Kilkenny's own Teddy Bears Picnic!

KILKENNY had its own Teddy Bears Picnic on Thursday.

There was no need to go down to the woods for the teddy bears were guests of Mayor Malcolm Noonan at City Hall.

The bears are being brought on a tour around Ireland to highlight the need to converve energy, to promote recycling and to remind people of the dangers of global warming.

The message to children from the Gaelscoil who welcomed the bears to Kilkenny, was that if global warming is not turned around then the polar bear population will be extinct.

The children were told that the problems that led to global warming were created by adults and it was now up to the young people to help to save the environment.

Mayor Malcolm Noonan, Councillor Seán Ó hArgáin and other staff and students from Kilkenny's Gaelscoil with the two polar bears

He said this message could be brought home to parents by children turning off their television sets and playstations at night to conserve energy.

Fifth class at Gaelscoil was selected to meet the bears as they were voted the best recycling class at the school for the month of January.

The students were accompanied by their teacher Muinteoir Méabh Connolly. Also present were  Gaelscoil Green School co-ordinators Maighread ní Churraín and Maria ní Dhugáin.

Mayor Noonan praised the young people for their wonderful efforts to promote a healthy and safe environment and he urged them to keep up the good work and hopefully parents would follow the good example of all young people.