Aoibhinn Ní Shuilleabháin pictured addressing the attendees during the GAA Green Club Event at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile.
GAA, LGFA and Camogie Clubs are now invited to apply to Phase 3 of the GAA Green Club Programme. The programme which was established in 2020 is designed to support Gaelic Games clubs in taking simple and effective sustainability actions in their grounds and activities. The Programme is structured around the themes of Energy, Water, Waste, Biodiversity and Travel & Transport and is resourced with an online toolkit produced in partnership with local authorities and expert partners, including the Sustainable energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the Local Authorities Water Programme (LAWPRo) and the Regional Waste Authorities. The toolkit is available at https://learning.gaa.ie/GreenClub and includes numerous case studies of Clubs who have successfully implemented actions, improving their facilities and reducing their impact on the environment.
Clubs who completed Phase 2 were recently presented with their awards at a ceremony in Croke Park where Uachtarán CLG Jarlath Burns described how Green Clubs are reinforcing the GAA’s social leadership, improving club facilities, and helping ensure a better future for their communities. “The breadth of initiatives being celebrated here, 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 event was also attended by guest speaker Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin who spoke of the positive legacy Green Clubs are creating for future generations.
The GAA, LGFA and Camogie Associations are now inviting new clubs to apply to become Green Clubs. Applications are open from now until January 26th for the next round of the Green Club programme. Interested clubs can apply at: https://greenclubs.gaa.ie/ . Successful clubs will be guided through a series of steps over 2025 and 2026, supported to access funding, plan, implement and report on initiatives.