I cycled down to Nimmo’s Pier first thing this morning. There wasn’t anyone else there but there were plenty of indications of yesterday’s visitors. Dumped along the pier wall were a large number of empty beer and wine bottles. It never ceases to amaze me that people have no problem carrying large amounts of full bottles and cans to a scenic location, but can never summon the energy to bring the much lighter empties home with them. There were even more empties scattered in South Park. The city council staff work hard to keep the public areas of the city clean, but they can’t be everywhere all the time, and they shouldn’t have to be, in any case.
Disappointing as the sight of litter was, I did console myself that Ireland, and Galway, has come quite a way interms of dumping and litter. It’s possible to hear larks singing in the parts of South Park that have been maintained as meadows, and it is a popular spot for walking, cycling and just hanging out. But South Park used to be a city dump – Ireland had poorly managed landfill sites all over the country. So, as bad as empty bottles and cans might seem, itt’s a lot better than it used to be.