Meas Grupa TimpeaIlachta Gort a' Choirce, Iar-Thuaisceart - Environment Group, North West Ireland

Cé h-iad MEAS

Glanadh Bealtaí Ghort a' Choirce 2008
Is grúpa pobail iad MEAS ó Chloich Cheann Fhaola a bhíonn ag iarraidh aird a tharraingt ar chúrsaí dramhaíola, bruscair, athchúrsála agus athúsáide táirgí tré an phobal i gcoitinne a mhealladh le bheith páirteach i ngníomhaíochtaí leis an fhadhb ollmhór seo a réiteach. Thosaigh an grúpa ag castáil ar a chéile i mí Feabhra 2002 i dTeach Mhaggie Dan i nGort a' Choirce. Is as Cloich Cheann Fhaola an mhór-chuid de bhaill MEAS agus duine nó beirt eile as an chomharsanacht. Ó chruinniú go cruinniú bíonn athrú ar mhéid an ghrúpa, corruair ní bhíonn ann ach ceithre dhuine agus ar uaireanta eile bheadh suas le dosaen daoine i láthair. Tá cothromaíocht idir fhir agus mhná sa ghrúpa agus tá réimse réasúnta aois-ghrúpaí ann chomh maith. Sa dóigh seo bheir achan duine sa ghrúpa eolas agus taithí ar leith leo chuig ár gcruinnithe agus bíonn seo iontach fiúntach le haghaidh na himeachtaí a chuireann MEAS ar siúl. Níl táille ballraíochta gearrtha ar dhuine ar bith ar mhaith leo a bheith páirteach sa ghrúpa. Muna dtig leat bheith i láthair ag ár gcruinnithe tabhair dúinn do sheoladh ríomhphoist agus seolfaidh muid eolas chugat ó am go ham.

 Aidhmeanna MEAS


Is grúpa scaoilte pobail iad MEAS atá ag iarraidh caighdeán ár dtimpeallacht agus ár gcomhshaol a fheabhsú tré réiteach ar na fadhbanna dramhaíola a aimsiú agus a chur i bhfeidhm muid féin. Seo príomhaidhm an ghrúpa ach tá mion-aidhmeanna againn chomh maith. Bheireann an grúpa deis do mhuintir an phobail comhoibriú le chéile, aithne shóisialta a chur ar a chéile, eolas níos fearr a fháil ar na fadhbanna a bhíonn an grúpa ag díreadh orthu agus foghlaim faoi na réitigh críonna atá á gcur i bhfeidhm i bpobail eile sa tír nó fiú amháin ar fud na cruinne. Tá sé intuigthe anois ar fud na cruinne nach bhfuil i gceist ach cúig treoir lenár bhfadhbanna dramhaíola a réiteach: 1) diúltú; 2) laghdú; 3) athúsáid; 4) athchóiriú; agus 5) athchúrsáil. Aithníonn MEAS go bhfuil comhairle mhaith sa chúig threoir seo agus tá muid ag déanamh iarracht iad a chuir i bhfeidhm le aidhmeanna an ghrúpa a bhaint amach.

 Gníomhaíochtaí MEAS


Tá MEAS ag castáil ar a chéile anois le 10 mbliain anuas. Bhí go leor imeachtaí ar siúl againn le linn an tréimhse ama sin. D'eagraigh an ghrúpa laethanta glantacháin bruscair go h-áitiúil i bparóiste Chríost Rí, Gort a' Choirce (de ghnáth i mí Aibreán achan bhliain) a thug deis do mhuintir na háite theacht amach agus páirt a ghlacadh i gcaomhnú agus i nglanadh ár gceantair féin. Eagraíonn an grúpa taispeántais múirín agus tá córas bailiúchán cadhnraí anois sa pharóiste ag oifig Pobail le Chéile i nGort a' Choirce (Clár Forbairt Pobail). Tá Eolaí Athchúrsála curtha le chéile againn a thaispeánann liosta de na heagraíochta athchúrsála áitiúla. Le cois na himeachtaí seo bheirtear cuireadh do dhaoine éagsúla theacht agus labhairt leis an grúpa. Go dtí seo tugadh cuireadh d'aoíchainteoirí ó Chomhairle Contae Dhún na nGall, ó Chumann Iascaireachta áitiúil agus ó Thithíocht Inmharthanach (sustainable housing) theacht agus labhairt faoi chúrsaí dramhaíola, athchúrsála agus fuinnimh in-athnuaite (renewable energy) sa chontae. Tá teagmháil déanta ag an grúpa le Teachtaí Dála na contae ag iarraidh orthu aird a thabhairt agus a tharraingt ar an easpa áiseanna agus séirbhísí - ní amháin ar leibhéal contae ach ar leibhéal náisiúnta chomh maith. Tá muid ag déanamh teagmháil agus ag comhoibriú le grúpaí eile a bhfuil na haidhmeanna céanna acu sa pháirt seo den chontae agus fosta ag forbairt tograí chun na modhanna maireachtála inmharthanach (sustainable living methods) gur féidir a bhaint amach a aimsiú.

