Cork GAA Clubs organise major voluntary clean up initiative in partnership with Cork County Council and Cork City Council;

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured are Conor Cahalane, St. Finbarr’s and Laura Hayes, St. Catherine’s Camogie, at the launch of Cork Gaa Community Clean Up Day, in conjunction with World Clean Up Day, on the 21st September, at SuperValu Pairc Chaoimh, Cork.                           Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Cork GAA Clubs Organise Major Voluntary Clean Up Initiative in Partnership with Cork County Council and Cork City Council

Cork GAA, one of the largest sporting organisations in Ireland, is proud to announce a significant voluntary clean up initiative spearheaded by its clubs and their dedicated members. This community-focused event will take place on Saturday, September 21 demonstrating the organisation’s commitment to environmental stewardship and community service.
The event, aptly named “Cork GAA Community Clean Up Day,” will see players, coaches, officials and supporters come together to clean up various locations across Cork City and County. With a goal of collecting and properly disposing of large volumes of waste, this initiative aims to foster a cleaner, healthier environment. It is supported as part of the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) as part of their 2024 Anti-Dumping Initiative.
The date of the event is significant as it is the Saturday following World Clean Up day on Friday 20th September.
Event Details:
  • Date: 21 September
  • Time: 10 am to 2pm
  • Locations: throughout Cork city and county
  • Participants: Cork GAA, Cork Camogie and Cork LGFA members, supporters, and volunteers from the community together with support from Cork City Council and Cork County Councils
Key Highlights:
  • Environmental Impact: By removing litter from public spaces, the initiative will help protect local wildlife, improve public health, and enhance the natural beauty of our communities.
  • Community Engagement: The event encourages community participation, fostering a sense of unity and shared responsibility for the environment.
  • Youth Involvement: Young athletes and their families will play a significant role, teaching the next generation the importance of environmental responsibility and community service.
The event is part of Cork GAAs Sustainability Vision- sustainability is the bedrock of the GAA. The organisation is sustained by its communities where the passion for our games is passed from one generation to the next, and we must ensure we pass on the planet in a stronger position to the next generation.
Cork GAA’s Chairperson, Pat Horgan expressed enthusiasm and strong support for the event: “We are incredibly proud of our members for organising this vital initiative. As sports people, we understand the importance of maintaining clean and safe spaces for both our training and our community. This event is a testament to our commitment to not only excel in sports but also to be responsible citizens.”
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Joe Carroll said, “On behalf of Cork County Council, I am thrilled to support the Cork GAA Community Clean Up Day.  This initiative is a fantastic opportunity for everyone young and old, to come together and show pride in our beautiful county. Let’s roll up our sleeves, work as a team, and make our communities cleaner and greener.”
Mayor of Cork City, Cllr Dan Boyle said, “The GAA, in particular GAA clubs, are one of the most significant community-based organisations in the country. This initiative is very much to be welcomed and will have a ripple effect in many communities. It is sad that some people create litter, but it is heartening that more want to work together to see it removed. Go clean!”
Participants are encouraged to bring reusable gloves, bags, and other necessary equipment. Participating Cork GAA Clubs will provide additional supplies and refreshments to all volunteers.
Media representatives are invited to cover the event. For more information, please contact Enda Buckley (ebuckley@carbery.com) or Patrick Calnan (Patrick@reasire.com)
About Cork GAA: Cork GAA is dedicated to excellence in sport and to the development of its younger members. With a strong emphasis on community involvement and environmental responsibility Cork GAA strives to make a positive impact both on and off the field. For more information, visit https://www.corkgaa.ie/cleanupday

Green Clubs Programme

What is the Green Club Programme?

The Green Club Programme was established to support Gaelic Games clubs in taking simple and effective sustainability action in their grounds and activities. The Programme is structured around the themes of Energy, Water, Waste, Biodiversity and Travel & Transport and is designed to promote sustainability awareness and action in GAA clubs and communities.

Phase 1 of the Green Club Programme ran from 2021 to 2023 with the participation of over 30 clubs from across Ireland. These trail-blazing Green Clubs established Green Teams, carried out club audits and engaged in exciting sustainability partnerships and projects. The experience and input of the Phase 1 Green Clubs led to the development of the GAA’s first-ever Green Club Toolkit

What is the Green Club Toolkit and where can I find it?

The GAA Green Club Toolkit was launched in December 2022. It contains resources, advice and guidance, tailored especially for GAA clubs and members, in the areas of Energy, Water, Waste, Biodiversity and Travel & Transport. The Toolkit also contains inspiring, practical case studies from Green Clubs from across the island of Ireland.

