‘WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF INCREASING CENTRALISATION’
Rural Ireland is my home, where I’m tied to. It is a beauty, an endless source of inspiration through its cultural and natural intricacies. It is calming, free of the busyness that sometimes gets overbearing in urban life.
What it offers ever less of, however, is meaningful society: the relationships that we enjoy with one another – the conversations, chance run-ins, salutes, glances. Outside of small towns and villages, these no longer form part of daily life.
It has been many decades since the Irish countryside has had a full society, with people of all ages and abilities content to live, work and socialise here for the majority of their lives. Young people leave to gain a third-level education and stay away because of their vocations and the friends they make elsewhere, almost always in cities or large towns.
Walking along a rural road, ruined farmhouses of a bygone era are everywhere, of course. But in the modern houses, too, there are empty bedrooms and seats.During the day no one is home; they “work in town”. Some enjoy this quiet, and even seek it out. But for the young who might carry forward a rural community, this is no place to settle down.
The healthy tradition of dispersed rural settlement we have in Ireland is not so common in the rest of Europe, where towns have long sucked in most country-dwellers. It is not dead yet, but the trend is not encouraging. We live in a world of increasing centralisation of people, money and power. This is difficult to resist, let alone reverse.
Ultimately, the fate of rural Ireland will be decided by those who still feel a connection with it, people – like myself – who grew up here, who live here, who visit or who want to return. If any change is going to be effected, it will be driven by the genuine attachment and concern that our experiences of rural Ireland have given us.
Eugene Costello
‘WE PAY FOR MORE THAN WE GET’
I live in Ogonnelloe, between Killaloe and Scariff. It’s a beautiful place, but it has its challenges. Despite the household charge, Clare County Council does not maintain our local roads. Potholes are a fact of life, and hedges and ditches are overgrown. In the winter I cannot get to work sometimes, because the small road I live on is not gritted on frosty nights.
On my road, broadband coverage is poor and there are no water, sewage, gas or bus services. An elderly neighbour has to walk more than a mile to collect her post because the road is so poor. I don't expect the same level of services as in Dublin, but we need more than we have; with the household charge, we're paying for more than w're getting.
Robert Strunz
'RURAL LIFE IS NOT A POSSIBILITY FOR AMBITIOUS YOUNG PEOPLE'
I live on the edge of Baltimore village, in west Cork. I love everything about Baltimore, from the quiet walks, with each flowering of montbretia more vibrant than the next, to the bustling square and, most of all, afternoons spent out in the harbour.
The one negative is the lack of employment. A large influx of summer visitors provides locals with work in pubs, restaurants, sailing schools. But once back-to-school preparations begin, and the visitors head home, the seasonal work begins to dry up.
I'm a recent graduate with sights set on a career in law. Baltimore is too far from the legal hub of Dublin for me to continue living here for much longer. I am looking forward to a new stage of life in the capital, but it saddens me that my departure will add another to the rising number of young people leaving rural areas. On a winter's day in Baltimore you will see few people aged 20-30. We have all left, either by choice or necessity. Rural life for most ambitious young people in Ireland today is not a possibility because of lack of opportunity.
Aisling Ryan
‘I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY ATMOSPHERE’
Twenty seven years ago I moved with my Irish husband from Australia to Rossinver, a village in north Leitrim. To me it is the most wonderful place in the world, with surroundings to match. I know everyone in this valley, and if I ever want help I can call on any of the houses. I love this community atmosphere.
With no full-time Garda presence in Kinlough or Kiltyclogher, the only station in north Leitrim is in Manorhamilton, 25 minutes away. The post office and the one local shop have closed. If you don’t have a car you have to rely on neighbours or catch the Friday bus to Manorhamilton. Rural Lift will take you to hospital appointments if you book them. Emigration of our young people affects the number of children attending school, which is under threat of closure.
Our family cannot view RTÉ unless we have Sky and cannot listen to FM radio unless we have a mast. Our internet coverage is intermittent, and Skype calls to my family in Australia are regularly interrupted.
It is frustrating having to fight for the basic services, but in the end it is the people around you that count. A clean natural environment comes a good second. But if conditions become much worse this beautiful place will fade away from lack of interest.
Annie McGuinness
'PEOPLE WHO LIVE LESS THAN A MILE APART HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW EACH OTHER'
The closure of Rathdangan's shop and post office in the summer of 2007 brought near-silence to the crossroads in this southwest Co Wicklow village, but in May 2014
the Village Pantry, a volunteer-run tea room and shopping service, opened in the local community hall. It has been decorated to provide a homely atmosphere, and the cheerful volunteers complement this with a warm welcome to all.
People who have lived for years less than a mile apart have got to know each other. The social connections made and renewed are strengthening the sense of community in Rathdangan. This is just one action within a five-year community-development plan completed earlier in 2014. The Village Pantry opens from 9.30am to 12.30pm every day. Find us on Facebook.
Helen Lawless
‘YOU SHOULD NOT GET SICK IN RURAL IRELAND
’North Kerry has been predicted to become a remote area of Ireland, along with other communities on the western seaboard. We see the common problems of lack of infrastructure but also the withdrawal of basic services to so-called centres of excellence.
Our dental services have been removed to Tralee, the orthodontic services to Cork. We have good GP services, but we are seeing a lot of referrals to Cork. My family’s health problems mean I could be on the road to Cork four times a month: 137km each way. I have arrived to find the appointment has been cancelled without notice.
You should not get sick in rural Ireland.
Kate Carmody
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