Rubbish view at Mountshannon quay

A Dublin man visiting Mountshannon recently was disgusted by the way a scenic area was left at the quay and has said it is a sad state of affairs and doesn’t give much hope for the future.
Gerry Duffy took a photograph of the offending site while holidaying in East Clare. As a regular visitor to the county, he says this was not the first time he has come across this issue.
“The photograph was taken on the quayside as you look out across the lake and where all the boats pull in. I have seen this problem before and reported it to the local tourism office who then passed it on to Clare County Council who had it cleaned and then contacted me personally to say the area was now clear of rubbish. I have been holidaying in Clare for the past 40 years and I enjoy the area but when I see rubbish like this at such a beautiful place it makes my blood boil,” he said.
He was critical of the amount of bins provided for the number of boats using the harbour and called on Clare County Council to rectify the situation.
“At present we need all the tourists we can get and if the local council can’t see their way to emptying bins at week ends I am afraid the future looks bleak. My own opinion is that there are not enough bins for the volume of boats arriving and it seems nobody has the foresight to see that holiday weekends and peak holiday times that more bins are required.
“In the photo there are two bins for approximately 60 boats, and in fairness to some boat owners they had no option other than leave rubbish on the ground near the full bins,” he concluded.
Meanwhile local County Councillor Pat Burke said that he is aware that there is an on-going problem with bins overflowing at the harbour in Mountshannon and that this is due as he understands to a reduction in the capacity in the number of bins provided by Clare County Council.
“There may also be a problem with private households disposing of their rubbish at this collection point, which needs to be monitored by the litter warden. I am calling on the council to immediately provide extra capacity, which I believe was in place in previous years during the summer months, in order to solve this shocking issue at such a beautiful scenic location,” Councillor Burke said.
In a statement issued by Clare County Council to The Clare Champion they advise that a few years ago the bins from the carpark in Mountshannon were relocated further down the pier due to their “continued misuse and abuse”.
Sean Lenihan, senior executive engineer for the Killaloe Electoral Area stated, “The bins are secured there during the week and are wheeled up to the car park only on collection days. They are solely for the benefit of boat tourists and are certainly not intended for use by the general public or holiday home owners in the area that may not have a regular collection service of their own”.
He advised that the council will be monitoring the situation.
“If the bins continue to be abused in their new location, we may have to consider removing them entirely and thereby compromising the area’s Blue Flag and its potential for tourists to come and enjoy the facilities on offer in such a beautiful part of East Clare,” Mr Lenihan continued.
He appealed for the assistance of boat owners and the public in reporting illegal fly tipping and littering at this location and anyone with information on this issue can contact the council’s free phone “anti-litter hot line” on 1800 606 706.