 An Todhchaí 

Tá súil againn suirbhé beag a dhéanamh sa cheantar amach anseo faoi na fadhbanna athchúrsála a bhíonn ag an pobal i láthair na huaire agus bheadh muid buíoch as bhur gcomhoibriú. Dhéanfar an t-eolas seo a bhailiú agus a sheoladh chuig an Comhairle Contae le súil go mbeadh toradh dearfach leis.

 Céimeanna leis an Timpeallacht a Chaomhnú

  • Faigh mála siopadóireachta go dtig a athúsáid.
  • Caomhnaigh uisce.
  • Faigh réitigh de shean ola agus sean léachtaí go freagrach.
  • Athchúrsáil - éadach, bréagáin, troscán, earraí tí, bruscar.
  • Ná úsáid an charr ach d'aistir riachtanacha.
  • Laghdaigh 'bheith ceannacht earraí leis an iomarca pacáistiú orthu.
  • Ná caith bruscar agus ná glac le duine ar bith eile a chaitheann é.
  • Sábháil fuinneamh agus bí spárálach leis.
  • Ceannaigh treallamh leis na lipéidí tíosach ar fhuinneamh A + B.
  • Déan múirín as do chuid fuíoll bia.
Teagmháil le MEAS le tuilleadh eolais a fháil tré glaoch gutháin

Who are MEAS

Taispeántas Múiríniú Composting Demo 2008 eagraithe ag Meas
MEAS are a group from Cloch Cheann Fhaola (Cloughaneely) who want to draw attention to waste, rubbish, recycling and reuse issues by inviting their fellow community members to participate in activities to resolve this enormous problem. The group was formed in February 2002 when we commenced our meetings in Teach Mhaggie Dan in Gort a' Choirce. The majority of MEAS members reside in Cloch Cheann Fhaola while another few attend from other local areas. Attendance changes from meeting to meeting, sometimes there are four present and on other occasions there could be a dozen present. We have a good gender mix and there is a reasonable range of age groups as well. Therefore each individual enriches the group meetings with specific knowledge and skills that is extremely beneficial in organising MEAS events and activities. No membership subscription is requested from anyone who would like to participate in the group. If you cannot attend our meetings send us your email address and we will forward you information from time to time.

MEAS Objectives

MEAS are a loose community group that want to improve the quality of our environment and our shared living space by identifying the solutions to waste problems and putting them into effect ourselves. This is the primary objective of the group but we also have mini-objectives. The group gives members of the community an opportunity to co-operate with each other, socialise with each other, learn more about the problems the group is concentrating on and learn more about the wise solutions that are being applied by other communities nationally or even internationally. It is internationally recognised at this stage that there are only five directions required to solve our waste problems: 1) Refuse; 2) Reduce; 3) Reuse; 4) Repair; and 5) Recycle. MEAS recognises there is good advice in these five directions and we are attempting to apply them to achieve the objectives of the group.

 MEAS Activities

MEAS have been meeting each other for the past 10 years. During this time the group has undertaken many activities. The group organises local clean-up days in the parish of Críost Rí, Gort a' Choirce (usually during the month of April every year) and this gives members of the community the opportunity to participate in the conservation and clean-up of their own local areas. The group also organises composting demonstrations and there is now a battery collection/disposal point in the parish at the CDP (Community Development Programme) office of Pobail le Chéile in Gort a' Choirce. We have organised a Recycling Directory which shows a list of all the local recycling organisations/sites. In addition to these activities invitations are extended to various people to come and speak to the group. Up until now invitations have been given to speakers from Donegal County Council, local Fishing Club and Sustainable Housing to come and speak about county waste, recycling and renewable energy issues. The group has contacted county TDs requesting them to give attention to, and bring attention to the lack of facilities and services not only at a county level but at a national level as well. The group is making contact and co-operating with other groups that have similar objectives in this part of the county and developing projects to identify methods of sustainable living that can be achieved.

The Future 


We hope to conduct a small survey in the locality in the near future to investigate the problems that we the community are having with recycling at the current time and we would appreciate your co-operation. This information will be compiled and forwarded to Donegal County Council with the hope of positive results.

 Steps to Conserve the Environment

  • Get a re-usable shopping bag - fold it up and keep in your car/handbag/pocket.
  • Conserve water.
  • Dispose of used oils, paints and liquids responsibly.
  • Recycle - clothes, toys, furniture, household items, rubbish.
  • Only use the car for journeys that are necessary.
  • Reduce buying products that have a lot of packaging on them.
  • Do not litter and do not tolerate others who litter.
  • Save energy and use wisely.
  • Buy appliances with the energy efficient labels A + B.
  • Compost your waste food.


Contact MEAS for further information.