West Cork clean coast campaigner picks up national Ocean Hero award
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A champion of West Cork’s stunning coastline has been named a campaigner of the year at Ireland’s Ocean Hero awards.
Schull-based Mark McCarthy, the son of a lighthouse keeper who has traveled the world working on the sea, was described by judges of An Taisce’s Clean Coasts initiative as one of the go-to people in West Cork for their environmental project which works with communities to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life.
This year, he added a two-minute beach clean to the powerboating courses he runs.
“His passion for the environment is coupled with his kind and friendly manner,” they said.
“Carrying out amazing work in cleaning the coastline, he regularly encourages others to take an active interest in maintaining the local marine environment litter-free. Both enjoying and protecting our ocean and coastal environment is very important to him.
He was named co-winner of the champions award alongside Rathmullan Clean Coasts in Donegal.
Mr McCarthy said he was delighted to win.
"I was born with wet feet, as they say, and the marine environment is just always something I've been passionate about," he said.
"I don’t do it for the recognition or the awards. I just do it because I love the area, and have been encouraging more people to get involved.
"We are seeing more people leaving less of their own rubbish behind but we are finding more marine plastic and microplastics in particular."
An Taisce hosted the awards in Dublin on Wednesday to honour the contribution and dedication of the 2,000 Clean Coasts groups, comprising some 40,000 volunteers, to conserving Ireland’s coastal heritage, with judges considering a shortlist of 30 groups which were nominated across six categories.
The group of the year award was shared between Enniscrone Clean Coasts and Spanish Point Community Group.
The individual of the year award went to Anne Marie Kirwan from Tomhaggard Clean Coasts.
The youth of the year award went to Navan National Learning Network.
Among the other nominees were Clean Coasts Ballynamona and St Colman’s College, who ran a series of beach-based environmental education workshops and beach cleans on Redbarn in Youghal, Garryvoe and Ardnahinch near Ballycotton, and Inchydoney Strand in West Cork, involving around 800 primary school children and their teachers.
Clean Coasts Cobh, Ballymore Community Association and Cobh Tidy Town were also nominated for their big clean-up around Fota train station, which led to the removal of 70 bags of litter in just one hour.
Conall O’Connor, from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, commended all the nominees for their work. “The impact that their programme has on all our lives and particularly on coastal areas is immeasurable,” he said.
An Taisce’s Clean Coasts programme manager, Bronagh Moore, said they hope the awards will inspire others to get involved in protecting and caring for our marine environment.