Beneath a picture of Clare goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald the question is asked, "Are you proud of the Banner County?"
But the query, addressed to the readers of the Clare Champion, is not doubting the loyalty of the hurling faithful to their vanquished heroes following last Sunday's Munster semi-final. It is an invitation to the public to rat on the rats who dump rubbish in isolated hedgerows and over lonely cliffs.
In the first move of its type, the county council has set up an 1800 confidential freephone number, inviting people who take offence at seeing their environment despoiled to ring in with details on the 24-hour answering service.
Ms Joan Tormey, the council's environmental awareness officer, said that with the rise in consumerism, the litter problem had got worse.
She says the service "will act as a deterrent for persistent offenders. The fact that the phone line is in place and they know people have an easy route to report incidents."
Apart from community pride, the sound ecological principles involved and the benefits for tourism, the initiative will also bring a direct monetary reward. The Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) group has offered a £100,000 prize to the county if it achieves an 85 per cent litter-free rating. The county manager, Mr Willie Moloney, said he had staked his reputation on taking up the challenge and his litter management plan was targeting the populated areas and tourism spots in its first phase. "We are spending far less on it than we are on cleaning up the rubbish," he said.
Over the past 18 months the council has ordered more than 50 prosecutions for litter offences and 120 on-the-spot fines have been issued this year. "I am determined to make it happen," he said.
Two years ago, Co Waterford took up the challenge and received a factory building worth £1 million from IBAL, following monitoring by an An Taisce committee.
As part of Clare's litter management plan, two environmental patrol wardens will act on the information phoned in. Ms Tormey said callers were encouraged to leave a name and telephone number so that they could assist the warden in locating the dump. The warden will then collate any evidence. The on-the-spot fine is now £50 and the maximum court fine is £1,500.
Meanwhile, Ennis Urban District Council is taking its own initiative on tackling litter louts, and plans to install a closed-circuit television camera on the town's main shopping street, Abbey Street, for a three-week trial later this month. The town manager, Mr Tom Coughlan, has declared a "zero tolerance" policy on littering.