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Pug via Shutterstock

Talking lampposts remind dog-walkers to pick up their pet's poo

P-p-p-pick up your dog’s poo.

IF YOU’RE A dog owner and go walking your cute canine along Limerick’s boardwalk area, you might hear a disembodied voice reminding you to pick up your pet’s poo.

Don’t panic.

That voice coming from a lampost is part of a new initiative by Limerick City and County Council (who are following in Fingal County Council’s footsteps), which involves hidden audio devices broadcasting a message to encourage dog owners to clean up after their pets.

The two mobile programmable audio systems were developed by NUI Maynooth-based company Riteview Solutions, and have been installed on either side of the River Shannon in Limerick city.

Keeping the place clean

If you stroll pass one of the devices while walking your pooch, you’ll hear this message:

Do your bit to keep Limerick clean. Stop Limerick Dog Litter. Use any bag, any bin – please pick up after your dog.

Sinead McDonnell, the council’s Environment Awareness Officer, said that the devices can be moved around.

However, when they briefly moved them from the boardwalk recently,”some people were quite upset”, said McDonnell. She said that the initiative has had a “great response” so far.

According to McDonnell, sometimes people “are to embarrassed to pick [dog poo] up or carry it [in a bag]“, and the council wants to encourage people not to feel this way.

“The message we are promoting is simple; always carry a bag to clean up after your dog,” said McDonnell.

Failing to clean up after your dog is the same as littering and is an offence under the Litter Pollution Acts.

Limerick City and County Council provides bags to dog walkers in public parks, and has installed a number of dispensers in parks around Limerick.

Plus, Tidy Towns groups across Limerick have recently been supplied with a long handled pooper scooper for community clean ups, compliments of Maxi Zoo.

Fingal County Council also introduced talking lampposts recently, and according to the Herald in January, they led to an 80 per cent reduction in dog fouling in the areas where they were located.

Read: Dublin mayors tell dog-owners: pick up after your pooches>

Read: Free pooper-scoopers offered to tackle dog poo in Limerick>

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33 Comments
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    Mute Anthony Kielthy
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    Dec 1st 2015, 8:47 AM

    Oh gawd ! I thought she was full of something else !

    200
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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Dec 1st 2015, 8:51 AM

    No we don’t. That’s what your doctor’s office is for.

    187
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    Mute Stephen
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    Dec 1st 2015, 9:03 AM

    I think we should talk about ……. Jam!, when I was eating jam sangages last week for lunch the jam dripped onto my hand, It was sticky and very annoying . Why not start a debate about that!??
    Gimme a jasus break!!!!

    156
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    Mute Joe Conlon
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    Dec 1st 2015, 11:05 AM

    @Stephen, It’s really depends on the brand of jam that you use and of course the flavour of jam, chivers strawberry jam is notorious for its dripping qualities, some people will think that I’m a jam racist after that!

    30
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    Mute tomeenoldstock
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    Dec 1st 2015, 11:46 AM

    There’s a song about it..http://youtu.be/oFRbZJXjWIA

    8
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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Dec 1st 2015, 9:40 AM

    She suddenly feels a need to talk about it AFTER somebody else brought up the topic publically.

    142
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    Mute Donna Moss
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    Dec 1st 2015, 9:11 AM

    why do we need talk about it? it’s a personal medical issue get it sorted and save us having to know about it.

    132
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    Mute Vladimir Vasyectomy
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    Dec 1st 2015, 9:54 AM

    When a woman like Bláthnaid says, “we need to talk about it.” it usually means ‘shut up and listen…or else.’
    I don’t see the need to talk about it, – maybe she means ‘women need to be educated about it…??

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    Mute Eoin Fleming
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    Dec 1st 2015, 8:57 AM

    Kate Winslet said it was” part and parcel” of child birth so if that’s the case, why feel the need to talk about it?

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    Mute Cosmo Kramer
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    Dec 1st 2015, 8:57 AM

    As a taxi driver I can fully vouch for what she’s saying.. It’s actually unbelievable the amount of Women that will leave a stain in the seat when they get out..

