Recent journey along the North Clare Coastline/The Burren

Woodville56

As a regular visitor to north Clare/The Burren, one of my favourite Ireland destinations, I am truly saddened and disappointed at what is happening this beautiful landscape. On a trip there over the past week, the so called protected landscape that is the Burren appears anything but protected !!
On the coast road past Fanore and facing the Aran Islands a "tent city " has established itself, complete with campsite paraphernalia, assorted vehicles of various shapes & sizes - not in any established campsite or layby, but on the grassy/rocky headland overlooking the sea !!!
Further back along this beautiful scenic drive, we stopped by Black Head to admire the sea and landscapes of the area and again evidence of human interference was plain to be seen - the rocky sloping shoreline and grykes strewn with empty beer cans & bottles, remains of picnic activities, plastic bags, discarded fishing tackle etc etc
Is this how we protect our unique and beaultiful environments ??
I have no problem with people enjoying this landscape as long as their enjoyment also extends to protecting and valuing the area, rather than the exploitation evident around the place. Surely Clare Co Council, the Parks and Wildlife Service, the OPW or whoever else is responsible for maintaining the area's flora & fauna should be providing appropriate camping /caravanning sites and facilities in designated areas and in so doing ensure the natural habitat and landscape is no further damaged. This should include proper wardening/supervision as is evident at other similar sites with fines for no compliance/unauthorised camping or littering. Having visited many other heritage sites in Ireland, you won't find camping or unauthorised access at sites such as the Giants Causeway, Glendalough, Muckross etc .. at least not to the level witnessed around the Burren over the past weeks ?
There has to be a happy medium that facilitates access for all but respects the unique landscape that is the Burren coast.
Sorry for this rant but it appears that the precious little is being done by the powers that be to protect the landscape here, just putting up signs doesn't seem to be doing the trick !!

redzerologhlen

Woodville56 wrote: »

As a regular visitor to north Clare/The Burren, one of my favourite Ireland destinations, I am truly saddened and disappointed at what is happening this beautiful landscape. On a trip there over the past week, the so called protected landscape that is the Burren appears anything but protected !!
On the coast road past Fanore and facing the Aran Islands a "tent city " has established itself, complete with campsite paraphernalia, assorted vehicles of various shapes & sizes - not in any established campsite or layby, but on the grassy/rocky headland overlooking the sea !!!
Further back along this beautiful scenic drive, we stopped by Black Head to admire the sea and landscapes of the area and again evidence of human interference was plain to be seen - the rocky sloping shoreline and grykes strewn with empty beer cans & bottles, remains of picnic activities, plastic bags, discarded fishing tackle etc etc
Is this how we protect our unique and beaultiful environments ??
I have no problem with people enjoying this landscape as long as their enjoyment also extends to protecting and valuing the area, rather than the exploitation evident around the place. Surely Clare Co Council, the Parks and Wildlife Service, the OPW or whoever else is responsible for maintaining the area's flora & fauna should be providing appropriate camping /caravanning sites and facilities in designated areas and in so doing ensure the natural habitat and landscape is no further damaged. This should include proper wardening/supervision as is evident at other similar sites with fines for no compliance/unauthorised camping or littering. Having visited many other heritage sites in Ireland, you won't find camping or unauthorised access at sites such as the Giants Causeway, Glendalough, Muckross etc .. at least not to the level witnessed around the Burren over the past weeks ?
There has to be a happy medium that facilitates access for all but respects the unique landscape that is the Burren coast.
Sorry for this rant but it appears that the precious little is being done by the powers that be to protect the landscape here, just putting up signs doesn't seem to be doing the trick !!

Well I can confirm that the council have no interest in the rubbish at black head, the local angling club hold a day at the end of the fishing season yearly and pick up the rubbish there and in ballyreen, the county council were contacted countless times by locals about it and all they did for a finish was put up a sign.

periodictable

Agree with your sentiments, but with the first glorious weather in a couple of years, and masses of people with nothing to do, I don't begrudge them a camping trip.
Clare County Council had never been particularly imaginative- it's a bureaucracy that exists to serve itself.
Look at all the resorts policed by the council- few litter bins, parking laws rarely enforced, no public toilets, no showers by the beaches, and a poster in another thread on here spoke of the appalling rip off price demanded in Lahinch by a private campsite owner to pitch a tent. As for the litter... the phrase the "dirty Irish" is well deserved.

