Mournes grappling with litter problem as visitors flock back to beauty spot

The increased number of people using the Mournes Mountains for some socially distanced physical activity as lockdown measures have eased has led to a perpetual problem rearing its head.
Dzeneta Labanauskiene collecting rubbish in the Mournes with her daughter AndrejaDzeneta Labanauskiene collecting rubbish in the Mournes with her daughter Andreja
Dzeneta Labanauskiene collecting rubbish in the Mournes with her daughter Andreja

Littering in the mountain range appears to be on the rise as walkers of all ages and abilities flock to the Co Down beauty spot.

Dzeneta Labanauskiene took her two daughters for a walk in the Mournes on Sunday and returned with a full black bin bag of rubbish from their excursion.

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Dzeneta, who moved to Richhill from Lithuania, said: “Along with my 12-year-old daughter Auguste we collected lots of rubbish and my three-year-old daughter (Andreja) pointed out any other rubbish she saw.

Andrew McCluggage, the author of a best selling guidebook on the MournesAndrew McCluggage, the author of a best selling guidebook on the Mournes
Andrew McCluggage, the author of a best selling guidebook on the Mournes

“My friend also helped to bring the bag down again because it was extremely heavy.”

She said most of the rubbish was glass and plastic bottles as well as cans of energy drinks, sweet wrappers and empty cigarette packets.

Dzeneta added: “We also even found a nappy right by a river and dog poo in a bag. I think that is worse than it not being in a poo bag.”

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She said she would visit the Mournes a lot and this was not the first time she has brought a bag with her to collect litter.

Newtownards man Andrew McCluggage, author of a recent best-selling guide to the Mourne Mountains, has encouraged people to follow Dzeneta’s lead and pick up litter even if they haven’t dropped it themselves.

He said: “It’s not an entirely new problem, in fact it’s a perpetual problem, particularly on Donard because it’s the highest mountain in Northern Ireland and as such it’s a magnet.

“Part of the problem when you’ve got that many people is that litter gets dropped.

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“You’d have to be a very scrupulous walker to say that you’ve never in your life had something blow away by accident, but there are also people who deliberately leave their litter behind.

“The litter from Donard then blows into other parts of the Mournes.

“As lockdown measures ease more people are going to the Mournes, and to Donard. It is my belief that Donard is the lion’s share of the problem.”

He added: “There’s two ways of solving the problem. One is through education focusing on the Donard area, the car parks, etc.

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“Secondly I believe that the walkers who aren’t throwing the litter down, the ones who love the mountains the most, should help try to solve this problem. Rather than say it’s someone else’s problem I didn’t do it, we should take a collective responsibility and we should all pitch up.”

Via a post on his Hiking In The Mourne Mountains Facebook page Andrew has encouraged people with the hashtag #pickupthree.

“There’s 5,000 people in the group, if all 5,000 of those people picked up three pieces of litter when they went out for a walk in the Mournes the problem wouldn’t be there for very long,” he said.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about fires on Divis and Black Mountain in Belfast. Sinn Fein MP Paul Maskey asked those visiting the mountains to respect the environment after Monday afternoon’s fires.