands. The publication won the Business to Arts Award.

Naoise Culhane, Professional Photographer

Naoise is a commercial photographer based in Dublin, working in the areas of Press, Public Relations, Corporate and Lifestyle photography.He has built a reputation for quality, style and delivery and works closely with clients to create unique images for national campaigns across all mediums.

Micheal John O’Mahoney, Director of Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce

In his role as Director of the Environmental Education Unit Micheal John O’Mahony oversees the delivery and development of Environmental Education Unit programmes such as Blue Flag, Green-Schools, Clean Coasts, Greening Communities, Neat Streets, Green Home, National Spring Clean, Green Communities and Green Campus. Alongside this, he is a keen wildlife photographer.

Keith O’Hara, InstaIreland

Keith is passionate about the moment of magic when a real-life travel experience collides with the power of the internet. In 2014, he set up instaireland.ie, a little slice of Ireland online that aims to guide people on an Irish road trip that gives birth to a lifetime of memories.

Failte Ireland

Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority is a proud sponsor of the Clean Coasts programme for the past 10 years. The Green Coast Awards and associated Clean Coasts groups act as custodians for the beaches, seas, and marine life in Ireland, ensuring that they are managed appropriately and that they are litter and pollution free for our visitors to enjoy. Local communities are at the heart of Irish tourism and the Clean Coasts groups provide a model for how communities can take a lead in protecting our core tourism assets.

Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government

As part of its commitments under the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive and OSPAR’s Marine Litter Action Plan, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is proud to support An Taisce’s ‘Clean Coasts Programme’, in its enthusiastic engagement with marine communities in relation to marine litter and in heightening public awareness and influencing positive behaviour among civil society. The Department would also like to acknowledge the tremendous work done by hundreds of local clean coast groups around the coast in protecting the marine environment, for the generations to come.

Media Contact: Sinead McCoy
Telephone:  087 1347950
Email:smccoy@eeu.antaisce.org
 

Clean Coasts’ Big Beach Clean 2017 
Join the world’s largest coastal cleanup
@CleanCoasts#BigBeachClean

Clean Coasts Big Beach Clean weekend will take place on the 15th, 16th and 17th of September 2017. We are delighted to team up again with the International Ocean Conservancy for the International Coastal Cleanup event. In 2016, over half a million volunteers in 112 countries removed 8 million kg of marine litter from the world’s oceans.

Clean Coasts are inviting volunteers to join this global coastal movement for litter free seas and be part of the world’s largest coastal cleanup and marine litter survey. Removing marine litter from our beautiful coastline helps protect our coastal habitats and marine life.

Last year 120 cleanups took place in Ireland during the Big Beach Clean weekend. This year we are on course to surpass that total.

Join the movement for litter free seas and register a cleanup for the Big Beach Clean weekend www.cleancoasts.org . Volunteers receive a free clean up kit containing bags, gloves, health and safety information, data cards and hi-vis vests.

During the Big Beach Clean, Clean Coasts volunteers are also asked to carry out marine litter surveys to quantify the amount and types of litter on Irish beaches. These surveys are aimed at heightening awareness about the issue of marine litter and serve as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem.

Speaking about the Big Beach Clean, Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts National Manager

said, “We are so lucky in Ireland to have such spectacular sandy beaches and rocky shores but each year millions of tonnes of litter enter our seas and oceans causing environmental, economic, health and aesthetic challenges. We all have a responsibility in caring for our coastline so the Clean Coasts programme is inviting volunteers to join this global coastal clean-up helping remove marine litter from our beautiful coastline and aid in the protection of our coastal habitats and marine life”.

Notes to the Editor:

Clean Coasts

Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The programme is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is currently funded by the Department of the Housing, Planning and Local Government, and Fáilte Ireland.

Clean Coasts is made up of two elements; Clean Coasts volunteering and the Green Coast Award. The Green Coast Award is an award for beaches that meet the excellent standard for water quality as set out in the revised Bathing Water Directive (EC 2006/7/EC) but may not have the necessary built infrastructure to achieve Blue Flag status. An important element of this award is that these beaches have a beach management plan in place and that the local community are engaged in this process.

The Clean Coasts volunteering effort engages communities in the protection and conservation of their local coastal environment. There are currently over 500 registered Clean Coasts groups. There are a variety of group types such as community groups, residents associations, tidy towns groups, sports clubs, schools, businesses, universities etc. Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Ireland’s beaches and waterways.

