Water pollution and littering continue to plague popular north Wexford beach

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

While plans to develop Courtown into an “all-season destination space” remain in place, the more immediate concerns for those representing the area centre around pollution and littering.

In addition to a 198-berth marina, Wexford County Council (WCC) intends to build a Coastal and Marine Centre in Courtown as it seeks to return the village to something approaching its former glories. However, before delivering these high-budget projects, local councillors have asked that the council addresses two environmental issues plaguing Courtown.

Following a complaint lodged by Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin on July 13 regarding pink run-off from a drain at the harbour basin in Courtown, an environmental technician was dispatched to inspect the site on July 15–16. Because the discharge was not actively flowing during its inspection, the council advised that no further action could be taken at that time.

At the July meeting of the Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District (GKMD) Councillor Darragh McDonald asked whether the council could monitor the water quality in Courtown on a more regular basis.

“Are there any measures available to us to provide continual monitoring?” he asked. “Or could we have a weekly check of it where someone from the council goes down and tests it?

“Ballymoney recently lost its blue flag, and it seems that the water quality (at our beaches) is better in the south of the county.”

Not only are there issues with the water quality at Courtown, littering is becoming a problem too.

“A number of organisations have been on to me about rubbish in Courtown,” said Cllr Joe Sullivan. “Regardless of our advice, 90 pc of people will bring home their rubbish, 5 pc will do it if they’re told, and 5 pc simply won’t comply. We prosecute those we catch, which is none at the moment because we don’t have a beach warden on site.”

Accepting that the council doesn’t currently have the resources to patrol the beach throughout the summer months, Cllr Sullivan suggested working in tandem with voluntary organisations.

“WCC needs to work with the organisations that are carrying out litter picks in Courtown, provide them with equipment and encouragement because it doesn’t appear as if we’re going to get a litter warden or a beach warden.

“All it would need is for one of our vans to go and pick up the rubbish they collect from a designated area on a weekly basis.”