National award for Mayo Clean Coasts group

SIX Mayo groups were honoured as An Taisce announced the winners of the annual Ocean Hero Awards at a ceremony held at the Gibson Hotel, Dublin, with volunteers from Achill scooping a top award.

This yearly event honours and celebrates the tireless efforts and actions carried out during the year by Clean Coasts groups, individuals, communities, and businesses to protect their local coastline and its surrounding environment.

Dooega Clean Coasts won in the Emerging Group category for their outstanding efforts in their short time as a registered Clean Coasts group.

Established in 2024 with just four volunteers, Dooega Clean Coasts has quickly grown into a vibrant community effort with over 20 active members, welcoming everyone, with volunteers from ages 3 to 83, along with visitors from across Ireland and local Ukrainian neighbours.

Working on Dooega’s beautiful coastline, the group has made amazing progress in a short time. In 2025, they took part in themed events such as Love Dooega Beach this Valentine's, Go Green for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter Bunny clean-ups, the Big Beach Clean, carrying out two-minute beach cleans weekly and creating an impressive Halloween Scarecrow Trail using items collected during clean-ups. As an island community, they value protecting their coast and take pride in educating all ages about the local marine environment.

Also in Mayo, Keep Our Beaches Clean were shortlisted for Group of the Year, Baile Slachtmhar Bhéal an Mhuirthead (Belmullet Tidy Towns) and Bertra Connected were shortlisted for the Nature Guardian Award, Achill’s Biggest Beach Clean, an event collaboration by Féile Dú Éige, Féile Na Garrai, Circus250, Achill Tourism and Achill Surf Club, was shortlisted for the Community Action Award. and Western Care Association with Keep Our Beaches Clean was shortlisted for the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Award.

The Ocean Hero Awards shine a spotlight on the invaluable contribution and dedication of Clean Coasts volunteers who have gone above and beyond to care for and protect their coastal environment and heritage.

There are over 2,500 Clean Coasts groups across Ireland with over 45,000 volunteers who are actively engaging with the programme who showcase efforts integral to their coastal communities nationwide.