Donegal delight at the Clean Coasts Ocean Hero Awards ceremony

An Taisce’s Clean Coasts Programme celebrated five fantastic Donegal-based groups and individuals who made a difference for our marine environment with honours at the 2025 Ocean Hero Awards

Fanad Coastal Group, along with Loreto Community School, Milford, were crowned winners in the Youth Initiative Award at the 2025 Clean Coasts Ocean Hero Awards.

Over the past year, Loreto Community School, Milford, has worked closely with Fanad Coastal Group to protect Whiteshore beach on a sand dune restoration project through sourcing and funding over 200 metres of natural picket fencing at the back of the beaches, which was installed by students.

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Students also attended marine workshops, replanted the marram grass and have been monitoring the progress over the past year.

Patricia McAteer of White Harte Bar in Rathmullan was named winner of the newly re-introduced Community Champion (Business Award) for 2025. Patricia was described as a driving force behind Rathmullan Coastal Care since founding the group in 2013.

Her leadership led directly to the formation of the Coastal Warriors in 2015 and continues to support the group by providing equipment and maintaining the two-minute Beach Clean stations. Despite her busy schedule, she remains central to supporting the ongoing action within Rathmullan Clean Coasts.

Also making the shortlist in Donegal were Rathmullan Tidy Towns and Coastal Care and Fanad Coastal Group in the Group of the Year and Hazel Russell, for the Leadership 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.

Each year 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. The 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.

This year Clean Coasts set out nine distinct categories, and after receiving hundreds of nominations, a total of 45 groups, organisations and individuals made the shortlist for the title of Ocean Hero in each category.