The Marine Litter we find

During Clean Coasts Week in May and The Big Beach Clean in September Clean Coasts volunteers carry out marine litter surveys to quantify the abundance and types of marine litter on Irish beaches. These surveys are aimed at heightening awareness about the issue of marine litter and serve as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem.

We have found that plastic bottle caps tend to be the number one culprit. Plastic bottles, aluminium drinks cans and cigarette butts tend to be amongst the highest ranking litter items found. Other common items generally in the top ten include food packaging, sweet wrappers and fishing litter such as rope and string and sewage related debris/litter such as baby wipes and cotton bud sticks are also often in the top ten litter items found on Ireland’s beaches. We do also find some unusual items like a shopping trolley handle, a computer keyboard, shoes and even a steering wheel!

Media Contact: Olivia Jones
Email: ojones@eeu.antaisce.org
Phone: 087 2045259

Clean Coasts – Ocean Hero Awards 2017
‘A Call to Nominate Ireland’s Ocean Heroes’

Friday 31^st August 2017 The call for Clean Coasts’ Ocean Hero Awards nominations is now open.

Clean Coasts are asking the public to nominate volunteers who they believe have made an outstanding contribution to Ireland’s coastal environment.

The Clean Coasts programme, which is Ireland’s foremost community-based coastal education programme works with over 540 volunteer groups nationwide. These inspirational groups work collectively to create a cleaner and more sustainably managed coastline. In an effort to recognise these volunteers, Clean Coasts has been running ‘Ocean Heroes’ for over a decade and in that time have awarded groups and individuals from all walks of coastal life.

This year we are looking for entries to the following 6 categories: Group of the Year, Individual of the Year, School of the Year, Business of the Year, Idea of the Year and Beach Clean of the Year.

Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager with An Taisce’s Environmental Education Unit said, “There are so many dedicated groups and individuals working to protect the Irish Coastline, as a result, we are delighted to be in position to hold these awards. The awards have really brought to the fore the remarkable work and wonderful coastal celebration events Clean Coasts’ volunteers have been involved in to date. Once again we are really looking forward to receiving inspirational nominations that show the true dedication of these coastal custodians.”

If you would like to recognise an individual, Clean Coasts’ group, school, business, beach clean or idea that made a difference to our coast, you can nominate them at: www.cleancoasts.org.

For the ‘Idea of Year Award’ we are looking for volunteers who have raised the profile of coastal protection in their community through awareness raising events and interesting initiatives.

The nomination process only takes a few minutes and we would love to hear your voice. Please make your nominations on www.cleancoasts.org by Friday October 20th for inclusion in the selection process.

Nominations are invited in the following categories:

1. Ocean Hero Award – Group of the Year
2. Ocean Hero Award – Individual of the Year
3. Ocean Hero Award – School of the Year
4. Ocean Hero Award – Business of the Year
5. Ocean Hero Award – Idea of the Year
6. Ocean Hero Award – Beach Clean of the Year

The winning entries will be invited to attend an award ceremony and celebration luncheon on the 21^st of November, in the Royal College of Physicians, Dublin 2.

Clean Coasts is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is funded by the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government and Fáilte Ireland.

Ends/

About Clean Coasts

Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The programme is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is currently funded by the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government, and Fáilte Ireland.

Clean Coasts has grown over the years and now includes two main national clean-up drives – Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week and the Big Beach Clean. Our volunteering has expanded to include Corporate Volunteering and the Ocean Hero Awards also. Other aspects include the Green Coast Award, the Love Your Coast Photography competition, the Clean Coasts Roadshow for coastal communities and we are continuing to grow the Clean Coasts programme with the likes of Ocean Talks. The programme also operates several campaigns in Ireland including ‘Think Before You Flush’ and international campaigns ‘#2minutebeachclean’ and ‘Beat the Microbead’.  The Clean Coasts volunteering effort engages communities in the protection and conservation of their local coastal environment. There are currently 549 registered Clean Coasts groups. There are a variety of group types such as community groups, residents associations, tidy towns groups, sports clubs, schools, businesses, universities etc. Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Ireland’s beaches and waterway. http://www.cleancoastsireland.org/

Media Contact: Olivia Jones, Coastal Programmes, An Taisce
Telephone: 087 2045259
Email: ojones@eeu.antaisce.org
Twitter: @CleanCoasts
Website: www.cleancoasts.org

Clean Coasts & Barefoot Wine
Presents
‘Beach Rescue Project’
Strandhill, Co. Sligo
Saturday 8^th July 2017

The Clean Coasts Programme and Barefoot Wines are delighted to bring you the ‘Beach Rescue Project’ on the 8^th of July in Strandhill, Co. Sligo.

