Clean-up planned at ‘boat graveyard’

A NARROW strip of land near Union Hall that resembles a boat graveyard is to undergo a planned clean-up later this month.

Cork County Council, in conjunction with the Union Hall harbour master, have advertised their clean-up of ‘The League’ will take place on Tuesday September 24th.

All items which pose a risk to public safety, or are likely to damage the environment, will be tagged with a red or orange label, an indication that it should be removed, safely, by the owners before the clean-up deadline.

Owners of vessels that have been given a yellow label will be allowed to leave them at The League provided they record their ownership with the local authority before
September 24th.

Any item which is left on the land bank after that date may be removed, or
disposed of by Cork County Council as part of this anti-dumping initiative, a Council spokesperson told The Southern Star.

Anyone who is unclear of what course of action to take is urged to contact the harbour master as soon as possible.

The council spokesperson confirmed that an assessment of all craft, including trailers, will be carried out by an independent marine assessor in the coming weeks.

Any vehicle determined to be beyond economic repair will be marked as waste and disposed of accordingly, he said.

Meanwhile, under maritime legislation, notices will be placed on seaworthy vessels that will allow the owners a two-week grace period in which to contact the harbour master.

The plan is to draw up a register of vessels that will continue to be in use at the amenity, as well as the contact details of the owners.

In situations where no contact has been made, seaworthy boats will be removed to a compound and stored for a period of time.

The local authority spokesperson acknowledged that The League is indeed
‘a fantastic amenity, one that is well used’. But he described the clean-up as
being the start of a process to enhance the area, and improve the amenity for locals and visitors alike.

Funding for the clean-up has been provided under the Anti-Dumping Initiative, a fund set up by the Department of the Environment, Climate, and Communications.

The League is one of 17 community-based projects, ranging from €500 to €15,000, receiving funding to be carried out in the county this year.

Cork Co Council’s environment directorate is urging anyone with proposals for similar community projects in 2025 to contact the anti-litter unit on 021 4285518 or email the council’s anti-litter unit at
[email protected].