The Toolkit is available to all GAA, LGFA and Camogie clubs and members at: https://learning.gaa.ie/greenclub

You can also click on the map below to find key actions for each thematic area.

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GAA Green Club Map

Who else is involved in the Green Club Programme?

The Green Club Programme is a partnership between the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association and local authorities across Ireland. This partnership had its origins in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Champions Programme launched by the Department of Communication, Climate Action, and Environment in September 2019. Both the GAA and Carlow County Council were among the twelve inaugural SDG Champions and their initial collaboration led to the signing of a Green Club Memorandum of Understanding between the local authority County and City Management Association (CCMA) and the Gaelic Games organisations and an ongoing-working relationship between the GAA and the Climate Action Regional Offices. The GAA is continuing as an SDG Champion in the current iteration of the programme for 2023/24, with Clare County Council now representing the Local Authority sector. For more info visit https://www.gaa.ie/stories/gaa-announced-as-sdg-champion/

Both the Green Club Programme and the Green Club Toolkit have been developed with the expert input of organisations and agencies from across the island of Ireland. Details of these are included under the ‘Partners’ tab above

What do Green Clubs do?

Take a look at some of the Green Club Case Studies at https://learning.gaa.ie/greenclub/casestudies

Green Clubs Sustainable Development Goals

LGFA CEO Helen O'Rourke, Chairman of CCMA Michael Walsh, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael John Horan, Chariman of Local Autority Climate Change Steering Group Ciarán Hayes, Camogie Operations Manager Alan Malone, DCCAE Katie Aherne, and former Wexford hurler Diarmuid Lyng pictured at the GAA Local Authority SDG Launch at Croke Park.

LGFA CEO Helen O’Rourke, Chairman of CCMA Michael Walsh, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael John Horan, Chariman of Local Autority Climate Change Steering Group Ciarán Hayes, Camogie Operations Manager Alan Malone, DCCAE Katie Aherne, and former Wexford hurler Diarmuid Lyng pictured at the GAA Local Authority SDG Launch at Croke Park.

SDGs

In September 2015, 193 countries met in New York and signed the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This Agenda has become the guide to the world’s social, economic, and environmental actions to achieve a sustainable future by 2030. The framework consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs). Each of these goals has a number of targets associated with it (169 in total). Indicators identify the data that will be used to measure progress towards these targets and to determine if it has been achieved successfully by 2030.

The global progress is monitored by the UN. Individual countries must provide voluntary national reviews including stakeholder involvement. In Ireland, the overall responsibility for implementing the UN SDGs lies with the Department of Communications, Climate Action, and Environment (DCCAE). Inclusion is at the core of the UN SDGs, and as a result, governments, the corporate sector, and citizens are called upon to make the SDG agenda a reality.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Champions Programme is an initiative established by the SDG Unit in the Department of Communication, Climate Action, and Environment. The SDG Champions Programme has the potential to achieve nationwide prominence and raise public awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose of the SDG Champions Programme is primarily to raise public awareness of the SDGs, and secondarily to illustrate practical ways in which organisations and individuals can contribute to achieving the SDGs, using Champion organisations’ practices as examples. Each Champion organisation is focusing primarily on a select number of SDGs each. As individual Champions will promote specific SDGs, each of the twelve campaigns will be distinct in terms of the goals they are championing.

The GAA has been award SDG Champion Status for Goals 3 – Good Health & Wellbeing, 4 – Quality Education, 15 – Life on Land and 17 – Partnerships.

We are committed to developing healthy and sustainable communities. Good Health & Wellbeing are direct outcomes of participation in physical activity and meaningful social engagement. We offer opportunities for both through quality coaching and initiatives delivered by our Community & Health Department, such as the Healthy Club Project. We are innovators in Quality Education through our Coach Education and Officer Development Programmes as well as in mainstream education with our GAA Future Leaders Transition Year Programme. The GAA club ensures that the Association has a footprint in the physical environment of nearly every community in Ireland.

Conscious of our impact on the physical environment, we endeavour to work in harmony with our surroundings to support biodiversity and life on land and are building a Green Club Toolkit to further our contribution in a sustainable way. By building partnerships with other stakeholders at all levels of the Association, the GAA endeavours to embed sustainable development concepts and practices throughout the organisation. Our Clubs have been innovators in addressing many of Ireland’s social concerns and are already rising to the challenge of supporting the SDGs.

For more information visit:

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

https://www.gaa.ie/stories/gaa-announced-as-sdg-champion/