Margaret Murray of Lamh Dhearg was one of 45 GAA Clubs selected from Ireland to participate in Green Club Programme.
The scheme was created to encourage clubs to explore a variety of sustainability projects that will enrich their social and physical environments.
It was launched in December 2020. It focuses on five themes: waste, energy, biodiversity, water and travel/transport.
Lamh Dhearg quickly recognized that they were uniquely blessed by their location.
We are so fortunate, says Margaret, who along with Chris Tumilty, managed this club project. We are surrounded with the Black Mountain and the Belfast hills. It is a prime area for biodiversity and sustainability, and can be promoted.
We put together a group to prioritize things and then we prioritized them. We divided it into four areas: Action to Learn was the first, Action To Communicate, Action To Protect, and Action Encourage. These were the four areas that we examined to see what could be done in our club.
They learned about the plants, animals, and insects that they were surrounded with through Action to Learn. They created a Fairy Trail for children and created a well-worn path that runs around the club. The local Mens Shed group created fairy doors that the children of the club’s summer scheme could paint in different counties.
Bird boxes were placed on the walk to encourage more wildlife. This also served as a way to get the children involved in competitions.
Margaret and Lamh Dhearg have taken the scheme seriously with a passion you can only admire. They have created a refill area for children and encouraged them not to use single-use plastics. They have planted trees with the Belfast Hills Partnership.
They have built flower beds and planted dafodils, picked up litter and placed signs and bins all over the place, and let nature take its course with their Sow, Don’t Mow philosophy.
There are a few hedgehogs, badgers, and other animals around right now. There is also the odd fox. Children at the edge are getting used to having a snail on their fingers.
Margaret says that while schools may promote all of these things, it is when children actually see it in action.
Outdoors, you can show the colours, fall colours, and how they fell, and then mulch the earth, soil, and wild flowers.
It’s about promoting sustainability, green awareness, and encouraging green education.
We did and still do things that will continue to be in motion, and we will roll them over the course of many years.
Strabane is a more urban area. Ciaran McLaughlin, a club volunteer, jokes that despite having little interest in gardening, it grows all the time through his Sigersons Club.
150 trees have been planted through the Dermot Earley Initiative.
They left a piece of land uncut, and were amazed by the buzzing and insect sounds as the summer progressed.
McLaughlin explained that another angle was on climate change and how energy is used.
We had done our energy audit in the Green Club project. Sport NI then came into the club just before Christmas with their Building Back Better program.
This is about climate change, the environment and greening up your club. We applied because the system we had was outdated. It brought us up to speed. We updated all the thermostats and lights, changed all the radiators and electrics throughout the building.
It saves money, too.
Strabane also reduced their use of plastics and planted flower beds. They have taken out the grass litter and spent time teaching children about recycling.
Belcoo Orahillys, located on the edge of Lough MacNean is found in the province’s far west. It is one of the most beautiful venues in Ulster GAA.
Tom White, the representative of the group, has a background working in network engineering as well as a passion for the environment. He is currently campaigning against fracking locally.
We are currently doing our floodlighting. It is obvious that you should use low-energy LEDs. White states that this is an easy way to do a lot of things and the best thing to do.
People don’t know how much they eat.
He believes, however worthy the initiative might be, it does not go far enough as it is. He believes the GAA needs to take a significant stand on environmental issues that may even seem political.
It is important, even if we try to reduce plastic bottles. It is still necessary to fertilise the ground when talking about environmental issues. There must be weed control and pest control. Then, areas need to be mowed and trimmed. He explains that there are many aspects of the GAA’s work and how they can be done best.
One of the problems in Northern Ireland lies in the fact that we are the dirty corner of Europe, Ireland, and the UK. We don’t have an environmental authority nor a Climate Act. Our water quality is good according to the latest report on our rivers and lakes. This includes 265 surface bodies. This is in a country that claims to be green!
We need to fight for our community groups and not just go along. It is not possible to continue doing business as usual.
The 45 clubs that were approached to participate in the project were on a fact finding mission. They will soon spread the information they have learned to all units.
It’s a solid beginning.
The GAA Green Club Programme was launched in December 2020. It involves 45 clubs and two regional venues exploring a range sustainability projects that will enrich their social and physical environments.
A number of partners joined the program, including the County and City Management Association and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and Camogie Association.
The launch was carried out virtually. Eamon Ryan from the Green Party and Edwin Poots MLA from the DUP were the speakers.
The Green Club Phase One participants were chosen from 220 clubs who responded to a questionnaire earlier in the year. This questionnaire was designed to gauge interest and to gauge support for a Green Club initiative. GAA units have a wealth of sustainability projects already underway and they are keen to contribute to the green agenda and future-proof their communities and facilities.
Phase One began in December 2020 and aimed to gather as many practical lessons from participating clubs and venues.
This will guide the creation of a GAA Green Clubs Toolkit, which will be made available for all GAA units on the Island (1,600 clubs plus county and province venues). It will also include useful case studies, established partnership model, and funding avenues.
Minister Poots stated at the launch that only through collaboration can we create the behavioural changes necessary to manage climate change and other environmental risks.
My department’s Green Growth objectives are well aligned with the GAA’s five themes areas of energy, waste water, biodiversity, and transport. My challenge is to Northern Ireland to use Green Growth as a tool to change behaviours and turn climate change into an economic and environmentally sustainable opportunity.
The Green Clubs initiative is a great catalyst for change. It harnesses the enthusiasm and energy of all players, not just those on the pitch. It attracts club officials, their family members, and their communities. I hope that my department can continue to explore with GAA the areas where we can support and guide activities.
Currently, the scheme collects feedback from coalface workers. The intention is to take all their experience to all GAA units.