Rightwing

The councils are only interested in money.

What can they get out of you.

buck65

And a large portion of Irish people don't give a **** about litter and preserving anything.

This country is depressing in so many ways. But ,yeah, the Council are useless ****s.

Mr. G

I disagree with you guys here. I have found the council do some excellent work and have been involved in some gathering events. A lot of people are dissing the council for this and that, and everything else. They have a busy enough job, so no their not useless ****s. I respect other peoples opinions, but its also the populations responsibility to respect their area - not just the council to clean up after them.

Some people in Ireland don't respect the environment at all, and will litter it etc.

Just my 2 cents.

redzerologhlen

Mr. G wrote: »

I disagree with you guys here. I have found the council do some excellent work and have been involved in some gathering events. A lot of people are dissing the council for this and that, and everything else. They have a busy enough job, so no their not useless ****s. I respect other peoples opinions, but its also the populations responsibility to respect their area - not just the council to clean up after them.

Some people in Ireland don't respect the environment at all, and will litter it etc.

Just my 2 cents.

I'm speaking as a local and from my experience of it. A lot of locals who don't fish at all went and helped gather the rubbish at black head and ballyreen and the place does be in a fair state when the mackerel come in. The council did nothing to help.

Mr. G

redzerologhlen wrote: »

I'm speaking as a local and from my experience of it. A lot of locals who don't fish at all went and helped gather the rubbish at black head and ballyreen and the place does be in a fair state when the mackerel come in. The council did nothing to help.

As am I. Fair point

Clareman

I'm with Mr. G on this 1, people have to take responsibility for their own actions, the filth left behind by people at public places is a disgrace and people should be named and shamed for doing it. Just cause they don't want to have a bad smell or dirty their car they think it's ok to leave everything after them. A personal hatred of mind is those disposable BBQ's at a beach, some scumbag decided it would be better to just bury it under a little bit of sand rather than dispose of it properly and some young girl came along and walked on it.

If councils were looking into making money, they should just have a few people with cameras taking pictures of people leaving rubbish after them, getting their car details and then sending out fines.

Woodville56

Mr. G wrote: »

I disagree with you guys here. I have found the council do some excellent work and have been involved in some gathering events. A lot of people are dissing the council for this and that, and everything else. They have a busy enough job, so no their not useless ****s. I respect other peoples opinions, but its also the populations responsibility to respect their area - not just the council to clean up after them.

Some people in Ireland don't respect the environment at all, and will litter it etc.

Just my 2 cents.

I agree with all the sentiments expressed in response to my comments in starting this thread. However, from experience on my own patch, where local woodland walks are strewn with litter and rubbish, including the ubiquitous disposable barbeque equipment, it's generally not the local population who are responsible for the problem but the day trippers and weekenders from outside the area. The work by local people in helping to maintain these areas and do clean up's is most commendable , if only the local authorities exerted a bit more urgency in supervising the sites and dealing with the litterers and unauthorised camp sites

periodictable

Clare FM this morning carried an interview with a Dublin visitor who among other thing, spoke about a Traveller encampment near Lahinch, where they left their rubbish burning in a heap. She was at pains to point out that this was a group that was probably a minority amongst this community, but she quenched the fire and said it consisted of soiled nappies, bottles and pressurized cans.
I can only assume it's no fear of sanction nor any sense of community that gives anyone the nerve to do something like that.

PKLEC

Matters along the N Clare coast are just becoming worse ! Extensive shore camping and parking without landholder's permission. Bonfires, nasty dogs and beat music at night. Not really what the Burren visitor should encounter. Particularly the many who fall under the eco-tourism heading.
Clare C.C. do have an environmental patrol. Let's hope they act !

