Sustainable travel in the Gaa

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Sustainable travel in the Gaa

Sustainable travel is not a term you would associate with the Gaa. But if you look at what it means then you quickly realize that it is indeed a very relevant term for the Gaa.

Sustainable travel is a government supported policy of encouraging modes of transport which are less harmful to the environment whilst at the same time giving benefits to the user depending on the mode of transport chosen.

Sustainable travel is also a movement to try and reduce trips by car and encourage cycling, walking, public transport, car sharing, car pooling and Eco vehicles such as bio ethanol and electric.

So now that we know what it is how does it relate to the Gaa? Well every week virtually between ~March to November there are games being played at venues across the county. There is no thought as to the environmental effect to staging these games at a one particular location or another. But generally games early in in the season in the League for instance are played home and away. This format is not bad from a sustainable travel viewpoint as at least one team and set of supporters do not have to travel.

But later on in the year in the Championship all games are played at neutral venues requiring both sets of teams and supporters to travel.

Historically matches played within reach of both teams at a neutral venue halfway between each team. Usually within cycling distance. Or match played at one or the other of ye teams home grounds.

So it can be seen that there is an environmental cost to how we create fixtures. This can be calculated in an amount of CO2 generated. If we look at the difference or saving between fixing a game at one location or another it will become clear that fixtures have major implications for the environment or conversely they can be fixed In a way that is helpful to the environment by looking at the options available for that fixture then choosing the most sustainable option.

A basic calculator such as an app or spreadsheet could be made available to illustrate with distances and projected attendances the difference between fixing matches in one location or another in terms of co2 emissions.

Also the club could generate some
Interesting ideas to promote sustainable travel. For instance must everyone drive to training? Would it not be much healthier and more sustainable if they were to Cycle, walk or car pool to training. Also on match days busses could be another sustainable option for traveling.

oxymoronist

Surely travel, by its nature, is not sustainable? Whether it be the GAA travelling, or the ESB.

Red Neck Hughie

I'll possibly get banned for this but sure what the hell, I can live w/o boards for a week or two... Substitute 'money' for CO2 and 'saving money' for sustainable and you'll find that my auld buck at home had all this figured out 40 years ago, as did many others. Waaay before excel. yes he even saw the issue with far flung neutral grounds, money to someone else's club - and extra miles maybe. As for car pooling... an idea as old as cars themselves - just doesn't always suit. Buses? Either you are drinking or waiting on the lads who are drinking, there's your ethanol...
As for travel not being sustainable? FFS loike will you read even the most basic description of what 'sustainable' means, it doesn't mean 'do nothing -ever'.

Stinicker

I agree with this, I'm from Kerry and an avid GAA supporter, last year I clocked up at least 2,000 miles easily travelling to games both local and county. Due to the rip off that Irish Rail are I was forced to drive the 450mile round trip from Kerry to Dublin because it was not economical to pay €75 a ticket when I can fill the car with petrol and pay the tolls for around €90 and carry three more friends and family in relative comfort also.

The Motorway's have helped alot but I'd still rather take the train for comfort and less stress, but until the Government reduce train fares to a reasnoble level then the car will remain king. My car does around 34mpg and is not overly efficient but it still beats the train in cost when you have a few travelling as you inevitably will to these big games.

I've being making tracks to Croke Park since I was a young lad and 2011 was the first year I never used public transport and also it was the first year that you could actually buy a ticket for the train to Dublin on the morning of the all-Ireland as I can remember before the days of online booking queueing at 7am at Killarney to buy train tickets for the excursion trains which were around €30-€40 and there was huge demand for train travel and it was cheap. I remember for the 2004 AI Final it was harder to get train tickets to Dublin than tickets to the All-Ireland itself.

Croke Park have a Cul Green policy in place and they make no shape to get the trains onboard either. Last weekend Kerry and Dublin played again of which there was 40k people at it, CIE did not run a late train down to Kerry to accomadate supporters and anyone who went had to drive as the last train to Kerry left at about the same time the game ended.

CIE is not run as a transport company but rather a career dumping ground for the failed relations of FF cronies, look at the mess they made of the WRC when it could be something much better.

Sustainability can not happen until there is a major shakeup in how these things are run and whilst the public transport companies exist as social employment schemes with jobs for life this cannot happen.