The event is part of Barefoot’s ‘World Beach Rescue Day’, a campaign which has supported over 14,000 volunteers since its launch 11 years ago, in several countries including the US, Mexico and Germany.

The event is being held in Ireland for the first time and it aims to create a fun and festive atmosphere whilst drawing attention to coastal issues such as marine litter and dune erosion.

The day’s activities are free and open to the public; they include, beach yoga, beach games, face-painting, sand sculpting, marram grass planting, ‘Talks in the Park’, and most importantly a Big Beach Clean.

We will also be throwing an after-party in The Strand Bar to thank everyone who takes part in the beach clean. The party will include a BBQ, live music from soul singing sensation ‘Buck Taylor’ and for those over 18, a glass of Barefoot wine to toast a job well done!

There will also be plenty of giveaways on the day, including prizes for those who collect the most litter.

Olga Senkina, Marketing Director EMEA at Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, commented: “At Barefoot Wine our mission is to make the world a better place through wine and the Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project is a great example of how we do this. We are delighted to be part of Ireland’s first Beach Rescue Project event, and we encourage Co. Sligo’s Coastal community to come and help us clean local beaches and make local areas a better place for everyone to enjoy. Of course, one of the day’s highlights is raising a toast with a glass of Barefoot Wine to celebrate the hard work of all the volunteers – cheers to that!”

Olivia Jones, Coastal Programmes Officer with An Taisce said, “We are really excited to be working with Barefoot on the ‘Beach Rescue Project’. We know how dedicated our Clean Coasts groups are to conserving and protecting the Irish Coastline and for that reason we are thrilled to be able to celebrate that enthusiasm with such a fun and positive event.

For more details on this event and how to get involved please contact, Olivia Jones, Coastal Programme Officer, email: ojones@eeu.antaisce.org

www.cleancoasts.org

About Clean Coasts

Clean Coasts engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The programme is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and is currently funded by the Department of the Housing, Planning Community & Local Government and Fáilte Ireland.

About Barefoot Wine & Bubbly:

Barefoot Wine started up in California in the 1960s. Its founders believed that wine should be more fun and less serious; and created a wine that could be enjoyed by everyone from first-time wine drinkers to hard-core aficionados. Barefoot Wine is the most awarded and #1 wine brand in the US and was introduced to the UK in 2009.  Staying true to its grassroots beginnings Barefoot Wine gives back to local non-profit groups through charitable wine donations. For more information visit www.barefootwine.co.uk

Clean Coast’s Annual Love Your Coast Photography Competition is Now Open for Entries.

Prize fund of €5,000 up for grabs across 5 Categories. Get your entries in by August 18^th to be in with a chance of winning.

Ireland has some of the most spectacular and diverse coastline in the world. Now in its 8^th year, Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast Photography Competition is all about capturing the essence of the Irish coast – its extensive beauty and diverse character. Clean Coasts works with communities on the ground to help foster pride in our coastline and we look forward to seeing this reflected in your entries.  

With this in mind we ask entrants to be respectful of protected habitats in your search for the perfect snap. Please do not disturb any nesting or breeding grounds – A handy guide for nest photography can be found here and we ask all entrants to respect Clean Coasts’ own conservation and ethics principles. 

For more information on the competition and how to enter please see here

Speaking about the competition, Sinead McCoy, An Taisce’s Clean Coast Manager said, “This competition is about capturing the essence of the Irish coast – its extensive beauty and diverse character. The photographs will serve as a reminder of the responsibility that we all have in protecting the beauty and diversity of our coastal environment.

Ciara Cashen, Public Affairs & Communications Manager Coca-Cola HBC Ireland said; “Previous winners of the Love Your Coast photography competition have brilliantly captured the wondrous beauty of our beaches, as well as the special relationship the people of our island nation have with our coastline. I look forward to seeing this celebrated in the entries once again this year.

“Coca-Cola is proud to partner with Clean Coast Week and the Love Your Coast competition to help foster pride in our coastline, while supporting the goal of keeping our marine environment litter-free.”

For more information about the Love Your Coast photography competition please visit www.cleancoasts.org.

