By Paddy Murray

It's been mighty weather for ducks recently.. But the ducks in Dublin's Mount Argus park have even more reason to be happy. They're getting their pond cleaned.
Years of silt, cans, litter, black bags-and even a burnt-out car on one occasion-have taken their toll on the ponds in the park.

Now that this year's crop of ducklings has grown up - despite some drunken youths using them as target practice for their stone-throwing - Dublin City Council's Parks Department has moved in, diverted the water, and set about cleaning up the ponds.

"There has been a build-up of silt over the years," said Michael Noonan, senior executive parks superintendent. "The litter- cans, bottles and the like - is often thrown into the pond by people using the park. More of it comes from outside and deposits itself in the pond. People don't always seem to appreciate that the park is for them and ruining the pond is only ruining it for themselves. We're doing our best now with the pond and we hope those who use the park will do the same."

The pond is visited daily by a heron, one of two breeding in Bushy Park, two miles further south, Noonan said, it is planned to enlarge the nesting island in the pond so as to encourage more bird life and leave less area for silt and rubbish to accumulate.
The work at Mount Argus should be completed within a week