Hero awards for Cork Clean Coasts groups

Five Clean Coasts groups from Cork were honoured at the 2024 Ocean Hero Awards earlier this week, with one bringing home the joint title of Campaigner of the Year.

The event, held at the Gibson Hotel in Dublin, celebrated dedicated groups, individuals, communities, and businesses who have gone above and beyond to protect their local coastline and its surrounding environment in 2024.

“The Ocean Hero Awards is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and showcase the incredible work that is being done day in and day out by volunteers in the Clean Coast community,” Bronagh Moore, An Taisce’s Clean Coasts programme manager said. “We hope that it will inspire others to get involved and be ambitious about the positive impact we can have in protecting and caring for our marine environment.

“Now more than ever our ocean needs to be protected. We are stronger together and when we work with a common purpose, great things can be achieved.”

Among those in Cork who were nominated and/or awarded was Schull-based Clean Coasts campaigner, Mark McCarthy, who was the joint winner of the Campaigner of the Year award.

In 2024 Mr McCarthy added a #2MinuteBeachClean to a powerboating course that he runs, and was recognised alongside Sean Ronayne, who is an Irish ornithologist and wildlife sound recordist.

Also nominated in the Event of the Year Category were Clean Coasts Ballynamona and St Colman’s College, alongside Clean Coasts Cobh, Ballymore Community Association and Cobh Tidy Town for their individual events.

Clean Coasts Ballynamona together with St Colman’s College, Midleton were recognised for running the Big Little Beach Clean series, which took place across Redbarn in Youghal, Garryvoe and Ardnahinch in Ballycotton, and Inchydoney Strand.

The events saw approximately 800 primary school children and their teachers participate in beach based environmental education workshops.

Also, the collective groups of Clean Coasts Cobh, Ballymore Community Association and Cobh Tidy Towns held two very large events in 2024, which earned them their nomination in this category — including one for World Ocean Day and one for the Big Beach Clean.

Proinsias Ó Tuama, was further nominated for Individual of the Year for his volunteer work with Clean Coasts Ballynamona.

Mr Ó Tuama founded Clean Coasts Ballynamona which is part of the Sea and Land Trust and he is a teacher with St Colman’s College who were shortlisted for Youth of the Year and for Event of the Year.

Speaking at the Ocean Hero Awards ceremony, Conall O’Connor of the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage said: “I would like to commend the Clean Coasts team for their outstanding work.

“The impact that their programme has on all our lives and particularly on coastal areas is immeasurable.”