ENDS///////

Clean Coasts

Clean Coasts Ireland is owned and operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce – the National Trust for Ireland. It is funded by the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government, Coca-Cola and Fáilte Ireland. It has been operating in Ireland for 15 years and engages 520 Clean Coasts groups and thousands of beach users. The Green Coast award is also part of the Clean Coasts programme and is an award for beaches that have excellent water quality but may not have the necessary built infrastructure to be eligible for the Blue Flag award. www.cleancoasts.org

Coca-Cola
“Coca-Cola HBC Ireland is part of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Group, named by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index as the industry leader amongst beverage companies in the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). Since 2001, it has also listed in the FTSE4Good Index, the London Stock Exchange’s index of companies that meet environmental and social criteria. The company won the award for Green Manufacturer of the Year at the 2015 Green Awards. Investing in the community, minimizing environmental impact and ensuring resource sustainability in areas such water, energy and packaging is a key focus for Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has also invested in an innovative green-tech Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant at its Irish production facility in Lisburn – the first quad-generation CHP plant in Britain or Ireland.”

New research launched ahead of Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week reveals that 95% of people experience litter on our coastline, but just 15% admit to littering

Thursday, 1 June 2017: Research released by Coca-Cola at the launch of Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week (2^nd – 11^th June) revealed that 95% of people across Ireland and Northern Ireland have encountered litter at the island’s coastline, with four in ten people naming litter as the greatest deterrent in visiting the coast. While the majority of respondents have experienced litter on our coastline, just 15% of people admit to having dropped litter themselves.

Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week aims to educate, and foster pride in our precious coastline, while empowering community groups across the country to get involved in one of the hundreds of coastal clean-ups and events taking place.

Drawing over eight million international visitors to our shores annually, the Irish tourism economy is reported to be worth €7.7 billion[1], with the coastline estimated to contribute €2 billion alone2. While a lot of us have experienced litter while at the beach, as a nation we take a lot of pride in our coastlines. Almost three quarters (73%) of people have celebrated our stunning coastline on social media, with Facebook the most widely used platform followed by Instagram.

To celebrate the world’s love of our coastline Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week has teamed up with popular Instagram account InstaIreland to showcase the beauty of the island’s coastline over the course of the week.

Speaking at the launch of Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week, musician, TV presenter and avid surfer Kian Egan said; “Together with Coca-Cola, An Taisce and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, I’m delighted to help generate awareness of the importance of protecting our beaches. Ireland has some of the most beautiful coastlines in world and we really don’t realise how lucky we are. As a keen surfer, I see first-hand the benefits of looking after our coasts and unfortunately also the damage that can be done by littering. I’m encouraging everyone to take stock of their own contribution to keeping our beaches clean, and I also want to celebrate the volunteers up and down this island who give a huge amount of their time and energy to protect our coast. Last year during Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week, more than 10 tonnes of marine litter was removed from the coastline and with a little help, we can make as much of an impact again in 2017.”

The research released today also reveals that a significant number of people are discarding items they do not consider litter. Four in ten people do not consider fruit to be litter as it is biodegradable, however although organic it still takes time to break down and can cause damage to the coast and marine-life. Previous research by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful shows a lack of knowledge on the consequences of littering and the effect this has on our coastline, which in turn promotes littering³.

Michael John O’Mahony from An Taisce’s Educational Unit said, “Litter and particularly marine litter has a huge long term negative impact on our environment. Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week aims to demonstrate to everybody the importance of protecting our coasts. Furthermore we want to acknowledge the volunteer work of the hundreds of Clean Coasts groups across the country. We hope this Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week will be the most successful yet, with something for everyone.

Speaking at this year’s launch Matthieu Seguin, General Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland said, “Our investment the Clean Coasts programmes spans 14 years, and we are very proud of our long-standing partnership An Taisce and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. As leaders in sustainability, we strive to minimise our impact on the environment and a key element of our efforts is focused on environmental stewardship within communities; encouraging people to act responsibly when it comes to disposing of waste. With Clean Coasts Week 2017, we aim to foster pride in our coastline, while reminding beach-goers of the importance of keeping our coasts litter free.”

Irish artist Daragh Muldowney, speaking on his experience exploring Ireland’s rock pools for his exhibition ‘Jewellery Box – Ireland’s Hidden Gems’, said “I have travelled all over the world and nothing compares to the Irish coastline. People flock from all over the world and draw inspiration from its beauty, so as the residents of Ireland it is up to us to do our part to protect and celebrate that beauty. With our online exhibition in partnership with InstaIreland, I hope we will encourage everyone to be mindful of litter when enjoying the coast.”

