Ballinderreen lead the way in healthy GAA club project

Talking Sport with Stephen Glennon

WITH many parishes and communities struggling in rural Ireland, many people look to their local sports club, particularly the GAA club, as a beacon of hope. Sometimes you’d wonder though, could GAA clubs do more?

Take a drive through the majority of rural villages and towns in the West of Ireland – not all, mind you – after 6pm on a weekday evening and, aside from perhaps whatever activity is going on in the local pitches, there is often little else happening.

Ballinderreen is a case in point. Under a ‘Pride of Place’ study, the effects of the loss of the village post office, shop and pub, along with the emigration of their indigenous youth, were two trends they identified as having a combined detrimental impact on their community.

On a more positive note, the study also identified that, since 2000, three new housing estates have been built in the village, resulting in an increase in numbers going to the local schools and the growth and strengthening of the 13 local sporting and social groups.

No doubt, the landscape of Ballinderreen has changed and, once recognised as a predominantly farming community, today, the population mix also includes commuters to Galway who have settled locally and non-nationals, among others. It’s a diverse cross section.

To this end, Ballinderreen GAA has embraced a new challenge and at their La na gClubanna this Sunday, they will officially launch their participation in the GAA’s Healthy Club project. In all, 60 clubs nationwide have been selected to take part, with Ballinderreen the only one in Galway to be chosen.

“We are the only Galway club to have been selected and we are proud of that fact,” begins Mary Maloney, who is heading up the Ballinderreen project. “Phase 1 was last year and 16 clubs did it. This year, they rolled it out and they opened it up to 60 clubs, including the first 16 which took part.

“Ballinderreen applied and, I suppose, the GAA saw this would help the club and the community. We had two topics to pick from six choices – physical activity, diet and nutrition, mental fitness, gambling and drug addiction, education & training development, and community development.”

At the time, the club was working on its new coaching and player development plan so that was an obvious pick. “The other we chose was community development because we are a very small but vibrant community in Ballinderreen,” continues Maloney.

“We just think the holistic approach to health and wellbeing should involve everyone, from the people who play to the people who don’t play. So, to open the club up and be all inclusive. Get everyone involved and everyone excited.”

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.