Cork GAA Sustainability Committee Celebrate Outstanding Response to Clean-Up Day

Cork GAA Sustainability Committee Celebrates Outstanding Response to Clean-Up Day

 

Almost 100 clubs from across the county took part in the recent Cork GAA Clean-Up Day, an initiative organised by the Cork GAA Sustainability Committee to promote environmental awareness, community pride, and collective action across clubs and communities.

The event saw clubs across all levels come together to carry out local clean-ups in their areas, with exceptional engagement recorded throughout the county. To further encourage participation, a competition was introduced to recognise the clubs that demonstrated the greatest level of involvement and impact on the day.

Following careful review by the organising committee, the winners were selected across three grades:

  • Junior Winner: St. Oliver Plunkett’s
  • Intermediate Winner: Russell Rovers
  • Senior Winner: Sarsfields

 

Each of the winning clubs was recognised for their outstanding effort, coordination, and commitment to their local environment. As part of their prize, the three clubs received a signed inter-county hurling and football jersey, acknowledging their contribution to both sustainability and the wider Cork GAA community.

Our County Board Sustainability Officer, Enda Buckley, said:

“Clean-Up Day is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when our clubs come together with a shared sense of purpose. The response from all 90 clubs was outstanding, and it shows the pride our members take not only in their own club grounds, but in their local communities. Congratulations to all who took part, and especially to our winners, whose effort and leadership on the day really stood out.”

The Cork GAA Sustainability Committee praised all participating clubs for their involvement, noting that the scale of engagement reflects the strong sense of community responsibility that exists within the GAA network across the county.

Initiatives such as Cork GAA Clean-Up Day continue to play an important role in promoting sustainability, while also strengthening the connection between clubs, players, and their local areas.

Cork GAA Calls on Clubs Across the County to Support Third Annual Community Clean Up Day

Event to take place on Saturday, April 11th 2026

Cork GAA has announced details of its third annual Community Clean Up Day, which will take place on Saturday, April 11th 2026. Now entering its third year, the initiative continues to position Cork GAA as a national leader in sustainability within the Association.

The event forms part of An Taisce’s National Spring Clean month and continues to grow as one of the largest coordinated county-wide clean-up efforts undertaken by a GAA County Board.

Building on the strong participation in previous years, which saw thousands of volunteers from clubs across Cork collect significant volumes of litter from roadsides, parks, walkways, beaches and community spaces, Cork GAA is encouraging even greater involvement in 2026.

The Clean Up Day will once again be supported by valued partners An Taisce, Tidy Towns, SuperValu, Cork County Council and Cork City Council, highlighting the strength of collaboration across the county in delivering meaningful environmental impact.

SuperValu, a valued and active supporter of both the Tidy Towns competition and Cork GAA, and proud sponsor of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, continues to play an important role in championing environmental initiatives that strengthen communities across Cork.

Clubs representing hurling, football, camogie and ladies football are invited to take part, with members of all ages encouraged to work together with neighbours, local groups and residents to make a visible difference in their communities.

Equipment including gloves, bags and high-visibility vests will be available to participating clubs through An Taisce to assist with the collection and proper disposal of waste gathered on the day. Beyond the immediate environmental impact, the initiative continues to build stronger links between clubs and their local communities, with underage teams and families playing a particularly visible role in previous years.

Remembering John Mullins

This year’s event will also carry special significance as Cork GAA remembers the late John Mullins, a founding member of the Cork GAA Sustainability Committee and a driving force behind the establishment of the Community Clean Up Day.

John’s leadership, energy and belief in the power of collective action were instrumental in launching the initiative, and his legacy continues through the thousands of volunteers who give their time each year to improve their local communities.

Enda Buckley, Cork GAA County Sustainability Officer, said:

“Cork GAA’s Community Clean Up Day has become a key pillar of our Sustainability Vision. It reflects the role our clubs play not only as centres of sporting excellence but also as leaders within their communities.

Each year we see extraordinary volunteerism across all age groups, with players and families taking real pride in improving their local environment.

As we gather again on April 11th, we also remember John Mullins, whose vision and commitment helped establish this initiative. The best tribute we can pay is to continue growing this movement and strengthening the positive impact our clubs have across the county.”

The Community Clean Up Day forms part of Cork GAA’s wider Sustainability Vision, which promotes environmental responsibility, waste reduction and sustainable practices across all clubs in the county.

Clubs that demonstrate the greatest initiative and engagement in delivering their clean-up activities will receive a prize in recognition of their efforts.

Clubs can register to participate via the Cork GAA Sustainability website, and are asked to do so no later than 5pm on Monday, March 23rd.

Sign up today

For further information and registration details, please visit the Cork GAA website.

