‘Disgusting’ rubbish being dumped at popular Laois tourist site

Bins have been called for at the Cathole Falls in Laois

Published 11th Sep 2026, 17:30 BST Piles of rubbish at the Cathole Falls in Ballyhuppahane. Bins have been called for at the Cathole Falls in Laois Rubbish at a popular Laois tourist destination has been described as “disgusting” by a local councillor.

Cllr James Kelly has urged Laois County Council to provide a smart street bin, or Bigbelly bin, at the Cathole Falls in Ballyhuppahane.

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Speaking at the Borris-in-Ossory / Mountmellick MD meeting on Wednesday, September 9, Cllr Kelly said “it’s shocking what's going on up there.”

“The Cathole Falls in Ballyhuppahane is very popular as a tourist destination. We as a council have provided the information boards, picnic tables, chairs and we’ve installed the parking as well. There’s also a mobile sauna there as well that’s very popular. But the rubbish there with chairs and old barbecues, it’s disgusting.

“If we’re going to be very serious about tourism in this county, we have to counteract what’s happening here. I see Bigbelly bins going into major towns but I don’t see why they shouldn’t be in our tourist destinations as well. It should be looked at. We shouldn’t shirk our responsibilities. Our litter warden has been out there and he’s very frustrated as well.”

Cllr Seamus McDonald supported the motion, adding that the “dumping there is scandalous.” He called on the Council to remove the rubbish as a start.

Laois school traffic sparks serious fears over potential accident The MD Office pointed out that the capital cost to procure a solar-compacting smart bin, such as a Bigbelly unit, ranges from €5,000 to €6,000 per unit. These units also incur recurring, non-capital annual software licensing, data connectivity, and specialised maintenance fees payable to the provider to sustain their smart functionality.

They said that the MD does not have an operational budget allocation for the provision of these bins or for the ongoing subscription costs. However, capital funding for such infrastructure is eligible under the CLÁR and Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) frameworks.

In addition to the litter problem at the Cathole Falls, Cllr Kelly requested that car parking be installed at the site.

Laois County Council are currently reviewing the parking capacity and the provision of additional parking bays at the tourist spot, with various layouts being investigated. Funding for the additional parking bays will be provided through the ORIS framework.