Mayo hopefuls to soon learn their fate in Clean Coasts awards programme
An Taisce’s Clean Coasts Programme has announced the shortlist for the 2024 Ocean Hero Awards, which pay tribute to the exceptional contributions made by Clean Coasts volunteers, groups and communities in preserving and protecting our coast and marine life.
Starting in 2006 as the Clean Coasts Merit Awards, the awards initially featured a single category – Clean Coasts Group of the Year.
In the years since, the programme has grown to engage over 2,000 Clean Coasts groups and 40,000 volunteers nationwide.
This year, Clean Coasts has received hundreds of nominations across six distinct categories: Group of Year, Individual Volunteer of the Year, Youth Volunteer of the Year, Campaigner of the Year, Event of the Year, and Equality Diversity and Inclusion Award. A total of 36 groups, organisations and individuals were shortlisted for the title of Ocean Hero within each of the categories.
In Mayo, the following groups and individuals have been shortlisted: Western Care with Keep Our Beaches Clean, shortlisted for the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Award; and the collective group of Circus 250, Comhar Dún Chaocháin Teo and Scoil Naisunta Cheathru Thaidhg, shortlisted for Event of the Year.
All shortlisted nominees have been invited to the awards ceremony, which will take place on November 27 at the Gibson Hotel, Dublin. During the ceremony, there will be talks about the marine environment and Clean Coasts' campaigns, while the Ocean Heroes of the year will be awarded.
Bronagh Moore, Clean Coasts programme manager, commented: “Volunteers and community groups are the beating heart of An Taisce’s Clean Coasts programme. The Ocean Hero Awards is an opportunity for us to highlight and celebrate the phenomenal work that these individuals and groups carry out in protecting our coast, day in and day out, whatever the weather.
“We look forward to meeting those shortlisted, in person, on November 27 and to hearing about their achievements throughout the year.”