Protest in Maynooth against Government inaction on Climate Change

Report and Pictures by Mary Ryan

Concerned young people and their parents gathered in Maynooth to protest against Government inaction on Climate Change today.

As part of a global day of strikes by young people to address insufficient government action to combat climate change, local primary and secondary school students gathered at Courthouse Square, Maynooth along with concerned parents and activists.

Amid calls to contact local TD’s and chants for climate action, the assembled group was addressed by various climate advocates and local children urging for greater individual and corporate action against climate change.

“Change is no longer and option: It is a necessity” one pupil told the crowd: “Our voices matter in this world, even if we feel they don’t. It only takes one moment of strength to start a revolution.”

Local businessman David Boyce attended the rally to support his young daughter Erin, who was inspired to protest after seeing 16 year old climate activist Greta Thunberg on social media;

“It just takes two or three people to start small little steps that will eventually become something big like this. Right across the world today there are little rallies like this, and it’s going to continue” he said.

They were joined by students from the nearby Maynooth University, after their Senate passed a motion mandating students to walk out of class at 11:45 a.m, where they marched to meet the local protestors.

Maynooth student Nicole Kirwan said the school children involved in the protest had become an “inspiration” to her:

“They have completely inspired so much in this movement, they are the driving force behind it” she said.

“We just need to be there to support them, and to join them, and just to have the people power and the feet in the streets to tell the government that this isn’t OK anymore.”

Mireia Guardino-Ferran, a representative from the University’s Green Campus Committee said that climate activism had hit a “crucial point” and that something needed to be done.

“It hit me really hard when I saw the small children coming up” she said; “It was just unbelievable; these kids shouldn’t be protesting for something we’ve done.”

Protests have been held in Courthouse Square every Friday for the last six weeks.

They were originally organised by climate activist Dr. Lorna Gold, and are set to continue into the near future.