Have fun, but please clean up afterwards

West Cork basked in the sunshine on the beaches last week and resembled any summer Sunday. The water was warm and summer had arrived. So too had droves of school holidayers, just out after months of incarceration in drab buildings and ill fitting uniforms.

They took to it like French or Spanish kids who are used to the beach lifestyle from an early age and for long hot summer seasons every year. Of course the behaviour was much the same, high jinks and posturing, from both sexes. And sure no real harm in that, that is how nature designed us.

Most of these kids I would guess had never spent a day in the armed service of their country, but their loud and repeated use of the “soldier’s” word led one to wonder if they were paying attention in English class. If they had been they may have learned some varied alternatives.

Despite this good humour was more or less the order of the day. No alcohol in evidence. Not much smoking either. On departing the golden sands they left behind plastic bottles and sandwich wrappers. When this was pointed out the bravado was forgotten, along with their civic pride.

A suggestion that perhaps they would dispose of this litter properly was greeted with a collective of lowered heads, hunched shoulders, incomprehensible mutterings and a collective shuffle.

Much the same as though they were again heading into some boring class. Computers, honours maths, no problem. What about civics, a long forgotten subject, without many “points”?

John Harvey

Blackrock

Cork