Sun shines on spring clean volunteers

VOLUNTEERS ON the banks of the Royal Canal in Dublin chose a great day to pick up litter on Saturday as the sunshine made a welcome return.

Temperatures of 17 degrees were reached in some locations, and Dublin enjoyed 13 hours of sunshine. Conditions on Sunday were similar and the mild weather is expected to continue for at least the next couple of days, Met Éireann has said.

The sunshine should encourage volunteers to take part in An Taisce’s National Spring Clean Week, which continues until next weekend.

As part of the annual clean-up, Green Party volunteers joined forces with local environmental group Canal Watch to tackle litter along a stretch of the canal from Cross Guns Bridge in Phibsboro to Binn’s Bridge in Drumcondra.

The stretch, once an eyesore and a no-go area, has been transformed in the last 10 years by the constant lobbying of Canal Watch, a voluntary residents’ group founded by local David Brock in 1996.

Lock gates were restored with the help of the Royal Canal Amenity Group and Waterways Ireland, jetties were built and the walks on either side of the canal were brought back to their original beauty. A seating area and a bronze statue of Brendan Behan complete what is one of the most pleasant waterside walks in the city. The group, which regularly clears litter and graffiti from the banks of the canal, is justifiably proud of its work. Mr Brock said they didn’t mind which political party came out for the clean-up.

“We’re just happy to have the help,” he said.