Eibhlin’s Diary: From Limerick to Kildare

October 6: Limerick

At the beginning of October I was in Limerick at our event in the wonderful peoples museum of Limerick, where I met:

• Aisling Kett, a recent winner at our Full Circle Awards, shared her volunteer work with Soil Savers and Cork Zero Waste. She was, as ever, very engaging and explained how her team reach out to get people attending their great events. 
  

• Anne Dunne, of Urban Co-op Limerick, spoke of the need to support local food systems. Considering how important it is to have a sustainable food system in a country like Ireland, Anne explained how the food refilling system that their co-op offers the community can reduce packaging waste. 

October 8: Galway

 I was off to Galway a couple of days later, the Druid’s Theatre to connect with the incredible community groups in the West of Ireland. 

• We got to hear from Franca, from the Cloth Nappy Library, who highlighted the amazing network of 25 volunteers supporting her organisation. Interestingly, Franca discussed how they actively manage a library of more than 100 Cloth Nappy Loan Kits, which are spread out all over Ireland. They also monitor and support thousands of cloth nappy parents

throughout Ireland on their Facebook and WhatsApp support service, as well as through online workshops. Franca said the response to this has been great, but funding for her initiative is needed. 

• Michelle, from Michelle Made This, talked to us about running online workshops, and upcycling materials to then sell on. She spoke about the joy she finds in giving items a second life and in teaching others how to do the same, inspiring people to discover their own creativity and the satisfaction of making something meaningful from what might otherwise go to waste
  

• Galway also has its first year-round indoor market, called The Green Market, run by Lochlan Scott. Lochlan puts a huge focus on sustainability, echoing what Anne had told us a few days before. Lochlan explained to us how many of his vendors operate in a circular way, which they build on through their own workshops, and even swapshops. 

October 22: Laois

Next, I had the pleasure of introducing Circular.ie to Ireland's Environmental Awareness Officers (EAOs)  at their national EAO Day in Co. Laois. The response was fantastic. It was a brilliant opportunity to connect directly with the people driving awareness at county level and to discuss how we can work together to amplify circular initiatives nationwide. EAOs work within local authorities to promote good environmental practices. They act as go-betweens between councils and community groups like schools, Tidy Towns organisations or other businesses. 

October 24: Mayo

Another stop last month was the Circular Economy Conference hosted by the South West and North East Mayo LDCs. This event was packed with inspiring projects and practical ideas. 

• I met with Maureen from Make Your Wardrobe Work, who is doing wonderful things in the world of circular fashion encouraging people to rethink their relationship with clothing through repair, restyling and mindful consumption. 

• Along with Claire Downey, CEO of Circular.ie, we met with Minister Alan Dillon, who spoke passionately about the importance of promoting circular activities and fostering collaboration between community groups. His remarks really underlined how vital local action is in making the circular economy a reality.

October 31: Kildare

And finally, my last stop was our final, in-person What is Circular? event of the year, held in the beautiful Solas Bhríde Centre in Kildare Town (fittingly, in a very circular room!) 

Despite the stormy weather, the turnout was brilliant and the atmosphere was warm and engaging. Again, we had some fantastic speakers, including Taz Kellegher from The Useless Project, who shared insights on how social media storytelling can help community groups grow their reach and impact. Taz offered practical tips on creating engaging, authentic content and you’ll get a chance to hear even more from her during one of our upcoming webinars! 

We also heard from another Full Circle Awards winner, Jeffrey Roe of TOG Hackerspace, who spoke beautifully about repair, community and creativity using the humble toaster as an example of how fixing something can spark conversation, connection, and learning between generations. His reflections on the social side of repair really brought home how circularity is as much about people as it is about materials.

It’s been a busy but inspiring few weeks on the road meeting so many passionate people reminds me just how much creativity and commitment there is across Ireland’s circular community. I’m looking forward to building on these connections and sharing even more stories in the months ahead.

Hope to see you all soon. 

Eibhlin