There are 26,000 volunteers, over 700 volunteer groups and 300 events already planned for Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week.  There are many ways to get involved, from taking personal litter home to helping out at a local beach clean event, or becoming more informed at one of the many educational events held around the country. Information of key events can be found on www.cleancoasts.org and www.liveherelovehere.org .

Join the conversation #CleanCoasts

On Instagram: @InstaIreland @CleanCoasts @LiveHere.LoveHere

On Twitter: @CleanCoasts @isupportlhlh

On Facebook: CleanCoasts | KeepNorthernIrelandBeautiful

— ENDS —

For further information, please contact Eimhear Breen, Edelman:

Email: eimhear.breen@edelman.com

Phone: 01 678 9333 / 087 098 7893

Notes to Editor

Research

Research conducted by Ignite research – 19/05/2017 – 25/05/2017

1,200 adults 18+ (1,000 in the Republic of Ireland and 200 in Northern Ireland)

References

1. Fáilte Ireland tourism facts 2015 – http://www.failteireland.ie/Research-Insights/National/Failte-Ireland-preliminary-tourism-facts-2015-(pdf.aspx
2. http://www.failteireland.ie/Utility/News-Library/Growing-tourism-in-marine-and-coastal-areas.aspx
3. ‘Qualitative Research into Littering Attitudes and Behaviours’ report by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, July 2016

About Coca-Cola in Ireland

The Coca-Cola Company, together with bottling partners Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland manufactures, distributes and responsibly markets a full range of beverages, including 20 brands and 49 different products that are sold in thousands of retail outlets across the country.

The Coca-Cola Company is responsible for creating demand through consumer marketing and brand development and Coca-Cola HBC as bottling partner manufactures, sells and distributes products to more than 9,000 outlets across the island of Ireland. Together, the Coca-Cola system employs 1,750 people across the island of Ireland.

Our products range from Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke through to Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, Oasis, Schweppes, Fruice and Deep RiverRock. 97% of everything that we sell across the island of Ireland is manufactured from our plant in Knockmore Hill, Lisburn, Co. Antrim.

About An Taisce – Environmental Education Unit

An Taisce is the National Trust for Ireland working to preserve and protect Ireland’s natural and built heritage.The Environmental Education Unit is responsible for developing and operating some of Ireland’s most popular and successful environmental and sustainability programmes. It is the National Operator for all international environmental education programmes of FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education), including the Blue Flag Award for Beaches and Marinas and Green-Schools, the international environmental education programme in operation across 93% of Irish schools.

The Environmental Education Unit also operates a number of national programmes including: Green Campus, Neat Streets, National Spring Clean (Ireland’s largest anti-litter campaign), Green Home, Green Communities, and the Irish Greening Community Award Programme.

Our products range from Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke through to Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, Oasis, Schweppes, Fruice and Deep RiverRock. 97% of everything that we sell across the island of Ireland is manufactured from our plant in Knockmore Hill, Lisburn, Co. Antrim.

About Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Live Here Love Here

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful remains the province’s leading authority on litter issues, and provides a unique service to communities, businesses, councils and schools throughout Northern Ireland. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful runs Live Here Love Here, the Northern Ireland Borough Cleanliness Survey, Live Here Love Here Green Business Award, Eco-Schools, the Blue Flag, Seaside Awards and Clean Coast Programme, the Green Flag Award for parks and open spaces and Adopt A Spot.

The charity also runs the BIG Spring Clean (now part of Live Here Love Here), the largest volunteer clean-up campaign in Northern Ireland, which involved over 107,000 volunteers in 2016.

Live Here Love Here, is a national campaign aimed at promoting civic pride and a community can-do attitude by improving environmental quality in Northern Ireland. Tackling issues such as littering, dog fouling and dilapidation, this campaign encourages volunteers to take practical action in their local communities. Live Here Love Here is an inspiring partnership between the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs; Tourism Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland Housing Executive; Choice Housing; Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and local councils, working alongside Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

 Media contact: Ian Diamond (unavailable during awards 12pm to 2pm approx): 085 7480874, idiamond@eeu.ataisce.org       

Sinead McCoy 01 4002210; smccoy@eeu.antaisce.org          

2017 Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards Recognise Ireland’s Best Beaches and Marinas

A Record 88 Blue Flags and 61 Green Coast Awards awarded for the 2017 Season

Today, An Taisce announced the International Blue Flag and Green Coast Award recipients for 2017. The awards were presented by Senator Jerry Buttimer at an awards ceremony held at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven, Co. Cork at 12 noon this afternoon.

