Limerick and southside are sweeps ahead as it rises up anti-litter league

LIMERICK has come on in leaps and bounds in the Irish Business Against Litter league.

At the start of 2017, the city had lost its status of Clean to European Norms.

But 18 months on, the urban area is back with a bang, with huge numbers of grade A clean sites.

The city now sits 17th in the league of 40 towns and cities across Ireland, and is ranked 'Clean to European Norms’.

And there is even better news, as the inspectors appointed by Ibal from An Taisce visited the southside, and placed it in 13th place, rating areas like Ballinacurra Gardens, Our Lady of Lourdes and the Childers Road as being ‘Cleaner than European Norms’.

Limerick is up a further nine places from the last survey, published in January, with the inspectors praising Pery Square, the People’s Park, the Shannon Bridge Roundabout and the Hunt Museum in particular.

“The environs of the latter were exceptionally well presented and maintained. Many of the riverside environs were also in very good order with regard to litter and general presentation,” the inspectors report states.

They also praised Thomas Street, Bank Place and the Crescent.

“Another top ranking site which deserves a special mention is Arthur’s Quay Park – for many years in previous Ibal surveys, this site was seriously littered. Not so this time around, and hopefully this new litter status can be maintained. It was noted that the pavements in Limerick City were not as besmirched with chewing gum as previously – it would seem that some gum removal/cleaning has taken place,” the report adds.

Ibal inspectors praised the southside, although expressed upset at a recycle facility at the Crescent Shopping Centre in Dooradoyle, saying “it had been subjected to dumping.”

Mayor James Collins, a member of the environmental committee, says it’s now incumbent on the city to keep up the good work.

“Huge work has gone into making this happen and I wish to particularly compliment the council crews and the Limerick Tidy Towns group for all their hard work,” he said, “This result is indicative of the wider momentum that is  gathering across Limerick city and county and we’re making real gains across many areas. Early impressions last and people who come into Limerick today are certainly getting a positive first impression.”

Fermoy in East Cork topped the litter league, while Dublin’s North Inner City and Ballybane in Galway City brought up the rear in 39th and 40th positions respectively, both ‘seriously littered’.