Over 370 volunteers from County Clare removed an estimated 2.2 tonnes of litter from the county’s towns, villages, coastline and inland waterways, during the Big Beach Clean weekend.
In total an estimated more than 58 tonnes of marine litter was removed during the Big Beach Clean, thanks to the incredible efforts of 9,700 volunteers who rallied from coast to coast across all 26 counties for this annual call to action.
Throughout September 500 clean-ups mobilising close to 9,700 volunteers across all 26 counties of Ireland took place nationwide. Their combined clean-up efforts led to an estimated over 58 tonnes of marine litter being removed Irelands coastal and inland areas. The Big Beach Clean 2026 once again showcased the incredible commitment of volunteers across Ireland, both from coastal counties, and those further inland, who are vital in caring for and protecting our marine environments from litter and pollution.
Held to mark the end of the Irish bathing season, and to coincide with the International Coastal Cleanup by Ocean Conservancy, the Big Beach Clean took place from the 18th to 20th of September this year. This annual event combines beach-cleaning with a global citizen science action, to record data on the quantities and categories of litter items found along our shores.
In County Clare, over 370 volunteers from nearly more than 20 groups removed an estimated 2.2 tonnes of marine litter with clean-ups taking place in various locations across the county.
Among them more than 20 volunteers from Banner Gleo, Calluragh Cregg Beach Association and Visit the Burren took to Cregg Beach, Lahinch, removing loads of plastic and debris from the beach, inlcuding large tangles of fishing net and rope.
Volunteers from Kinvara Earthkeepers spent a sunny morning cleaning Aughinish beach for the Big Beach Clean. The most commonly found items included plastics and fishing related litter, and they also found a satellite dish and a large plastic drum.
The Big Beach Clean 2026 was kindly supported by Kia Ireland, who helped fund clean-up equipment and supplies to the thousands of volunteers throughout the country who registered their clean-up actions. Various Kia dealerships across the country joined their local Clean Coasts groups for their clean-up events during the Big Beach Clean weekend.
The three most common litter items removed during the Big Beach Clean weekend last year included fishing related waste, cigarette butts and plastic pieces. This is in line with both EU and International data which regularly includes these items within top 10 recorded items.
According to the European Environment Agency, approximately 80% of marine litter comes from land-based activities. This means that litter from our inland villages, estates, towns and cities can end up polluting our inland waterways, seas and ocean. Litter can make its way to the coast through way of inland waterways, wind and animal activity.
In 2026, with support from An Taisce’s National Spring Clean programme, volunteers from inland counties were strongly encouraged to join the Big Beach Clean, no matter how far they are from the coast. Getting involved in the Big Beach Clean has been a way for volunteers from non-coastal counties to help prevent litter entering our waterways, with hundreds of volunteers taking part in clean-ups in land-locked counties. Thanks to the ongoing sponsorship from the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment we can continue to support Clean Coasts groups across the country throughout the year, ensuring we protect our beaches and waterways for generations to come.
Clean Coasts’ Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action that runs as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy. Each year Big Beach Clean volunteers are invited to take part in this worldwide citizen science project. By recoding quantities and categories of litter found and filling in Clean Coasts’ Marine Litter Data Cards to share with Ocean Conservancy this initiative not only helps to keep litter out of our waterways but also helps to inform policies and actions surrounding litter through citizen science data collection.
Clean Coasts welcomed the support of Kia Ireland and enjoyed meeting with dealerships across the country who also got involved in clean ups in their area. Cathal Kealey, Head of Marketing and PR at Kia Ireland said, “Kia Ireland was delighted to support the Big Beach Clean again for 2026 and to witness the commitment and hard work of Clean Coasts staff and volunteers throughout the country. Their work is truly inspiring, with many of them out every week, come rain or shine, making a huge difference to Irish beaches, and for that we want to say a huge thank you.”
Bronagh Moore, An Taisce, Clean Coasts Programme Manager said; “Once again it was great to see thousands of volunteers show up across the country to support the Big Beach Clean. Together we are making a tangible difference in keeping our beaches clean and in protecting our marine life. We thank every one of them for their contribution as well as the local councils that support them. Thanks also to Kia Ireland for supporting the Big Beach Clean and to the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment for their continued sponsorship of the Clean Coasts programme. We would encourage everyone to stay involved and keep active in their local Clean Coasts Group and in their communities, together we can achieve great things!”