Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development’s role is to support the long-term sustainable growth in the economic, social, cultural, and environmental contribution of tourism to Ireland.
By joining forces with Clean Coasts, who engage communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life, for their summertime Enjoy and Protect campaign, they hope to raise awareness to how our wildlife and marine spaces, when kept clean, benefit the visitor experience.
Clean Coasts and Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way Community Clean-up Clare event will include a beach clean-up of Lahinch Beach along with tea, coffee and treats provided so be sure to remember to bring along your reusable cups!
The meeting point for this July 16th event is the Lahinch Beach lifeguard station at 11:00am where you will be welcomed by a Clean Coasts Officer and given a safety introduction before being offered Clean Coasts kit prior to your clean-up.
Ireland is known for its magnificent coastlines, picturesque scenery, wildlife and exciting activities with a large majority of these landscapes located along the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s first defined touring route, stretching along the Atlantic coast from Donegal to West Cork.
With the rise of staycations since 2020, more people are visiting Ireland’s west coast and enjoying the spectacular beaches. However, it is important that we remember to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life by ensuring they are free of litter and educate ourselves on how best to do that.
Shane Dineen, Fáilte Ireland Planning & Environment Manager said; “The Irish coastline and its beaches are an important part of the visitor experience in Ireland. Outdoor water-based activities such as swimming, kayaking and surfing, are popular attractors for domestic and international tourists, and our stunning coastline, rivers and lakes are the bedrock upon which Irish tourism has been built. As they are now being enjoyed more and more by local communities and visitors it is vital that we all play our part to keep our beaches clean so that they can be enjoyed for years to come.
Local communities are at the heart of so many great visitor experiences in Ireland and the Clean Coasts groups are a prime example of this, custodians driven by local pride and a vision to protect and enhance our coastline which in turn offers visitors unique opportunities for connection, learning and enjoyment of our natural assets.”
In preparation for the events, why not take a look at our four enjoy and protect guide, including a fourth Enjoy and Protect guide released on World Ocean Day about wildlife photography for people wishing to enter the Clean Coasts Love Your Coast Amateur Photography competition or if you are interested in capturing beauty of our coastline while taking action to protect it. Have a look through all of our guides here.