Beaches have been left in 'carnage' across the country after thousands flocked to the coast during the hottest day of the year on Monday which saw the highest recorded temperature in 135 years at 33C in the Phoenix Park weather station.
With Dublin’s record high, Burrow beach in Sutton, Co Dublin, proved to be a popular spot for those wishing to cool off. Fingal County Council has said that it took six hours to clean up litter left behind as well as the need for additional staff and equipment.
In a statement to the Irish Mirror, the council said that crews have been at all beaches since 5.30 am this morning.
The statement said: “Vans and tractors and trailers have been hauling the bags away once filled by the staff. In excess of 10 tonnes of litter was removed from Burrow Beach alone. Similar resources and vehicles have also been deployed at the other beaches."
Council staff have also reported that burnt-out bins have occurred due to hot BBQs being placed in them, despite the warning signs in place not to do this. The council urged the public not to dispose of hot BBQs in bins.
“As well as being unsightly and impacting other beach users litter left on beaches poses a risk to the environment and wildlife and can have a negative impact on water quality. In order to avoid litter entering the sea, the planned cleaning operation targets the area of the beaches where the tide will impact first.”
Harriet Donnelly from Flossie and the Beach Cleaners said she was out at 7am yesterday cleaning up left behind litter and is trying to stop shoes, clothes and toys from going into landfill. Wetsuits were also left behind and are given to Seal Rescue Ireland which are used for abandoned seal pups. Donnelly explains that the suits are sewed to look like a mother seal and hot water bottles are put inside.
“By the time you pick up all the bottles and cans, they’re too dirty to go into recycling,” she said. Donnelly said that towels left behind go to an animal shelter, while shoes, swimming togs and toys go into a lost and found at Sandycove.
“It’s just terrible at the moment, we did a clean at Killiney yesterday and it was fine but there was rubbish dotted in between every group of people, and it’s the same at Seapoint, it’s probably the same on every beach in Ireland,” she said.
Donnelly said that one lifeguard at Sandycove witnessed someone throw litter directly into the sea at Sandycove, describing it as “carnage.”
“Not everyone means to leave the rubbish behind, in fairness, you feel like it’s constant blame blame blame, some people forget but there was one family that threw everything into the sea, apparently,” she said.
She said that a small percentage of people do leave rubbish behind, but those that do leave a large amount which she said looks “shocking.”
“The leftover is quite awful,” she said.
Donnelly also warned about polystyrene and the immediate danger it poses to wildlife, “We’ve watched seals come up to breathe and polystyrene balls shoot in through their nose,” she said.
Other beaches across the country have also been affected including Myrtleville beach in Cork.
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