Teens abandon drink, drugs, and tents after beach party

Environmentalists have reacted angrily after teenagers partied with beer and drugs on a stretch of protected coastline before abandoning tents, rubbish, and used toilet paper.

Amid scenes reminiscent of the aftermath of a music festival, tents, sleeping bags, and items of clothing were found abandoned across the sensitive dunes area on Ardnahinch beach in east Cork after the weekend party.

Several campfires had been lit, dozens of beer cans and bottles were scattered about, and piles of human faeces were visible nearby, close to yards of dumped, used toilet paper. An empty plastic bag with a cannabis symbol was also found.

It took 24 Clean Coast volunteers an entire afternoon to clean the area on Saturday. They removed 25 bags of rubbish.

The beach is one of several in Ballycotton Bay — a designated Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive.

Clean Coast volunteers clean up Adrnahinch Beach after teenagers partied in a sensitive dunes area in a Special Protection Area.

The teenagers partied in sensitive dune areas used by several species of bird which are either in danger of extinction or vulnerable to specific changes in their habitat.

The tall grasses used by nesting birds were trampled, and several areas of ground were scorched by the fires.

The Clean Coast volunteers plan to step up surveillance in the area, particularly at weekends, in a bid to prevent further beach parties which they fear could upset the area’s delicate ecological balance.

“We are sick to death of hearing that Cork County Council or the gardaí need to do more,” said local Clean Coast spokesman Pronsias Ó Tuama.

“They have gone above and beyond the call of duty on several occasions and are doing the best with the resources they have.

Tents abandoned in the dunes area of Ardnahinch Beach in East Cork.

“We have put up warning signs, several of which have been pulled down. But it’s time now for parents to take responsibility.”

The beach and its dunes are part of a 2km east-facing coastal complex within Ballycotton Bay, featuring inter-tidal sand and mudflats providing the main feeding habitat for a host of wintering birds.

The flats are fringed by salt marshes in sheltered inlets which provide high tides roosts for several bird species.

Apart from the area’s natural beauty, it is of special conservation interest for wetland and waterbird species including teal, ringed, golden, and grey plovers, lapwing, godwit, and curlew.

And although relatively small in area, Ballycotton Bay supports an excellent diversity of wintering waterbirds and has nationally important populations of 11 species, of which two, the golden plover and bar-tailed godwit, are listed in Annex I, or an at-risk or threatened list, of the EU Birds Directive.

Some of the scorch marks and rubbish left by campfires which were lit over the weekend in the sensitive dunes area of Ardnahinch Beach.

Earlier this summer, the Clean Coast volunteers cleaned up after a beachside ‘book-burning party’ which was attended by Junior Certificate students from a school on the outskirts of Cork City.

Dumped bus tickets indicated that several party-goers had paid children’s fares to travel one-way with Bus Éireann from Midleton to nearby Garryvoe.

Unburned books, with names and mobile-phone numbers clearly visible, were recovered and the details have been passed on to Cork County Council’s anti-litter unit in the hope of supporting further action.

Mr Ó Tuama said they were extremely concerned about the scale of the dumping at the weekend.

Gardaí responded but the partygoers had enough time to leave the area, and waited for the gardaí to leave, before returning to the beach again.

There was outrage earlier this summer after Myrtleville beach was hit by a wave of illegal dumping after a mini-heatwave.