Clashmore and Kinsalebeg Community Council
Environment Report for 2021
Clashmore and Kinsalebeg are a sustainable energy community (SEC). This means that we have an energy master plan which sets out a roadmap to our becoming a low carbon, sustainable and resilient community.
When our plan was drawn up we consumed €2.9 million of energy every year in our community. We can safely say that that cost must be much higher today. 53% is for domestic and residential purposes. 33% is used in transport.
Last year we held an Open House event where several householders in the community welcomed visitors to see what they had done to conserve or change their energy source e.g. solar panels, heat pumps, wood pellet boilers and electric car chargers. When the new grants are available we plan to have an information event to bring the community up to date on what is available now.
Another major area of energy use is transport. We are trying to assess if there are any opportunities for car sharing. There is a form on our facebook page which you can fill in if this idea might be of interest to you. We have also applied for a car charging point for electric cars at the GAA hall.
We have identified a site for a solar farm. We have also worked with the SEAI and the 3 Counties Energy Agency to develop our application. We have attended meetings and training sessions and done lots of paperwork to advance our application. We are willing to talk to other members of the community if they believe they have a suitable site they would like to also offer as a solar farm site. We believe the more energy we can generate in our community the more sustainable and resilient we will become.
As biodiversity is also a vital part of the environment we are very happy to have been able to obtain funding from The Community Foundation for Ireland for a biodiversity plan for our community. This funding enables us to employ an ecologist to work with us to draw up a biodiversity plan. This work is in progress at the moment.
Anybody wishing to learn more or have a chat about any of the items mentioned in this report can contact Richard on 087 6243406 or Ithel on 086 8218078
GYM Report
Report for 2021
1. Closed for over 8 months due to Covid restrictions
2. Maintenance and cleaning work carried out as required
3. GAA continued to support, encourage and promote the GYM
4. Continued to be an important facility within the community
Plans for 2022.
1. Offer free renewed membership until December 2022
2. Membership fees for new member will remain at €70.00
3. Gym will be closed for 2 hours per week for Club Cleaning/Sanitising
4. Aim to run classes each week – Young people, 50+ and evening classes.
5. Maintain membership levels and encourage new users
6. Reapply for grants to purchase more equipment for classes
7. Continue to encourage health and fitness within the community
8. Encourage member interaction and support teams
Gym Committee Jazz Fitzgerald, Paula Kelly, Helen Collins, Kelly Fitzgerald, Ita Keevers.