ROTHAR EILE UPDATE

Intrepid transition year students from Malahide Community School perform a bicycle safety check and service ahead of the annual Transition Year Cycling Trip to Killarney on Thursday 24th May.  
Under the guidance of teacher Rowan Averill, this enterprising group undertook this work as part of The Green Village’s Rothar Eile initiative.  Many of these students are keen to be involved in the next stage of Rothar Eile which involves the opening of their bicycle repair and recycling shop beside the Greener Home Store on Church Road. 
Details will be announced shortly on the Green Village website and Facebook page.

The Green Village is delighted to announce its latest initiative ROTHAR EILE, in conjunction with transition year students and co-ordinators from Malahide Community School.

The Rothar Eile team will initially provide service and repairs to bicycles being used by transition year students heading off to Killarney on 24th May this year for the ever popular ‘Transition Year Cycling Trip’ at a nominal cost.

Under the guidance of trained bicycle mechanics, transition year students will develop skills, have fun, and leave for their trip with safe roadworthy bikes.  

Anne Bedos, award winning Social Entrepreneur and founder of the original Rothar project launched in Phibsboro in May 2008 spoke to students and co-ordinators at the school on Friday 27th April.  

Anne chatted about her experience developing the Rothar project where she put out a call for bicycles that had seen better days, and was overwhelmed with the response and number of bikes that appeared at her door.

Employment was created for bicycle mechanics who gave these bikes a new lease of life and Anne believes that in the process a more ‘ecofriendly mentality against the ‘throwaywayism’ that prevails in Ireland today’ was created.   With social inclusion and interaction high on her priority list, Anne has recently opened her second bicycle re-cycling premises together with a coffee shop in Fade Street in the heart of Temple Bar.

The Green Village wishes to thank Anne Bedos and Malahide Community School for their enthusiasm for the project and for providing initial storage facilities for the bicycles, in addition to the budding mechanics! 

Phase two of Rothar Eile will begin in June when the team (and their bikes!) move into premises beside The Greener Home Store at the side of St. Sylvester’s GAA Club on Church Road.  Paul Harding, of the Greener Home Store, has kindly donated the use of the building to Rothar Eile as a storage and workshop facility.  Paul will be on hand to provide general retail training and advice to the young people working on the project. 

We will shortly be calling for bikes to be retrieved from garden sheds, regardless of condition, so they can be given a new lease of life.  Please watch our website and Facebook page for more information.