Community

Hundreds of young people have benefited from programmes run by Hair Together, which provides programmes mixing wellbeing activities with hairstyling and barbering, to support young people in Ballymun and surrounding areas. It was founded by Eileen McHugh and she spoke about her own journey through adversity and that of Hair Together at the In Our Words conference in Athlone, which showcased the impact of grassroots community work through the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP).

Natalia Krasnenkova was among those who were front and centre during the recent official visit by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to Ireland. She and Olya Marintseva, as active members of the Ukrainian community in Kerry and as community workers there, were invited to meet the president. Here she provides a first-hand account of that meeting:

“It’s now been 20 years and the family are still looking for answers,” says Gemma Dunleavy, using her platform to highlight Terence Wheelock’s case in spoken voice performances.

• People who come to Ireland seeking refuge and who find themselves in Tralee, Co. Kerry, are getting a kickstart as barista trainees serving ethically-produced coffee from a converted horsebox. Located on Boherbee Road, near Austin Stack GAA Stadium, the Coffee Pod is one of the most impactful social enterprises in the country.

More than three and a half years after the Russian invasion saw millions of Ukrainians displaced, efforts in the north west of Ireland to integrate them into the local economy and society continue. Among the displaced is Anna Koka, who came to Ireland in April, 2022. At home she worked in banking, but she is now the Ukrainian Employment Links Worker with Sligo LEADER Partnership.

Father Michael Mernagh laughs gently when he recalls being taken into custody well over 30 years ago: “We were arrested out in Firhouse, for supporting a Traveller family. We went out to support the family, a number of priests and nuns, and we were arrested by the Gardai,” he remembers. It must have been a bizarre scene, as the Gardai came to take away the religious folk, who were looking to shelter a family who were being moved on.

Throughout 2025, a project called Úlla, Dúlra agus Pobal - meaning ‘Apples, Nature and Community’ unfolded in Cloughjordan ecovillage in Co. Tipperary. The project was supported by the Irish Environmental Network and five events were held, online* and in person, to look at how heritage apples connect with history, with local communities, with local food businesses, and with the arts. The project finale was an festival called Féile na nÚll which took place on September 20th in Cloughjordan ecovillage. Here, Oliver Moore, one of the organisers, explains about projects happening involving community apple orchards elsewhere - in Monaghan town, County Clare, Limerick city and Ballymun. 

Galway City Partnership’s new rooftop garden received €15,000 through the Community Climate Action Fund, but it is possible to set up a small rooftop garden on a small budget. Changing Ireland visited on a windswept Friday and was greeted by enthusiastic staff eager to show us their produce. (Thanks for the onion!)