Cork school makes waves with Clean Coast award

The Big Beach Clean Award 2021 winners are the Banna Beach Coastcare Group, Tralee, Co Kerry. Over the past two weeks Clean Coasts has honoured winning groups, individuals, communities and businesses who have won an Ocean Hero Award for outstanding work and commitment to their coastlines and areas.

A Co Cork school has won its sixth national award in seven years for its commitment to preserving the Irish coast, one of three Cork winners in the Clean Coast Awards that laud volunteers for protecting marine life.

St Colman's Community College in Midleton was crowned Youth of the Year Award Winner 2021, having won it in 2019, and having previously been School of the Year four years in a row from 2015 to 2018.

Their dedication to the coast continues to grow and inspire others, Clean Coasts said.

"They are involved in cleaning a number of beaches in east Cork and the commitment of the students is really inspiring. Beaches under their care include: Ballynamona West, Ballynamona East, Ardnahinch, Garryvoe, Silverstrand, Ballinwilling, Ballycroneen, Ballybranagan, Pilmore, Redbarn, Claycastle and The Front Strand in Youghal," Clean Coasts said in its commendation.

The Clean Coasts programme, which has 1,800 volunteer groups and over 37,000 volunteers, is instrumental in the protection of beaches, seas and marine life, assisting communities to help protect and care for coastal life.

Run through the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, Clean Coasts removes massive quantities of marine litter from the coastline each year through its volunteers.

Cork native Dave Ludgate, the paddleboarding eco-champion known as Subowti, is the winner of the Enjoy and Protect award, while Caroline Davy from Clean Coasts Blackrock was heralded as the Amazing Efforts winner for her indelible mark in keeping one of Cork's most scenic amenity areas litter free.

Subowti, whose tagline is "happiest when in the water, saddest when it gets polluted", spends most of his free time stand-up paddleboarding the River Lee and picking up the varied objects that get dumped there, Clean Coasts said.

He said: "I like to think that I am fighting back against the constant polluting of our waters with marine litter and microplastics. I promote our waterways and coast as the fantastic resources that they are and I raise awareness of tackling the pollution issue head on and I am frequently to be found out on my standup paddleboard on a plastic-clearing paddle."

Banna Beach Coastcare in Kerry was the winner of the Big Beach Clean Award 2021.

Set up in 2013, the group has not only tackled marine litter, but also the natural phenomenon of sand-dune erosion, which has been exacerbated by human behaviour in recent years as well as climate change.

The shortlist for over 10 categories included 36 groups, organisations and individuals.