River Clean Up

We are very proud of our Ward River that flows through the heart of the Swords town. Every year we organise a big river cleanup in spring, normally around May or June, but we always keep an eye on it and clean it as often as necessary. It is always a very enjoyable and satisfying experience for all involved.

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Annual River Ward Cleanup 2022

The weather was just perfect for STT’s river cleanup on Saturday, May 28. We had an pleasing turnout of volunteers of all ages, who were keen to tackle the litter in the River Ward. Those wading in the river passed up bags of discarded bottles, cans and general waste to the helpers on the banks. In total 21 bags of litter were taken to the designated collection point.

Saturday’s haul also included: two office chairs, a car battery, a pallet, a traffic cone, five jumpers (including a Christmas-themed one), and a pair of shoes.

River Ward Cleanups 2021

This year we had two big River Ward cleanups – one in May – our annual river cleanup and the other one later in August to mark the Water Heritage Day. A few smaller cleanups took place at different times in between these months to help us to keep on top of the litter that end up in the water.

For our annual river cleanup we had volunteers joining us from other local groups including “Swords Pickers”, “Lions Club Swords and David Dodd from Climate Action Regional Office. Due this phenomenal community support we had managed to cover a very extensive length of our river. Our thanks as always goes to Fingal County Council Operations team for a very prompt removal of all the rubbish pulled out from the river.

River Cleanup December 2019

World Cleanup Day 2019

World Cleanup Day was held on Saturday, September 21. To mark the occasion STT decided to do a clean up of the River Ward, in addition to our regular litter picking and taking care of our plants about the town. On the day there was a large turnout of our regular volunteers, and we were also joined by some visitors including a family group from France. So all of the tasks on our list were completed. It was disappointing to see how many cans, bottles, metal objects and paper had been thrown into the water. However, our group is determined to keep the Ward River as pristine as possible to provide a haven for fish and bird life.