LURGAN is a GAA stronghold where four bustling football clubs (Clann Eireann Clan na Gael, St Peter’s and St Paul’s) and Sean Treacy’s Hurling Club all play a huge role in the community.
But their influence in the county Armagh town has never been more valuable than at the present time even though a ball hasn’t been kicked or struck since March.
Throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, Lurgan’s five GAA units have been at the forefront of a mighty impressive, cross-community response to assist the elderly and vulnerable and the mobilisation of the entire town has its roots in Clann Eireann’s Health and Wellbeing group which was started almost five years ago in response to suicides in the area.
“We have grown from strength-to-strength ever since,” says Carol McCafferty.
“We work in line with the Croke Park code and we respond to different local crises that have unfolded. We’ve always responded and adapted programmes accordingly.
“So whenever all the GAA activities stopped and people started self-isolating the week before St Patrick’s Day we were thinking: ‘Right, what can we do to help the community?’”
The Clann Eireann response began by dropping off emergency well-being packs - a 24-hour survival kit with basic groceries and flyers for support and healthcare services - to elderly or isolated members and supporters. But it didn’t stop there.
Clann Eireann and South Shore Health and Well-Being project hosted a public meeting and the other clubs came on board. In total representatives from 12 local organisations attended as well as principals from local schools and business owners.
“It was clear that anybody who had a role in the community wanted to see how we could come together and help. They all had the same aims, they all wanted to help,” Carol explains.
“We came up with a plan to roll out what we had done in north Lurgan to all the other areas in terms of the emergency well-being packs, leaflet drops and weekly hampers. Then we set up a Crowd Funder page collectively.”
Working alongside the other clubs in the town, Clann Eireann completed a flyer drop around Lurgan that included information on local and national support services and a town that gets its fair share of bad press has come together quickly.
Lurgan Rugby and Cricket Club, the Brownies, Catholic Guides of Ireland and Lurgan Swimming Club were also quick to offer their services and, as Carol says: “It just grew legs and it’s a whole community effort.
“It has all been so positive, everybody is pulling in the same direction. There is a WhatsApp group and no matter what request goes in, or what problem comes up, we sort it out.”
Food parcels, dog-walking, subscription-collection… You name it, they will help with it and through working with the pastoral teams from the local schools, 150 families were identified for help and have been receiving food parcels throughout the lockdown.
Over the past fortnight a mental health initiative has been added and last week the focus was gardening therapy. Every elderly or vulnerable person was delivered a geranium with a poem ‘Day of Hope’ and instructions on how to grow the plant.
“It has been proven that if somebody who is isolated or lonely looks after a plant it helps their sense of well-being,” says Carol.
“It went down so well. The Clann Eireann mantra is ‘In the service of our community’ and I think every sports club has that at their core.
“The community is always giving to the club – giving them players and support, so now it’s the time for the clubs to give back to the community. It has widened from practical health to mental health and just trying to keep spirits up to get through this time.”
