By Cian O’Connell
In recent years Carrigallen GFC is doing far more than simply fielding football teams.
The club is a hub for the community, providing a valuable outlet for different generations.
During the past decade, several Irish Life GAA Healthy Club initiatives have been carried out, but Bernie Mulligan Dolan is delighted that older people in Carrigallen and in nearby places are benefitted significantly.
A gentle exercise class every Monday has proven to be particularly successful. “We've loads of things going on, we're a busy club,” she responds.
“When we started off, we probably had about seven or eight people coming to it. A lady within the club is a yoga instructor, people love her. She is a member of our club and we asked would she be interested in doing something for older women.
“In the beginning we had about eight, we put it out on all of our WhatsApp groups, on social media. We call it a gentle exercise class with a cup of tea and a chat afterwards.”
Numbers attending, though, have increased dramatically. “At this point we have 40 on our list, we usually have 24 or 25 on a given day which really is as many as we can cater for,” she adds. “We are dreading the morning everyone arrives.
“We run it on a Monday morning from 11 until 12 for the class, there is a bit of mindfulness and the gentle exercises. The age group varies from late 50s up to an 83 year old. We had a 90 year old, who has since passed, but she loved it.”
The positive responses from the participants highlights the value of the initiative. “They absolutely love it, the exercises and the mindfulness at the start and end,” she says.
“There is a bit of dancing in the middle of it. There is stretching with the bands, they don't really notice, and when I say they I'm half in that category myself. We've a cup of tea and a biscuit, people sit around then to have a chat for about 40 minutes.”
Carrigallen were presented with a Gold Healthy Club award by Connacht GAA secretary John Prenty and Connacht GAA Council president John Murphy last year. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Connections have been developed and friendships formed. “We had a beautiful occasion a couple of weeks ago, we'd be very involved with the Ukrainian people here; Pride of Place is a 32 county award that is offered,” she explains.
“Our little club won it last year for our work welcoming new communities. Two of the Ukrainian girls lost a brother in the war a few weeks ago and another girl lost her Dad.
“We didn't know what to do so we decided to have an evening about six weeks later in the clubroom. We had tea, a chat, and we had photographs of the deceased. It was such a lovely evening, and I noticed all of the ladies from our gentle exercise class travelled.”
A mens walking group on Friday evenings is also an important part of Carrigallen’s Healthy Clubs offering. “We started that about two years ago, the ladies is up and running about five years,” Mulligan Dolan says.
“For ages, we were always trying to get men involved. This is for men that might used to play, but not exclusively. We're always keeping an eye on people. It is harder to get the men to engage, we've about 15 in total, maybe 12 walk. You could have nights where only four or six do it, they walk on a Friday at half seven.”
Those attending are enjoying the conversations and social element of the gathering. “They walk from the park into town, it isn't a long walk, it is about a mile each way,” she says.
“When they get to a certain point in town, they turn, but they change partners when they turn. So, if somebody that mightn't have a lot of interactions during the week, living out in the country, they'd get a second interaction, at least, on that night.
“Some have, and that is how it started off. Some don't. We have people coming to us from maybe 20 kilometres away, they are coming from four other parishes other than our own. So, it has quite a reach. We've people, who know nothing about GAA.
“It is absolutely brilliant to change partners. Sometimes you could be walking with somebody who is more silent or you haven't much in common with them. So, that is why they do it and it came from themselves. They love it.”