Mayo club’s green efforts celebrated in Croke Park ceremony
Westport GAA Club in west Mayo has been honoured at a ceremony in Croke Park as one of 90 'Green Clubs' across Ireland taking sustainability action for the club and community.
GAA President Jarlath Burns, who presented the club with their award at the event, applauded the clubs leading the sustainability charge for the GAA.
He said: “Green Clubs are reinforcing our social leadership, improving their facilities, and helping ensure a better future for their communities. The breadth of initiatives being celebrated here today, spanning energy, waste, water, biodiversity and travel, speaks volumes about the innovative and community-focused spirit of our clubs.
“The diversity of these projects demonstrates how clubs are finding creative ways to address local challenges while contributing to a national movement.”
The GAA Green Club Programme, a partnership between the GAA and local authorities, was established in 2020 to support GAA, LGFA and camogie clubs to take action across the five areas of energy, waste, water, biodiversity, and travel and transport, and is funded with support from the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
Attendees at the event in Croke Park heard from Green Clubs from across the island who have achieved big cuts to club running costs and carbon emissions by introducing sustainable energy measures from clubhouse improvements to solar PV installation and LED upgrades. Over two-thirds of Green Clubs have installed outdoor taps and drinking water stations, introduced reusable water bottles or run gear swaps to cut down on waste produced by the club and reduce spending for club members, while nearly half of the clubs have taken action, often with support from community partnerships and local or national grant funding, to encourage sustainable travel with the introduction of bike racks and car-pooling initiatives and the improvement of safe walking and cycling routes to clubs.
The event was backdropped by images of Green Clubs who have transformed the appearance of their club grounds with pollinator-friendly flower beds in club colours, biodiversity walkways for the health and well-being of club and community members, and the planting of native trees to support local biodiversity, provide shade and shelter, and reduce flood risk.
Guest speaker at the event, Dr. Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, spoke of her admiration for the leadership being shown by the Green Clubs in their communities and within the GAA, and of the positive legacy they are creating for future generations.
Padraig Fallon, chair of the GAA Green Club Steering Group, referenced the GAA’s values as a driving force behind the programme.
“Place, belonging and respect are at the heart of what the GAA is and does,” he outlined. “The Green Clubs being celebrated here today have demonstrated how respect for and a commitment to protecting our environment helps make our clubs and communities stronger, more resilient and a better place for all.”
The GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association are inviting new clubs to apply to become Green Clubs. Applications are open from now until January for the next round of the programme. Interested clubs can apply at: https://greenclubs.gaa.ie.
All Gaelic Games clubs can take sustainability action by using the GAA Green Club Toolkit available at https://learning.gaa.ie/GreenClub and developed in collaboration with the GAA’s Green Club expert partners: Climate Action Regional Offices (CAROs), the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the Waste Management Regional Offices, the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPro), Uisce Éireann, the National Biodiversity Data Centre, the National Transport Authority, and the RSA.