Litter in Athlone

One of the things that bewilders and ticks me off more than anything is flagrant littering.

Who in their right mind just tosses rubbish onto the street?

In this case it’s a particular instance that’s pissing me off. Right along Athlone strand, in the very middle of town on the steps of the old bridge, is a burgeoning pile of broken glass, beer cans and other rubbish that has been there for going on three weeks.

Now, I like to take the munchkin for walks almost every day and we usually walk along the river Shannon to the park. She’s at an age where the height of excitement is embodied in a set of stairs. With daddy’s help, giant stone steps are the best craíc possible. Problem is, shards of wicked, curved glass fragments are strewn all down this ancient staircase.

The picture there to the right just doesn’t do it justice – those stairs are massive. Imagine you were 2 feet tall – some of the shards pictured there are half the length of your forearm. The photo above is at the first landing of the stairs – illustrating that it’s not a random shattered glass, but an ongoing repository for rubbish.

Come on, people – this is a main thoroughfare, a fantastic vista where tourists flock for the photos – it has unparalleled views of Athlone Castle and the church. It’s just a few feet from where the viking boat loads children for trips down to Clanmacnois and right beside places of business, family restaurants, our revolutionary statue and the town bridge.

The people making this mess are a problem, sure, but the fact that this broken glass has been left underfoot for children, tourists and locals alike for almost THREE WEEKS is really absurd.

When was the last time someone got a fine for littering in this town? It’s a sad truth that the town council could make a fortune collecting littering fines on a sunny day along the strand – so why don’t they?