Carrick-on-Suir residents disheartened by illegal dumping at revamped green area ahead of Halloween bonfires

A Carrick-on-Suir community group that has invested many hours cleaning and sprucing up a green area beside their housing estate fear their good work will be damaged by illegal dumping in the run up to the Halloween bonfire season. 

Lee Roche of the Ballylynch Residents Anti-Dumping Group issued the appeal after filling several large bags with household waste dumped on what he called the  "bonfire field" next to the estate's Remembrance Garden last week. 

He said he was very disappointed to see the work carried out by local volunteers on improving the field's appearance being disrespected by a minority of people. 

Lee said the Group had no problem with a Halloween bonfire going ahead in the field next week but are opposed to it being used as an opportunity to dump household rubbish on the site. 

Lee spent two hours picking up rubbish dumped in the field one morning last week. 

" I was picking up dirty nappies, children's underwear, fridge left overs, old clothes and dog tins. I put up pictures of it on Facebook. It was disgusting."

A number of mattresses were also discarded in the field that day. 

Lee said dumping was particularly disheartening for all the residents who had done so much volunteer work to clean up the field in recent months.  

The Ballylynch Residents Anti-Dumping Group received a €7000 grant from Tipperary Co. Council earlier this year which enabled their volunteers to clean up the illegal dumping that blighted the field, plant hedging along its boundary, paint walls and erect a trellis at the field's entrance. 

Lee paid tribute to Co. Council staff Matt Peters and Martin Nolan for their help and support with the application for the funding and with rolling out the project. He said the clean up of the site took place during the summer months and the hedge planting, painting and other upgrade works took place in September. 

He is very proud of what the residents have achieved and reports that since the clean-up illegal dumping has significantly decreased there. The recent resumption of illegal dumping is due to the upcoming Halloween bonfire season. 

The community activist points out that the huge amount of money the Co. Council spends cleaning up after Halloween bonfires every year means it has  less funds to invests on playgrounds, housing and other public services and amenities.  It's something he believes people should consider before illegally dumping rubbish over the next week for burning in a bonfire.