Dundalk cllr reacts to major success of first Cooley Peninsula Marine Litter Project event

“It’s just a feel-good project where people want to help and that’s what I like about it. It went very well, I’m delighted,” said north Louth Councillor Antóin Watters following the huge success of the first cleanup in the Cooley Peninsula Marine Litter Project, that kicked off at Rampark beach last Saturday.

“It’s one of those things you do where you don’t know what sort of reception you’ll get”, explained Cllr Watters to the Dundalk Democrat.

“It was unbelievable on Saturday, I have to say. There were about 60 people there. When I decided to set this up I didn’t think it would get off to as good a start,” he continued.

“I thought it would take a while to build up but people have a real interest in it and want to play their part. There were people of all ages. There were older people down to young people, everyone was doing their bit. It was great.

“There are now other people from other parts of the peninsula who are getting in contact looking to when they can carry out the clean up on their part of the shore. So it could catch on like wildfire hopefully and be a real success.”

The volunteering aspect of the project and people’s willingness to embrace was commended by Cllr Watters. “You just go and people do their wee bit. It was three hours. We went at two and I left about 5.30-5.45 and that was everything done. Many hands make light work - it’s not actually that hard when you’ve plenty of people there to help.”

As well as volunteering to help with the clean up, the local community are also trying to raise funds to keep the project going.

“Now there is a bit of a shortfall so we are fundraising,'' said Cllr Watters. “There’s a quiz at the end of the month, where we’re trying to raise funding for the project to help cover some of the costs. So that’s in Ferguson’s on the last Friday in July and we’re trying to get people to support it to keep the project going.” Along with fundraising efforts, donations from local businesses have also been made.

“There are businesses who are giving donations towards it because we have to fund so much for the quad ourselves - but the quad makes life so much easier”, Cllr Watters explained. “Lots of big stones along the shoreline when you’re walking with bags can be dangerous. The quad makes it easier as the trailer can be filled and moved that way to the skip.”

He added: “Louth County Council were very helpful as well, they provided the skip and they’re also going to provide lifting facilities for all the rubbish we do collect so we have to thank them, they really are getting behind it.”

Looking to the potential expansion of the project, Cllr Watters admitted, “I’ve been involved in cleanups all my life. It was just something that came into my head, a good project to try to coordinate. It’s working really well in the Cooley Peninsula. No reason why it couldn’t work along the whole coastline. I think it’s one of them projects that everyone’s glad to see happening.”