An allied, potential despoilment of the immediate N Clare environment is the planned super sized salmon farm in Galway Bay. This would be the largest in Europe. Many salmon farms off our west coast have failed, for varied reasons. Why conduct such a gross experiment in such a precious environment ? The knock on effect of this could well have profound and lasting effects upon local ecosystems. Take a look at BIM's E.I.S. A document that is not impartial.

That's enough for now ! :mad:

redzerologhlen

PKLEC wrote: »

Matters along the N Clare coast are just becoming worse ! Extensive shore camping and parking without landholder's permission. Bonfires, nasty dogs and beat music at night. Not really what the Burren visitor should encounter. Particularly the many who fall under the eco-tourism heading.
Clare C.C. do have an environmental patrol. Let's hope they act !

An allied, potential despoilment of the immediate N Clare environment is the planned super sized salmon farm in Galway Bay. This would be the largest in Europe. Many salmon farms off our west coast have failed, for varied reasons. Why conduct such a gross experiment in such a precious environment ? The knock on effect of this could well have profound and lasting effects upon local ecosystems. Take a look at BIM's E.I.S. A document that is not impartial.

That's enough for now ! :mad:

Its a joke of a proposal, all my fishing rods will be for sale if it goes ahead anyway

Shapey Fiend

I was quite taken aback at the amount of rubbish I saw around Fanore the other day. People definitely aren't cleaning up after themselves.

Of course I'd say we've had more people on the Clare coastline in 3 weeks than we had in 3 months last year so perhaps it's to be expected due to sheer volume. It's hard to staff for that.

There used be litter all over Ennis in the early 90's. We went from one of the dirtiest towns in Ireland to one of the cleanest. I'd presume that was mostly the councils work. Budgets are getting cut back again and standards are slipping but they probably can't afford to employ that many people any more and it's up to the public to pick up the slack and be a bit more civilised.

redzerologhlen

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

I was quite taken aback at the amount of rubbish I saw around Fanore the other day. People definitely aren't cleaning up after themselves.

Of course I'd say we've had more people on the Clare coastline in 3 weeks than we had in 3 months last year so perhaps it's to be expected due to sheer volume. It's hard to staff for that.

There used be litter all over Ennis in the early 90's. We went from one of the dirtiest towns in Ireland to one of the cleanest. I'd presume that was mostly the councils work. Budgets are getting cut back again and standards are slipping but they probably can't afford to employ that many people any more and it's up to the public to pick up the slack and be a bit more civilised.

There is one local fellow employed by the council to clean the beach in the evening's. In fairness its a lot of work to be facing into at 8 or 9 o clock whenthe beach had been so busy. There will always be those who litter and those who dont regardless of how much awareness is raised about it.

Jim Martin

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153022459900104&set=a.286536755103.317506.278016275103&type=1

dr.fuzzenstein

Clareman wrote: »

I'm with Mr. G on this 1, people have to take responsibility for their own actions, the filth left behind by people at public places is a disgrace and people should be named and shamed for doing it. Just cause they don't want to have a bad smell or dirty their car they think it's ok to leave everything after them. A personal hatred of mind is those disposable BBQ's at a beach, some scumbag decided it would be better to just bury it under a little bit of sand rather than dispose of it properly and some young girl came along and walked on it.

If councils were looking into making money, they should just have a few people with cameras taking pictures of people leaving rubbish after them, getting their car details and then sending out fines.

I'd be all for that! I hate the general money grabbing attitude of the government (we're desperate and you know it!), but hefty fines for filth merchants, oh yeah, that gets my vote.
The problem is that the people don't care because they know the council don't enforce.
Or is it that the council don't have the stomach to tackle the type of people who will litter and might react violently if pulled up on it?
That just tells me I live in a state that is afraid of it''s own people.
You won't see that in Germany. (just speaking from experience, should things get messy a lot of 6 foot+ guys in black will turn up and they are not known for being charming or having a sense of humor)
I saw (on several occasions) people burying disposable nappies at the beach. And, of course, the obligatory bottles, cans, bags, condoms, chip bags, general household rubbish.
I'm all for people taking responsibility for their own actions, but some people need a little help (and a large fine and some cooling off time in a cell if they get lippy) to get the message.