A Donegal GAA club has banned smoking at their grounds – and have become only the second club in the entire country to adopt the policy.
St Mary’s GAA club, based in Convoy banned smoking at their grounds as GAA chiefs announced plans to make every GAA ground in Ireland ‘smoke-free’ over the next decade.
Executive members on St Mary’s board voted to ban smoking and took inspiration from Wexford club St John’s Volunteers.
St Mary’s Children officer, Lerona Barron expressed her delight that her club took the decision to ban smoking and said it set a great example to other clubs.
She told The Irish Independent, “I just didn’t think it was fair that I could be watching a game and someone could light up a cigarette beside me and send smoke over the dug-outs,” she said.
“We want to encourage a healthy lifestyle and this is one way of doing that.
“It’s not about being anti-smoker either.
“Smokers will have to go outside the gate and I’m hoping it will discourage others, especially our younger members, from taking up the habit and perhaps help some to give up smoking altogether.”
