Community spirit shines throughout Covid crisis

When Covid restrictions were announced twelve months ago, the meaning of community came into sharp focus as older and vulnerable people became confined to their homes.

For those living on their own, simple acts like collecting a prescription or getting a carton of milk became a challenge. But thanks to the volunteering spirit of countless community organisations, those challenges were overcome, and their help continues to make life a little easier for those hardest hit by life in lockdown.

GAA clubs are at the forefront of those efforts and in Craughwell, it was club members that stepped up to the mark for those in isolation since last March, as Chairman Kevin Quirke explains.

“We teamed up with Jody’s (Spar) and Enda in Craughwell Pharmacy. We offered a delivery service and we have 25 people involved.

“It worked really well. People would ring up and say what they needed. They’d give us their Eircode and we’d put it into our WhatsApp group to see who could do it.

“There were lots of deliveries in the early days and we offered that service right through the summer, until restrictions were lifted. We offered it again this time around and although it’s not as busy now, I think it showed people that their community was there to help,” says Kevin.

Also delivering meals to people, Kevin says his experience of doing the drop-offs showed him that it was often the chat people wanted as much as what they were getting delivered.

“We were doing shopping worth a fiver, maybe a newspaper and a carton of milk, and there were others getting €150-worth of shopping. But a lot of it was just keeping in touch with people and the community,” he says.

Read the full story as we look back over a year of Covid in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download our digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie