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Launch of the 2023 Big Donegal Clean-up Campaign
The launch of the 2023 Big Donegal Clean-Up campaign took place at Fintra Blue Flag Beach last week where Cllr Micheál Naughton, Leas-Chathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, joined Cllr Niamh Kennedy Cathaoirleach of the Donegal Municipal District, Cllr Noel Jordan, Cllr Tom Conaghan and Patricia Murrin & Barry O’Hara, John Darch, Killybegs Tidy Towns, local volunteer Peter Connaughton along with Seamus Hopkins, Donegal County Council, Environment staff from Donegal County Council and Eamonn Bonner from the Donegal Volunteer Centre to officially launch the annual campaign.
The annual Big Donegal Clean-up is part of Donegal County Council’s commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. It is an opportunity for communities to come together and take a proactive approach to improving the environment that we all live in. Having seen continued success over the last number of years the Big Donegal Clean-up returns for 2023 with hopes of being bigger than ever.
Speaking at the launch, the Leas-Chathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Micheál Naughton, said: “I’m delighted to be launching this year’s Big Donegal Clean-up campaign. We all have a responsibility to protect and preserve the environment and this annual campaign gives communities across the county the chance to do just that. It is inspiring to see local volunteers like John and Stephanie Darch take such pride in their area. John and Stephanie do a daily clean-up of Fintra beach and have been doing so over the past five years collecting over one thousand bags of litter in that time. They have shown a remarkable and inspiring commitment to caring for their local environment. I encourage everyone to get involved and make Donegal a cleaner and more sustainable place to live.”
With over 50 registrations from Donegal already made for the An Taisce National Spring Clean, Donegal County Council looks forward to working with volunteers and community groups to make this year’s campaign a success.
Michael McGarvey, Director of Service Donegal County Council, said: “It’s great to have the Big Donegal Clean-Up back again for 2023, as we hope this year to be as successful as years past. With a number of clean-ups already undertaken we are once again seeing the ongoing determination from the people of Donegal to keep their county clean. Having supported over 800 clean-ups throughout 2022, the council are hoping to grow those numbers in 2023 and the Council thanks the 5,000 volunteers that make this happen each year.”
The Donegal Volunteer Centre have once again joined the campaign and will publicise details of planned clean-ups on the website www.volunteerdonegal.ie. This is a great help to communities looking to promote their campaigns or take on extra volunteers. John Curran from Donegal Volunteer Centre stated that “Community Clean-ups are a great example of volunteers giving time for the greater good. They help communities shine and be at their best. We in the volunteer centre are delighted to support the groups across Donegal and to introduce new volunteers to the team”.
Get involved
This campaign sees the Council supporting individuals, groups, businesses and organisations in arranging their own clean-ups. The Council provides bags, gloves and litter pickers while also taking care of the collection of rubbish once it has been bagged.
The Council is also planning to promote clean-ups on its social media pages. You can share your photos via the following sites:
To sign up for this year’s Big Donegal Clean-Up call 074 91 53900, call to your local Council office or visit www.donegalcoco.ie. You can also register with An Taisce’s National Spring Clean campaign by calling (01) 4002219 or online at www.nationalspringclean.org, the following is a sample of groups and schools that have planned clean-ups over the coming weeks;
Select an option below
