I am ashamed to say I'm a camper.

[tony]

on another motorhome site there was an article that there was a report in a local newspaper with a photo in west cork of campers parked head to toe overnight.
the article said there were 35 campers, 2 caravans & at least 12 tents & they were using the sand dunes as a toilet.
the motorhome site said it was very unprofessional journalism.
i do not know about that but the photo speaks for itself.

in graiguenmanagh this week end campers & tents took over the place.
the locals were afraid to bring their children for a walk along by the river.
those campers were walking along the streets & going into shops & other places.
one local commented " social distancing my a**e "
campers are getting bad publicity at present as this about graiguenmanagh is on social media.

what is wrong with people do they not care if they get the virus or pass it on to others.
we have not been away in our camper this year yet & we dont know when we will.

tony

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Is this the article you're on about?

https://www.southernstar.ie/news/resident-fearful-as-campers-crowd-out-local-beaches-4207333

 

[ScoTTyBEEE]

Blame the one group of people that bring their own toilets with them for shitting in the bushes. Makes sense.

 

[mickymost]

Without gettting any nasty comments in return I feel looking at that article and the pictures that these guys maybe full time travellers Gypsies etc?Im not saying that because they maybe full time travellers that is the reason for the problems just making an observation as Full time travellers these days also use motorhomes.

 

[mickymost]

The newspaper article gives the impression these are holidaymakers caravans

 

[Fisherman]

I seems strange that this group have suddenly appeared from nowhere this year.
If this was a popular area for WC then this would have been an ongoing problem, that would no doubt have been dealt with by now. This looks like an organised gathering of travellers. But yet again our name is dragged through the mud by folk who either bear a grudge against us or are simply ignorant of the facts. Sorry but why are the only people there with toilets being blamed for all of the human waste, is this area only used by us, there are many questions left unanswered. The sooner we get the opportunity to answer articles like this through a body who look after our interests and our reputation the better.

 

[Nabsim]

I am full time in van and don’t leave rubbish about.

only place I ever see complaints about vans is on motorhome groups and forums

 

[maingate]

Blame the one group of people that bring their own toilets with them for shitting in the bushes. Makes sense.

That's the problem. The first thing a Traveller does with a new van is to remove the toilet. Apparently crapping inside a van is too 'dirty' in their eyes.

 

[Debroos]

This was discussed at length on motorhomecraic. The consensus was that the paper definitely was sensationilising and that the vans were actually more spaced than it looked in the photo.
Can't remember it all now but also someone living nearby said campers were still welcome...

 

[myvanwy]

A long lens will certainly do that. Most of the beach pics shown on the news employed one so people looked far closer to each other than really where.

 

[TeamRienza]

Here is a link to the motorhomecraic thread,

Disappointing Headline

https://www.southernstar.ie/news/resident-fearful-as-campers-crowd-out-local-beaches-4207333

www.motorhomecraic.com

Post number 4 (made by me) and post 19 (if true, and seems genuine) throw a little bit more light on things. As for graiguenmanagh, I cannot comment as I have no knowledge. I can say that I have just returned from 4 nights in North Donegal and whilst there were many Motorhomes in the region, they seemed to be acting fairly responsibly. The biggest issue was probably too many vans at a few honeypots. Combine the end of lockdown with a public holiday weekend in N. Ireland and the whole island full of ‘staycationers’ it is hardly surprising.

I dare say that like some of the pictures and reports we have had about England and Scotland being abused (particularly by wild tent campers not representative of their majority) it would not surprise me to find parts of Ireland getting some similar abuse.

I certainly don’t feel ashamed to be a motorhomer. I hold my head high, support the local economies €150 in 4 nights on this trip and be the best ambassador I can for our style of travel.

Davy

 

[tony]

Is this the article you're on about?

https://www.southernstar.ie/news/resident-fearful-as-campers-crowd-out-local-beaches-4207333

yes that is the article.
tony

Is this the article you're on about?

https://www.southernstar.ie/news/resident-fearful-as-campers-crowd-out-local-beaches-4207333

 

[Snapster]

You should know, unless people are emptying cassettes, defecating in the bushes/ sand dunes/ doorways/road or peeing in the street, it’s not a story.....

 

[Fisherman]

Here is a link to the motorhomecraic thread,

Disappointing Headline

https://www.southernstar.ie/news/resident-fearful-as-campers-crowd-out-local-beaches-4207333

www.motorhomecraic.com

I certainly don’t feel ashamed to be a motorhomer. I hold my head high, support the local economies €150 in 4 nights on this trip and be the best ambassador I can for our style of travel.

