Fatima Quadri, Samira Islam, Louise-Marie Lanaud and John Daly pictured picking up litter on Sandymount Strand in Dublin.
Last month, a group of volunteers from ROD set out for Sandymount Beach in Dublin armed with litter pickers, protection gloves, high-visibility vests and collection bags. Their aim? To support the significant community effort to keep this beautiful, natural amenity free from litter, so it can be fully enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.
Our Sustainability Committee chose this particular part of Dublin for ROD's annual clean-up evening because it falls within the South Dublin Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA). It also holds special significance for our team as we are currently working on several projects in the area, including the Point Bridge and Tom Clarke Bridge Widening, the Dodder Bridge and various Dublin Port projects.
Arriving at their starting point at Sandymount Beach, our volunteers were encouraged by the sight of a relatively clean beach - testament to the frequent clean-up efforts of local community groups, environmental organisations and Dublin City Council. They then split in two teams, with the first team travelling north from Sandymount Strand towards Dublin Bay and the Poolbeg Chimneys, and the second team travelling south along the length of Sandymount Strand.
Our teams focused their efforts on retrieving the hidden litter within the large boulders along the strand, around the Sandymount baths and in the hedges and carparks in the surrounding environs. While some of the rubbish was trapped below heavy bounders and therefore irretrievable, they nevertheless managed to fill their bags with bottles, wrappers, cans, paper, discarded items of clothing and various pieces of scrap plastic that had been broken down by the sea. Satisfied with their evening's work, our volunteers then headed to The Merry Cobbler, a friendly pub and restaurant in Irishtown, where they were treated to some well-deserved refreshments.
Our beach clean-up highlights the importance of both individual and collective actions in preserving our natural environment. Our thanks to Dublin City Council, who provided the all-important protection gloves, collection bags, collection bag holders and litter pickers.