Speaking at the awards Senator Buttimer said:

“On this, the 30^th anniversary of Blue Flag awards in Ireland, I am happy to announce that a total of 149 Blue Flag and Green Coast awards will be made today, which is an increase of 8 awards from last year and represents a record high.”

“The Blue Flag has become a truly global symbol with an ever-increasing number of countries participating in the programme.   The programme promotes sustainable development in freshwater and marine areas and challenges local authorities and beach operators to achieve high standards in water quality, environmental management, environmental education and safety. Over the years, the programme has become a highly respected and recognised eco-label working to bring together the tourism and environmental sectors.  There are also very tangible economic benefits to be derived from our marvellous coastal environment and quality facilities, both at local, regional and national levels.  I am very honoured to be associated with the prestigious Blue Flag programme on its 30^th anniversary and to present the awards to this year’s very worthy recipients.” 

Dr. Michael John O’Mahony, Director at An Taisce’s Environmental Education Unit speaking at the awards said:

“I would like to thanks and acknowledge the work of the Local Authorities and marina operators here today for all their efforts in ensuring that the sites being awarded for the 2017 bathing season have achieved the excellent standards required by the Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards. I would also like to commend the many thousands of Clean Coasts volunteers who participate in community clean-ups and coastal enhancement projects in their local areas throughout the year. It is the work of the Local Authorities and Clean Coasts Volunteers that ensures that Ireland’s fantastic beaches remain clean and safe for everyone to enjoy”.

Blue Flag

The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised eco-labels. The Blue Flag originated in France in 1985 when French coastal Local Authorities were awarded with the Blue Flag for compliance with sewage treatment and bathing water quality criteria. It was launched as an International programme as part of the “European Year of the Environment in 1987. In 1988, the first year sites were awarded outside of France 19 beaches and 2 marinas received the Blue Flag in Ireland. This year is the 30^th year of the Blue Flag as an international programme, more than 4250 beaches, marinas will be awarded in 47 countries globally.

The programme aims to raise environmental awareness and promote sound environmental management of beaches, marinas and inland bathing waters around the world. The 81 Irish beaches and 7 marinas that have achieved this accolade adhere to specific criteria related to water quality, information provision, environmental education, safety and site management.

The number of sites receiving the award is up 3 on 2016, whilst 3 of the beaches awarded in 2016 did not retain Blue Flag status, the Blue Flag will be raised for the first time at both Portumna in County Galway and at Greencastle Marina in County Donegal. Bray South Promenade regains Blue Flag status, having not flown the Flag since 2000. Redbarn and Garretstown in Cork and Ross in County Mayo regained Blue Flag status lost in 2016.

An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland is responsible for the operation of the Blue Flag programme in Ireland on behalf of the Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE).

Sites not retaining Blue Flag status for the 2017 season

The Blue Flag requires applicants to achieve an annual classification of ‘Excellent’, the highest rating achievable under current bathing water legislation. The following beaches did not retain Blue Flag status for the 2017 as a result of the annual bathing water classification being downgraded from Excellent to Good status based on samples taken over the previous 4 bathing seasons:

1. Lisfannon in Donegal,
2. Killiney in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
3. Balcarrick, Donabate in Fingal.

61 Beaches receive the Green Coast Award for the 2016 Bathing Season 

The Green Coast Awards were presented back in 2003 to four beaches in County Wexford, it was rolled out nationally in 2008 and has gone from strength to strength ever since. The award recognises beaches for their clean environment, excellent water quality and natural beauty. An important aspect of the Green Coast Awards is the involvement of Clean Coasts groups of which there are now over 500 comprised of thousands of volunteers throughout the island. These volunteers participate in community clean-ups and coastal enhancement projects at their local beaches throughout the year.

61 beaches in Ireland were awarded the Green Coast Award representing an increase in 5 awards since 2016. Ballyallia Lake in Clare has been awarded a Green Coast Award for the first time. Castlegregory; Littor; Waterville and Ballinskelligs in Kerry received Green Coast Awards for the first time. Fountainstown and Rocky Bay in Cork have regained the award for 2017 and Cullenstown Strand in Wexford has been awarded for the first time since 2011

Having not met the excellent water quality standard required Mullaghmore in Sligo failed to retain the award for 2017. Applications were not received from Balcarrick, Donabate in Fingal, Boatstrand in Waterford and Ballymoney in Wexford.

Ends /////

Full Press Release with extensive explanatory notes available here.