    77
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    Mute Rasputin
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    Dec 1st 2015, 2:33 PM

    Ah, that’s different though… And sure any woman would be the same around such a smooth talker….

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    Mute Sean Johnston
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    Dec 1st 2015, 9:54 AM

    Is this a piss take?

    70
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:52 AM

    Definitely talking the piss.

    29
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    Mute Sean Johnston
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    Dec 1st 2015, 11:11 AM

    Indeed. No justice in the world when a poor innocent dog gets his mouth duct taped shut and this bag of piss gets to open hers all too freely.

    54
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    Mute Dermot Collins
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    Dec 1st 2015, 9:21 AM

    The New world intercontence champion

    70
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    Mute Aaron Brogan
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    Dec 1st 2015, 9:41 AM

    Literally pissin myself here!

    50
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    Mute LesBehan
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    Dec 1st 2015, 9:55 AM

    Billy Connolly had been talking about incontinence for years
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCysEz4nFDc

    38
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    Mute Chauncey Gardiner
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    Dec 1st 2015, 11:45 AM

    Really enjoyed the interview Blathnáid gave to Moncrieff yesterday. This wasn’t the only topic she talked about, she also talked about going to college for the first time at forty five, the pressures placed on a woman’s appearance in the media and life in general.
    She had keyhole surgery recently to sort out her incontinence problem and is enjoying a better quality of life. Seems like she had a difficult fifteen years with it, and if she chooses to talk about something that affected her personally good for her.

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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Dec 1st 2015, 1:40 PM

    @Chauncey Gardiner,
    Yeah but she’s doing a nonsense degree, Women’s Studies.

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    Mute Chauncey Gardiner
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    Dec 1st 2015, 2:07 PM

    Gender Studies actually. Why worry about it, what Blanáid does or discusses has no consequence on your life.

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    Mute Del Haven
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    Dec 1st 2015, 9:54 AM

    We need to talk about crop dusting

    31
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    Mute Ken Pepper
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:20 AM

    Is that the less successful follow up to ”We need to talk about Kevin” ?

    30
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    Mute Dan Broderick
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:16 AM

    Never tell a pregnant woman a secret so

    28
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    Mute Cal Cryton
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    Dec 1st 2015, 11:15 AM

    Or how about not talking about it. Just put up with it, or treat it, or whatever the doctor recommends. But definitely, definitely, don’t talk about it. That would work better for all concerned.

    27
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    Mute Gash
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    Dec 1st 2015, 9:38 AM

    Echo island surround by water, makes ya think

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    Mute Ronan Gallagher
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    Dec 1st 2015, 11:46 AM

    No we dont

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    Mute Marc Power
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:29 AM

    My mates in England were more interested in how on earth to pronounce her name

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    Mute Gerry Ryan deG
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    Dec 1st 2015, 1:02 PM

    Flatulence needs a discussion as well and smelly feet could do with a bit of understanding

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    Mute brian martin
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    Dec 1st 2015, 10:37 AM

    Ah she’s just talking shit

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    Mute Shane Fearon
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    Dec 1st 2015, 9:53 AM

    Sorry, it’s gone outa me head.

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    Mute Mindfulirish
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    Dec 1st 2015, 1:27 PM

    Does she file her taxes in her English name, married name, maiden name , Irish maiden name, Irish married name —- what is her name in English ?? If Irish people want English translated into Irish it should work both ways and her name should appear in English also.

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    Mute Maggie
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    Dec 1st 2015, 1:06 PM

    Thank god for c sections!

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    Mute Ken Pepper
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    Dec 1st 2015, 2:08 PM

    PMSL

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 1st 2015, 5:39 PM

    Worse if it was peed others while laughing lol.

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    Mute Gash
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    Dec 1st 2015, 5:41 PM

    Flaps

    6
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    Mute Suzanne Bell
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    Dec 1st 2015, 7:29 PM

    Her name in english is flower coffey

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 1st 2015, 5:38 PM

    Awful thing but Billy Connolly had a great parody about it…

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