Major honour for Rosemount GAA Social Initiative at Age Friendly awards

A community initiative which began as a small pilot project in Rosemount in 2010, and has gone on to make a hugely positive contribution to the lives of local residents, was celebrated on the national stage this week when it won an 'Age Friendly Active and Healthy Ageing Award'.

The accolade for the Rosemount GAA Social Initiative was presented at the National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards in Dublin last night (Thursday).

The awards, curated by Age Friendly Ireland, are designed to celebrate "projects that exemplify best practices" and which are "impactful and can inspire similar efforts across the country".

This win is a major honour for the Rosemount GAA Social Initiative, as it came out on top from a large number of applications in its award category.

The award citation pointed out that the Rosemount GAA Social Initiative tackles social exclusion by facilitating the participation of older members of society through activities and events "specifically designed to enrich their lives and respect the important contribution they have made and can continue to make to community life".

As part of the awards process, three judges visited Rosemount GAA Club on September 23, where they received a presentation and were shown the memorabilia room where various information related to the initiative was on display.

The presentation to the judges stated that helping to get people involved in social activities "leads to better mental health and impacts on all service providers, but mainly the participants benefit and are much happier with their contact with others."

This year, the schedule of events organised by the Rosemount GAA Social Initiative has included computer classes, social get-togethers, exercise classes, the unveiling of a remembrance wall, a pitch and putt outing, a four-day trip to Northern Ireland, and an excursion to the Galway Races, among others.

Jimmy Keane of Rosemount GAA Social Initiative also pointed to other projects put in place in recent years such as the enclosed social initiative stand looking on to the club's pitch, which was made possible thanks to LEADER funding.

The MC for the awards on Thursday was broadcaster Marty Whelan, and the event was hosted by Fingal County Council at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry.

A letter of support for Rosemount GAA Social Initiative from TD Robert Troy said it could be hugely beneficial in combating loneliness and social isolation throughout the country if it was replicated by other clubs.

"Feedback from participants, both young and old, shows that this initiative has alleviated feelings of loneliness, built a stronger sense of belonging, and strengthened intergenerational ties," wrote Deputy Troy.

"I believe that if this model were to be adopted across all GAA clubs, the benefits could be transformative. With the GAA's unrivalled presence in nearly every town and village in Ireland, the potential to make a significant social impact is within our grasp."

Commenting on the awards, Ita Healy, Chair of the National Network of Older People’s Councils, said the nominees and winners represented the highest calibre of age friendly projects.

"A huge congratulations to the winners and all the shortlisted projects who were truly the gold standard of innovative ideas to improve the quality of life for older adults in Ireland," she said.

"I look forward to seeing how other groups replicate the projects in their own communities."