Students from St Ciaran’s Secondary School in Kells joined Mornington Tidy Towns and Clean Coasts this week for a beach clean and educational day along the Meath coastline.
The Clean Coasts Roadshow visited Mornington and Bettystown beaches on Tuesday, May 5, where the group spent the day cleaning the shoreline while learning more about the local environment and history.
Mornington Tidy Towns began the session with a talk on the area’s history before the students took part in a series of beach activities led by Clean Coasts Regional Officer Aidan Gray.
Over the course of the clean-up, the group collected 23.5kg of litter between the two beaches.
Among the items found was a 31 year old packet of Tayto Skips crisps with a best before date from 1995 still visible. The packaging also highlighted a link with Japanese company Meiji Co. Ltd, dating back to a period when Tayto had a licensing agreement during international expansion in the 1990s.
Cillian Comiskey, Green Schools Co-ordinator at St Ciaran’s Secondary School, said:
“Our beach clean with Aidan Gray from An Taisce’s Clean Coasts showed that young people can lead the way in protecting important places like Mornington Beach”.
Clean Coasts development officer for Meath, Aidan Gray, said the students fully embraced the event.
“It was great to be out with the students who engaged in all the activities really well. It was brilliant to collect so much rubbish from this beautiful part of Co. Meath, to keep it clean for all who visit.”
The Clean Coasts Roadshow runs between January and May each year and brings together coastal communities interested in protecting beaches, marine life and local environments.
Events focus on issues such as biodiversity, marine litter, wildlife and sustainable development, while also helping community groups share ideas and encourage volunteering
