Cork has been branded the dirtiest city in the country by a survey just four months before it will become the European Capital of Culture.
The survey, the second published this year by the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) alliance, points to major improvements in the state of many towns and cities in the country.
However, IBAL Chairman Dr Tom Cavanagh slams the condition of Dublin city centre and Cork city centre, the latter of which, he says, is the dirtiest in the country.
Cork's main thoroughfare, Patrick Street, was described as being filthy, with large amounts of litter and not enough bins.
Nearby Oliver Plunkett Street was said to have a serious litter problem too, while the approach roads to the city were branded blackspots that presented a terrible image to visitors.
Cork City Council, which spends €5m per year on street cleaning, said it would not comment until it had studied the findings of the survey.
Dublin city centre was similarly described as having a serious litter problem, while Tallaght and Tullamore were branded litter blackspots.
Cavan is the country's cleanest town while the survey's authors said there had been a spectacular improvement in Galway city centre, which was litter free.
