Clare hurlers back County Library health initiative

Clare senior hurler and youth wellness ambassador, Podge Collins, and captain, Patrick O’Connor, have pledged their support for Clare County Library’s Healthy Ireland at Your Library programme.

Speaking at the launch in the de Valera Library, Podge said, “I am delighted to be associated with this library initiative, it’s a brilliant resource for the county. I hope that young people will call into their local library or log on to the website www.clarelibrary.ie to check out what’s on offer.”

Caroline Aherne, executive librarian, explained, “Healthy Ireland is the national strategy to improve health and wellbeing, placing a focus on prevention, individual awareness and keeping people healthy for longer. Public libraries, including Clare County Library, are currently delivering the nationwide ‘Healthy Ireland at Your Library’ programme that will establish libraries as a valuable source within the community for health information.”

Through funding granted by Healthy Ireland, Clare County Library has enhanced its health and wellbeing book collections (digital and hardcopy), and provided for staff training, events and promotion.

Events in Clare County Library branches to date include workshops on mindfulness and meditation and a Wellness for Life workshop. Other events which will take place around the county in the coming weeks will include nutrition advice workshops, talks on the benefits of walking, herbalism and stress reduction, yoga sessions and a visit from the Irish Heart Foundation mobile unit.