Communication the key as young people clean up rubbish along riverbank

One of the city’s best-known community activists has called for people to ‘give youth a chance’ on foot of an overwhelmingly positive response from young people socialising on the banks of the Corrib.

After months in lockdown, young people are fraying at the edges and looking for an outlet – and as a result of the lockdown, that in many cases meant socialising in public parks like Terryland, says Brendan Smith.

Brendan, who has long been one of the Forest Park’s biggest proponents, said the resulting accumulations of rubbish along the river near the Dyke Road had left him ‘exasperated’.

“My good friend Ryan Crowell and I put on yellow vests and walked out amongst the 50 or so young people that were socialising in groups along the riverbank as they enjoyed the fine sunny weather, chatting and drinking. We went from group to group telling them that, whilst they should be informed that they were breaking a number of rules – drinking alcohol in public parks, gathering together in groups wearing no masks, nor practising social distancing – we were neither Council staff nor members of the Gardaí but only concerned civic-minded individuals,” recalls Brendan.

Having pointed out the damage littering did to the green spaces, waterways and biodiversity of the park, the response was hugely positive.

“Some of them actually helped us collect the scattered litter and put the bags into my car,” says Brendan. .

“We then gave each group large black bags, which we requested that they use for their leftover cans, bottles and papers, should they decide not to bring this material home.

“Early the next morning, Ryan and myself visited the same site and I am happy to state that the young people had honoured their promises; the bags were filled with debris with only a comparatively small amount of cans and bottles lying in the grass or along the riverbank.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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