A West Cork group and an individual were among eight across the county who were shortlisted for An Taisce’s Ocean Hero Clean Coast Awards 2025.

Mark McCarthy from Schull was shortlisted in the Campaign Ambassador category, while Clonakilty Community Resource Centre (Siúlóid @CCRC), for the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Award.

Ballynamona Clean Coasts won the Group of the Year category, while Cobh Tidy Towns was shortlisted in the Campaign Ambassador category.

In 2025, the Ballynamona group supported and delivered a series of high-impact coastal clean-ups, including the Big Little Beach Clean.

The group have substantially invested in outdoor classrooms significantly expanding its capacity to deliver high-quality environmental education in an accessible, weather-resilient setting.

Beyond direct litter removal, they continue to manage 34 acres of coastal habitats since 2017 and support local schools on their biodiversity journey.

Proinsias Ó Tuama, of Ballynamona Clean Coasts, was also shortlisted for the 2025 Leadership Award for his continued dedication to the Cork Coast.

Also shortlisted was Ballynamona’s Big Little Beach Clean for the Community Action Award, along with St Colman’s Community College in the Youth Initiative Category and Health Services Staffs’ Credit Union (HSSCU) in the Community Champion Category for their involvement in the Big Little Beach Clean and other actions with Ballynamona Clean Coasts throughout 2025.

The Ocean Hero Awards, established in 2006 as the ‘Clean Coasts Merit Awards’ and initially featuring only a single category, have grown year on year to include nine categories in 2025, commending 45 groups and individuals nationwide for their outstanding coastal conservation actions.