Concerns at increased littering at Hellfire Club
By Caomhóg Breathnach
INCREASED footfall at The Hellfire Club and Massy’s Wood has resulted in significant amounts of rubbish and waste being dumped in the area.
Food takeaway boxes, plastic cups and litter have been strewn across The Hell Fire Club at Montpelier Hill and Massy’s Wood by people enjoying walks within their 5-kilometre radius during level 5 restrictions over weekends.
The litter at the Hellfire Club
A spokesperson for non-profit organisation ‘Save The Hellfire’ told The Echo: “Research shows that litter affects people’s feelings of wellbeing and safety. Littering and dumping is ruining people’s enjoyment of the countryside. There should be more initiatives to help raise awareness to this national widespread problem.
“This problem is very visible over the Dublin & Wicklow mountains. The beautiful roadside of the Gunny Hill is an eyesore from beginning to end.
“Due to the pandemic, there has been an increase in footfall at the weekends at the Hellfire and Massy’s Wood and as a result an increase in littering.”
The Hellfire Massy Residents Association have been undertaking regular clean ups of the area, and placed bins at The Hellfire Club in hopes to combat the issue of littering but unfortunately these bins were removed by Coillte, a company that sustainably manages state-owned forests, according to the spokesperson for ‘Save the Hellfire’.
Coillte are a partner in the ‘Love This Place, Leave No Trace’ campaign which aims to tackle growing littering issue around the most scenic locations that have become littering hotspots.
The litter at the Hellfire Club
‘Save the Hellfire’ also added that this campaign needs to be replaced with something more efficient to tackle the issue.
“Coillte advocates a ‘Leave No Trace’ behaviour code while visiting their forests, but sadly this is not working. There needs to be a new campaign promoting responsible outdoor recreation practices that will ensure a healthier and sustainable future for all!”
People have been encouraged to bring their rubbish home with them if they cannot find a bin or bring a plastic bag to carry their rubbish in until they find a bin if going for a walk in the areas.
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