From the Galway Claddagh to the Galway Coast
The historic Claddagh and Salthill Prom provided the backdrop as scores of students stepped it out for this year’s Walk for Water in Galway recently.
The event, organised by An Taisce Green-Schools in partnership with Uisce Éireann, was held to mark the upcoming Earth Day.
The Walk for Water brought together almost 80 primary school pupils from Scoil an Linbh Íosa and Scoil Iognáid in Galway City who all put their best foot forward and embarked on a 3km route from the Claddagh.
Both schools that attended the event are located close to this ancient well and can picture how hard this journey must have been.
“We’re lucky to have safe drinking water on tap today – it’s something we should never take for granted,” said Brian Melia, Asset Operations with Uisce Éireann, who delivered a fun and informative talk to the children.
“Pupils are learning where drinking water comes from, how it’s treated and piped, and how each of us can help protect this precious resource,” he added.
The pupils also learned about Uisce Éireann’s Think Before You Flush campaign, which encourages us all to be conscious of what we flush down our toilets to prevent harmful blockages developing in our wastewater networks.
One pupil said: “It’s easy to remember the 3 Ps! Pee, poo and paper go in the loo, nothing else. Wipes block pipes and can end up in the sea.”
Grattan Beach was the last stop before going back to the Claddagh. On the upper shore, there are bits of seaweed, shells and human-made debris.
Children enjoyed identifying the shells and seaweed, armed with some identifying swatches. Patiently, they collected the sea treasures and created art pieces that the high tide later re-arranged.
Green-Schools is an environmental management and education programme run by An Taisce, which empowers primary and secondary school students across Ireland to take action on environmental issues through a student-led, whole-school approach.
The water theme helps schools learn about water conservation and responsible water use through practical activities, audits and awareness campaigns.
“This was about connecting the past with the present, and people with nature,” said Sabrina Moore, Green-Schools Programme Coordinator with An Taisce.
“We were delighted to share the Claddagh’s heritage and to see these pupils learning how to care for our most precious resource: water,” she concluded.