Cork GAA Confirms Panda as Clean-Up Day Recycling Partner for Cork City Area

CORK GAA CONFIRM PANDA AS CLEAN UP DAY RECYCLING PARTNER FOR CORK CITY AREA

Deadline for clubs to register is Wednesday, April 2nd

Panda is the latest recycling company to come on board for this year’s Cork GAA Community Clean Up Day as interest in the initiative continues to grow.

Almost 100 clubs from around Cork city and county registered for the inaugural Clean Up Day last year and it’s hoped that number will surpass 100 this year.

Cork GAA  is calling on all hurling, football, camogie and ladies football clubs to don their colours and get involved on Saturday, April 12th. Each club will be provided with equipment such as litter pickers, gloves, bags and hi-vis vests.

Panda has been confirmed as the official recycling partner of SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and is the Clean Up Day recycling partner for the Cork City area. KWD Recycling, Country Clean Recycling and Wiser Recycling will be collecting in the county.

Enda Buckley, Chair of Cork GAA Sustainability Committee said: “We are delighted that this year’s Clean Up Day is supported by the recycling companies and that Panda has also come on board for the city area. The event is part of Cork GAA’s Sustainability Vision and aims to foster a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone to enjoy. We also have a goal of collecting and properly disposing of large volumes of waste with each club last year collecting 12 to 15 bags of drink cups, wrappers, packaging, plastic bottles, cigarette butts and some green waste.”

Cork GAA is the first County Board in the country to undertake such an initiative on this scale and is supported by An Taisce, Tidy Towns and Cork City and County Councils. Any club that wants to take part can register before Wednesday, April 2nd.

For more information, visit Clean Up Day – Cork GAA (gaacork.ie)

Cork GAA invites clubs to join the second annual Clean-Up Day.

CORK GAA INVITES CLUBS FROM ALL OVER CORK TO TAKE PART IN SECOND ANNUAL CLEAN-UP DAY 

Deadline for applications is Wednesday, April 2nd

Cork GAA has confirmed details of this year’s Community Clean-Up Day which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 12th. This follows the success of last year’s inaugural event which saw 3,000 participants from almost 100 clubs take part.

Cork GAA is the first County Board in the country to undertake such an initiative on this scale and is hoping to increase the number of participants this year. Each club collected an average of 12 to 15 bags of waste last year, consisting mainly of drink cups, wrappers, packaging, plastic bottles, cigarette butts and some green waste.

The Cork GAA Community Clean-Up Day, which is supported by An Taisce, Tidy Towns and Cork City and County Councils, is open to players, coaches, officials and supporters of all ages. Cork GAA is calling on all hurling, football, camogie and ladies football clubs to don their colours and get involved, with applications closing on Wednesday, April 2nd.

This year’s initiative also sees regional recycling companies get involved, with Panda Recycling, KWD Recycling, Country Clean Recycling and Wiser Recycling collecting the gathered litter directly from club facilities. All participating clubs will be provided with litter pickers, gloves, bags and hi-vis vests.

Enda Buckley, Chair of Cork GAA Sustainability Committee said: “This year’s Cork GAA Community Clean-Up Day aligns with the National Spring Clean Initiative and we are hoping as many clubs as possible from around Cork will take part. It’s more than rolling up our sleeves and making our local community a cleaner place – last year, we saw excellent volunteerism across communities and great collaboration within clubs, especially underage teams. The aim this year is to grow the number of clubs taking part to over 100 and we welcome all ages to put on their jersey and take part on April 12th. It’s important to register by April 2nd so that we can get all the necessary equipment to your club on time.”

The event is part of Cork GAA’s Sustainability Vision and, with a goal of collecting and properly disposing of large volumes of waste, it aims to foster a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone to enjoy.

For more information, visit Clean Up Day – Cork GAA (gaacork.ie)

Cork GAA Calls on Clubs to Sign Up for 2025 Community Clean-Up Day

Following the incredible success of the 2024 Cork GAA Community Clean-Up Day, we are calling on even more clubs to get involved in 2025 and make a real difference in their local communities!

A huge thank you to the 100 clubs  and thousands of volunteers  that took part in 2024, coming together to clean pitches, parks, and public spaces across Cork. Your efforts helped to foster community pride, protect the environment, and showcase the power of teamwork beyond the playing field.

Now, we’re gearing up for an even bigger and better Community Clean-Up Day on April 12, 2025 – and we want your club to be part of it! This initiative is a fantastic way to give back, connect with your community, and showcase club pride.

🔴⚪ How to Get Involved:
✅ Your club secretary needs to register your club now via the registration form that was emailed to your GAA email address. If you didn’t get it, please email administrator.cork@gaa.ie.
✅ Rally your members, players, and supporters
✅ Make a plan to clean up your pitch, local area, or community space
✅ Share your efforts on social media using #CorkGAACleanupDay

Together, we can make a lasting impact and show the strength of the Cork GAA community—on and off the pitch!

For more information visit www.gaacork.ie/cleanup.