'Dashboard dining' posing litter problems in the region

Monaghan and Cavan have both ranked among Ireland's top 10 cleanest towns in the latest Irish Businesses Against Litter (IBAL) Anti-Litter League, with Monaghan achieving an impressive second-place finish and Cavan climbing into eighth position out of 40 towns and cities nationally.

But cigarette butts and the consequences of "dashboard dining" continue to pose challenges ahead of judging for the national Tidy Towns competition.

The strong IBAL performances mark big achievements for both counties, with Monaghan continuing its run of excellence and Cavan making significant gains in the national rankings.

Monaghan Town was deemed 'cleaner than European norms', while Cavan Town was graded 'clean to European norms' in the survey.

For Monaghan, the result represents another outstanding performance following a fourth-place finish in the previous survey. The IBAL assessment team said they had "come to expect" such "excellent" results from Monaghan.

"Not only were there seven top ranking sites, but some which had been heavily littered in previous IBAL surveys had improved significantly," the report noted.

Among the locations singled out for praise was Broad Road Car Park, described as "a lovely town centre carpark environment with colourful bedding and planting".

The survey also highlighted the setting around Peter's Lake. "It’s a million miles away from the hustle and bustle," the report stated, praising the tranquil waterside environment located just moments from the busy shopping district.

For members of Monaghan Tidy Towns, the ranking is the reward for years of sustained effort and community collaboration.

"We aim for consistency and we have been in the top five in the IBAL table for several years now. Second place is great but we would love to be first and we will work towards that with renewed motivation now," said Emer Brennan of the Monaghan Tidy Towns committee.

She credited the contribution of numerous groups and individuals across the community for the latest success, including Tidy Towns volunteers, workers on the St Joseph's Community Employment Scheme, Monaghan Municipal District outdoor staff and residents who take pride in their local environment.

"The many people who don’t litter and who adhere to the 'leave no trace' ethos and take their litter home when they are in public spaces and local amenities like Rossmore Forest Park" also deserve recognition, said Ms Brennan.

LITTER FLUNG FROM CARS

Despite the success, challenges remain. She identified litter thrown from passing vehicles on approach roads as one of the biggest ongoing issues facing Monaghan Town.

"If we refrained from litter picking on the approach roads for even a short time, I think the public would be shocked by the extent of this practice," she said.

"Dashboard dining is still the preferred option for many, who like to keep their car clean but obviously don’t think about the visual and environmental impact littering from vehicles is having."

Ms Brennan also pointed to positive developments, including a reduction in vape-related litter and the success of the Re-turn recycling initiative.

"But the biggest single problem both locally and nationally is cigarette butts. They are a major and persistent challenge and very difficult to manage because of their size. Many people seem to think they are mainly composed of paper and will just fade away but, in fact, they are mostly plastic and therefore very polluting."

Positive result for Cavan

While Monaghan celebrated another podium finish, Cavan Town enjoyed a dramatic rise up the rankings, moving from 19th place in the previous survey to eighth overall.

The IBAL report described Cavan's result as "excellent", noting that there were "no very heavily littered sites this time around".

With numerous highly-rated locations throughout the town, assessors highlighted several areas that stood out. The residential area of Drumnavanagh was deemed "very much deserving of the top litter grade", while the Bring Centre and Town Hall environs were also praised.

"The latter was particularly freshly presented and maintained," the report stated.

Cavan Tidy Towns Secretary Paul Lynch welcomed the findings and credited the result to a combination of community effort and strong local authority support.

"This report was very positive" and "there were very few negatives", he said.

Mr Lynch noted that the survey highlighted ongoing concerns around throwaway waste such as cigarette butts, disposable coffee cups and vapes.

"While this report brings positive news, we have to remain focused and vigilant right across the Tidy Towns spectrum, because the Tidy Towns Adjudicators will be visiting the town over the coming weeks," he said.

He too praised the support received from Cavan County Council.

Among the projects helping to enhance the town's environment is a new community orchard at the former Richmond site facing the Tractamotors junction. Developed with support from council Horticulturist Bernie McGovern, the project includes fruit trees, fruit bushes and rhubarb, with plans to create an educational community space.

"This will be a community space and we would like members of the community to come into the garden and sample the apples and berries. We would like to see pupils from the local schools visiting the orchard and learning all about growing your own food," Mr Lynch said.

The site also features natural willow fencing and an innovative willow arch, a project that has already been nominated for two awards.

"We are very proud of this project and we are getting a lot of positive feedback," he added.

The latest IBAL rankings once again underline the importance of community involvement in maintaining clean and attractive towns. Meanwhile, Sligo has been named as Ireland's cleanest town again, with Leixlip taking third place.

Initiatives are continuing locally. Monaghan Tidy Towns is planning a Circular Living Week project for July as it's weekly Saturday morning litter picks continue.

While, in Cavan, a giant Tidy Towns clean-up is planned for this Saturday to prepare the town and environs for the Tidy Town Adjudication in the coming weeks.