Wicklow GAA clubs shine on the health and wellbeing front

This milestone follows almost two-years work by the clubs’ teams of volunteers who give up their free time to make the GAA and Ireland a healthier place for everyone to enjoy.

The Irish life GAA Healthy Clubs programme marks its tenth anniversary in 2023. It has grown from a small pilot featuring 16 clubs in 2013 to having engaged 450 clubs to date.

In the interim, it has gained national and international recognition as an exemplar programme for the delivery of health promotion through a sports club setting.

In 2022-23, Healthy Clubs delivered 2389 number of initiatives reaching 184,598 participants, many of whom never had any prior connection to their local GAA club.

This level of growth and impact could not have been achieved without the long-term support of our title sponsors, Irish Life, with further support from the Tomar Trust, the HSE, the National Office for Suicide Prevention, and Healthy Ireland.

The most common areas of work delivered by clubs were:

Physical activity, such as walking initiatives, exercise classes, and social Gaelic Games.

Community development, including supporting older members of the community, youth leadership and supporting local charities etc.

Mental health awareness and education.

Diversity and inclusion, including games opportunities for persons with additional needs and LGTBQ+ allyship.

Substance use and gambling awareness, including smoke- and vape-free clubs.

Healthy eating.

Over an 18-month period clubs must match certain criteria to achieve official accreditation as a ‘Healthy Club’ and depending on the capacity of their volunteer healthy club team can strive towards foundation, silver, or gold level awards.

Wicklow Gold award recipients:

Blessington, Shillelagh Coolboy, Bray Emmet, Newtown.

Wicklow Silver award recipients: Annacurra, Ballymanus, Éire Óg Greystones, An Tóchar.

Wicklow Foundation award recipients: Donard-The Glen, Arklow Geraldines-Ballymoney, Aughrim.

Speaking after the award ceremony, Wicklow and Leinster County Health and Wellbeing Chair David Murray said that it of considerable pride to see the Garden County clubs achieve such a high standard.

“It is of considerable pride to the Wicklow GAA Health & Wellbeing Committee to see our clubs achieve such a high standard on the Healthy Clubs program. Congratulations to every club and individuals involved,” he said.

“A total of 27 Leinster GAA clubs achieved gold awards on the program and we have four of these awards going to Wicklow clubs. Four more of our clubs achieved the silver award and three clubs achieved bronze awards.

“The high standard and hard work that has gone into the program is nothing short of amazing.

The motto of the Healthy Club program states: “We are Community” that is so true not only in the sense that the program encompasses the club working in their own respective communities, but it is also the community of the clubs themselves who shared experiences and supported one another.

“I want to take the opportunity to also thank the county and national organisations who supported the clubs.

“We are indebted to Irish Life for their continued sponsorship of the program. thank Wicklow County Council Sports & Recreation Partnership, Wicklow County Partnership, Mental Health Ireland, Merchants Quay, HSE Resource Officers for Suicide Prevention, Pieta House, Deaf Sport Ireland and the Irish Deaf Society and any other organisation who assisted our clubs.

“We hope that every club in Wicklow will eventually follow in the footsteps of our 11 accredited Healthy Clubs.

Expressions of Interest for the Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs programme will open in late November 2023, where all interested GAA, LGFA and Camogie Clubs will be invited to apply.

For more information regarding the Healthy Club Project please visit https://www.gaa.ie/my-gaa/community-and-health/,” he added.

“Congratulations to the clubs and their members who are receiving their Healthy Club recognition,” said an Uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, Larry McCarthy.

“The GAA is synonymous with games, but we are about so much more than that, serving the people in the communities where our clubs operate.

“The Irish Life GAA Healthy Club Project recognises standards of excellence in the enormous breadth of work undertaken by our clubs off the field in diverse areas from healthy eating and exercise, social and recreational games, to inclusion initiatives, mental health well-being and awareness programmes around alcohol, substance abuse and suicide, to name only a few.

“This work, on top of the games we promote, embeds our clubs in communities.

“We take this leadership role and responsibility very seriously and our Community and Health team at Croke Park are increasing the number of clubs achieving official Healthy Club recognition every year. Comhghairdeas libh agus thar ceann CLG, míle buíochas.”

Declan Bolger, CEO, Irish Life said:

“Congratulations to all of the clubs being awarded their official Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs recognition.

“Irish Life is proud to partner with the programme since 2015 and we commend the efforts and work of the Healthy Clubs officers and volunteers throughout the country.

“The clubs participating are encouraging a healthier Ireland, bringing communities together to increase physical, social, and emotional health. This is particularly evident during Ireland Lights Up and the Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs Steps Challenge, these initiatives are measurably increasing health and sense of connection and inclusion in communities nationwide.”

Wicklow GAA Health & Wellbeing Committee also collected the County Health and Wellbeing Committee of the year for 2022.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our clubs on their achievements and also to pay a particular tribute to our own County Health & Wellbeing Committee for their unwavering support and collaboration throughout the last two years of the program,” said Wicklow GAA Health & Wellbeing Committee, Chairperson David Murray who was collecting the award on behalf of the Garden County committee.

This is Wicklow Newsletter

Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wicklow newsletter direct to your inbox.

This field is required

Sign Up

Please check your inbox to verify your details

“Our committee for the last two years was made up of Lisa Jackson (Blessington, Vice Chair), Frances Stephenson (Bray Emmets, secretary), Clare Dornan (Bray Emmets), Shauna Kelly (Youth Officer), Ellen Doyle (Youth Officer) Rita Brady (An Tóchar), Culm Carthy (P.R.O. Baltinglass and County PR Committee), Sandra O’Shaughnessy (Avondale), Nathan Clements (P.R.O. Shillelagh-Coolboy) , Bryan Kearney (Kiltegan, Youth Officer), Mailyn Bass (Smoking Cessation and Healthy Food Officer, Wicklow County Partnership), Clara Jenkinson (Wicklow Sports & Recreation Partnership, Diversity & Inclusion).

“I also want to thank our own county board for the support that they provide to us.

“We were appointed to this role and see it as an opportunity to assist our clubs on their Healthy Club journey.”