Launch of Reusable Drinks Bottle programme

Several of our young players, accompanied by their coaches and parents, represented the club on Thursday evening in TEG Cusack Park for the launch of the Mullingar Tidy Town’s Reusable Drinks Bottle programme, a wonderful initiative designed to reduce the amount of plastic disposed annually by the young players of the local GAA clubs, StLomans Gaa, Shandonagh GAA Club, Cullion Hurling, Cullion Camogie Club, St Oliver Plunketts Mullingar and of course ourselves.

Molly O’Farrell, a native of Chicago but now a member of the Shandonagh GAA Club, was the one who inspired the scheme. Molly calculated that if only half of the young members of her club brought single use bottles to a combined 40 training sessions and matches annually, it had the potential to add over 6,000 plastic dinks bottles to landfill each year. The five clubs involved in the scheme with their 2,300 young members participating in 40 training and match situations had the potential to add over 92,000 single use plastic bottles to landfill annually. Molly's plan was to give each young player a reusable drinks bottle.

Molly approached the Mullingar Tidy Towns who loved the idea and they in turn approached the Environment Westmeath County CouncilWestmeath County where John Jackson became an enthusiastic supporter of the scheme. As a result, Westmeath County Council funded the project and 2,350 boys and girls in the five clubs will receive free of charge a Reusable Drinks Bottle.

Bill Collentine, Chairperson of Mullingar Tidy Towns officially launched the scheme supported by his lieutenants John Bawle and Rosie Monaghan. Frank Mescall, Chairperson of Westmeath County GAA Committee, John Jackson and the most important person of all, Molly O’Farrell briefly addressed the gathering.

Congratulations to all involved in what is a wonderful initiative and one in which Mullingar Shamrocks, as a member of the GAA’s Green Club initiative, is proud to support.