12 June 2021
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
The Clean Coasts programme works with communities to 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.
File photo. December 2020. A Clean Coasts group at Ballynamona Beach, East County Cork
The Irish coast offers breath-taking views, beautiful beaches, epic cliffs, and more, and its unique beauty and character has been attracting visitors from all over the world – did you know that some of the coastal areas in Ireland have been named top tourists’ attractions in Europe, ranking higher than other famous landmarks including Buckingham Palace, the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
The Irish coast also presents its visitors with numerous opportunities to have fun. With the nice weather on the way, we expect that more people will be visiting 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 our stunning coastline, beautiful beaches, epic cliffs and all outdoor areas, but also to protect these natural treasures. Get out and make the most of Ireland’s wonderful coast, but also do you part to preserve our marine environment and keep it safe and beautiful for future generations to enjoy too.
To launch the campaign, today, we are releasing three guides which contain tips and guidance on how to enjoy our coast, while doing your bit to protect it. Two of these guides – Outdoor Living and 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.
To find out more, visit www.cleancoasts.org
