Throw away your Christmas tree

The Irish Christmas Tree Throwing Championship at Active Ennis Tim Smyth Park (Fairgreen) this Sunday is expected to attract a big entry.

Running from 10am to 4pm, all proceeds raised by the fourth annual event will go towards ISPCC Childline.

The championship will see competitors trying to achieve the longest distance for throwing a standard 1.5 metre tree.

John O’Dea, from Limerick, and Gary O’Growney, from Dublin, share the Irish record, having both thrown their trees a distance of 10.2 metres, which is just under two metres short of the world record currently held by Klaus Pubnaz,who hurled a tree a distance of 12 metres at an event in Germany four years ago.

Organised by Clare County Council in conjunction with Active Ennis Sports and Leisure Facilities, the event will also see the public’s used Christmas trees being sent forward for recycling.