Disgraceful dumping at Templederry
Rubbish left at scenic walking area
An appeal has been made for witness information after a large volume of rubbish was found dumped in a scenic forestry area at the weekend.
The rubbish was discarded at Cooneen, Templederry, a popular walking area with local people. Among the items were matresses, bedding, microwaves, a Christmas tree and Christmas decorations.
Local man Michael Hogan observed the dump scene while out walking on Sunday morning. He reported the matter to Tipperary Co Council.
Mr Hogan believed a lorry would have been required to bring such an extent of waste to the location, which is about a half a mile from the Tipperary road. He said it was disgraceful to see so many items that could have been recycled or disposed of legally at the council's civic amenity centre in Nenagh. He said other people that he has spoken to in the locality are also incensed by this dumping incident and are hoping that the rubbish will be cleared up quickly.
Local resident Geraldine Ryan was also appalled by the incident. She said it “beggars belief” that someone would go to the trouble of driving a load of rubbish up to a remote rural area when they could recycle most of it for free, or pay a very small fee to dispose of it at the council's civic amenity centre.
Ms Ryan said there had been a problem with illegal dumping in the area several years ago. The council had to clear the rubbish away and found evidence connecting it with an offender.
Tipperary County Council's Environment Section confirmed that it received a complaint regarding alleged dumping in the Cooneen area of Templederry and an investigation is now underway.
The council was successful in bringing a number of prosecutions to court last year over illegal dumping.
This followed a proliferation of such activity during the pandemic. Over 11 tonnes of illegally-dumped waste was removed in the Nenagh Municipal District in the first quarter of 2021 alone.
The council encourages anyone with information about illegally-dumped waste to contact its Environment section or your local garda station.