Davy

Like you I am not ashamed to be a camper, I am very proud to be a member of a community were the vast majority care about the places we visit.
If anyone should be ashamed it’s councillors, who at the drop of a hat spend thousands of pounds erecting barriers, and putting up signs that prevent us from using the same facilities as everyone else. And they do this without proper due diligence, adversely affecting our rights, and damaging local economies.

 

[mickymost]

Like you I am not ashamed to be a camper, I am very proud to be a member of a community were the vast majority care about the places we visit.
If anyone should be ashamed it’s councillors, who at the drop of a hat spend thousands of pounds erecting barriers, and putting up signs that prevent us from using the same facilities as everyone else. And they do this without proper due diligence, adversely affecting our rights, and damaging local economies.

Exactly and those thousands of pounds they waste trying to stop us is in effect from the taxpayers i/e ourselves pockets.In these unprecedented times (I used that word ) surely any tourism to any UK place should be encouraged not continually stopped! A definite body needs setting up to hound/ name /shame the councils into helping us and setting up reasonable priced Aires/stopovers with some facilities suited to motorhomes. Local shops need all the income they can get.What sense is it to keep forcing the Motorhome community away with their excess cash they could spend.

 

[trevskoda]

I take everything home in a bag,also keep loo cassette to i get home as i have a man hole main in my yard to dispose of the doings.
I have never seen folk crap in bushes or dunes but will keep my camera handy just in case.

 

[TeamRienza]

Interestingly this morning on a new thread on motorhomecraic a poster linked to an item indicating that the town of New Ross is planning a 40 bay Aire, likely to be a pay Aire like Cobh. Why? They cite retaining visitors for longer (obviously increasing revenue) to enhance the tourism portfolio of the town.
I think they see the success of Cobh, the provision in Dungarvan and other private aires in the south and east corner of Ireland. They are conscious of their proximity to rosslare port.
A few more developments like this (and I believe Galway has changed its anti Motorhome stance) and I think Ireland will reach a tipping point with other councils seeing the benefits. Nothing like a bit of council ‘one upmanship’ to spark a trend!
Sadly, there is also mention of misuse of the Aire at Cobh today. Nonpaying vans leaving rubbish lying around. Suspicions are that they are not genuine motorhomers but possibly travellers, so more of the negative press that Tony mentions, but at least the Aire now has a well established pattern of proper use to defend its and our positions.

Davy

 

[Fisherman]

Interestingly this morning on a new thread on motorhomecraic a poster linked to an item indicating that the town of New Ross is planning a 40 bay Aire, likely to be a pay Aire like Cobh. Why? They cite retaining visitors for longer (obviously increasing revenue) to enhance the tourism portfolio of the town.
I think they see the success of Cobh, the provision in Dungarvan and other private aires in the south and east corner of Ireland. They are conscious of their proximity to rosslare port.
A few more developments like this (and I believe Galway has changed its anti Motorhome stance) and I think Ireland will reach a tipping point with other councils seeing the benefits. Nothing like a bit of council ‘one upmanship’ to spark a trend!
Sadly, there is also mention of misuse of the Aire at Cobh today. Nonpaying vans leaving rubbish lying around. Suspicions are that they are not genuine motorhomers but possibly travellers, so more of the negative press that Tony mentions, but at least the Aire now has a well established pattern of proper use to defend its and our positions.

Davy

Spot on, once one or two break the mould others will surely follow.
We have a similar situation with Fife council.
With limited resources they are trying to provide us with what we need, and it’s vital that we help them as much as possible to do so.
Hopefully when others stop seeing us as Martians, and start seeing us for what we really are, things will improve. But we have to be able to reply to articles like the one starting this post. We need proper representation to offer support, and to give a truer perspective of who we are, what we can offer, and what we need.

 

[Debroos]

Interestingly this morning on a new thread on motorhomecraic a poster linked to an item indicating that the town of New Ross is planning a 40 bay Aire, likely to be a pay Aire like Cobh. Why? They cite retaining visitors for longer (obviously increasing revenue) to enhance the tourism portfolio of the town.
I think they see the success of Cobh, the provision in Dungarvan and other private aires in the south and east corner of Ireland. They are conscious of their proximity to rosslare port.
A few more developments like this (and I believe Galway has changed its anti Motorhome stance) and I think Ireland will reach a tipping point with other councils seeing the benefits. Nothing like a bit of council ‘one upmanship’ to spark a trend!
Sadly, there is also mention of misuse of the Aire at Cobh today. Nonpaying vans leaving rubbish lying around. Suspicions are that they are not genuine motorhomers but possibly travellers, so more of the negative press that Tony mentions, but at least the Aire now has a well established pattern of proper use to defend its and our positions.

Davy

What provision is there in Dungarvan?

 

[Debroos]

And now in motorhomecraic proposals for aire in Ennis as well!