Meath Camogie raise funds for new pitch while supporting Electric Picnic sustainability efforts
PRO of Meath Camogie, Órla Crocock, pictured at this year's Electric Picnic festival. Picture: Breda Graham.
More than 120 volunteers can be seen collecting empty cans around the Electric Picnic site at Stradbally this weekend, as part of a collaborative initiative between Re-turn and Meath Camogie.
Volunteers supporting Meath Camogie have been collecting empty cans across campsites, the main arena and the late night arena in an effort to raise funds for their new grounds and support sustainability efforts at the festival.
Volunteers can be easily recognised on site through their hi-vis jackets with their slogan ‘your plastic is our pitch’ written across the back.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner on-site at the festival about how their efforts have been received, PRO of Meath Camogie, Órla Crocock, explained how the initiative with Re-turn came about and the success they’ve had with the campaign to date.
“The intermediate team were playing in an All-Ireland final and the girls didn’t have anywhere solid to train; they were between different pitches, and there was no structure to their training. It’s such a big game; they were going from pitch to pitch, so our main sponsor, Noel and Valerie Moran, had this brilliant idea. He sat down and he put the project to us, and we all went: “What? Are you mad?”
She explained that Noel Moran was aware of the opportunity it could present for Meath Camogie but that they trusted his instincts and “have not looked back since”.
Their third year now involved in the campaign at Electric Picnic, Crocock explained that €12,000 was raised in 2024, €35,000 was raised last year, and they aim to break their record and reach a target of €40,000 this year.
Crocock said that to date, more than €300,000 has been raised for Meath Camogie in total, and that land for new grounds had recently been secured.
Funds raised this year will go toward paying back the loan taken out for the purchase of the grounds site.
“The money funds that loan and the development. We are in the process of working with Meath County Council before we can turn the sod, and Meath GAA have been a huge support too,” Crocock said.
“We want to have somewhere definite for our county teams, and not just our intermediate team; our underage team is huge also, and we’re developing that at a huge rate. And then sustainability – if you look at what we have collected and what would have gone back into the landfill. The environment plays a huge factor in that [the campaign] as well.”
“And ladies' sport, we are passionate about ladies' sport and getting as equal as we can to the men, and we feel like we definitely are getting there,” she continued.
Crocock thanked the “loyal supporters and loyal pickers” involved in this year’s campaign at Electric Picnic, saying that none of it would have happened without them.
Mary B Dunphy, events and partnership manager with Re-turn, said she was “delighted” to be on site at Electric Picnic this year, alongside the rest of the team representing Re-turn – the sustainability partner of Electric Picnic this year.
Dunphy encouraged people to call over to the Re-turn hub located at the Jimi Hendrix campsite, close to the entrance of the main arena, where people can bring their cans and bottles back in exchange for festival experiences.
She also encouraged people to look out for the volunteer pickers from Meath Camogie who are working across the whole site, the more than 300 orange Re-turn bins, which are also located across the campsite and the four reverse vending machines in the main arena and late night arena.
As well as Meath Camogie, this year the Re-turn scheme is benefiting six national children’s charities, including Barnardos Ireland, Barretstown, Childline by ISPCC, Jack & Jill, LauraLynn Children’s Hospice, and Make-A-Wish Ireland through its orange Re-turn donation bins.
“You’re helping the environment, you're keeping the site clean and you’re helping to support good causes,” Dunphy said.
