community development

Artists who immersed themselves in the South Kerry Gaeltacht to get to know aspiring home-owners, housing activists, community workers and staff in statutory agencies, have proposed novel actions to tackle housing scarcity.

Tiglin is a non-profit organisation with a Christian ethos that supports people to recover from addiction. It recently introduced a module on community development to its aftercare recovery programme and Eimear* from Bray, Co. Wicklow, has been through the programme. She spoke to Changing Ireland (using a pseudonym).

At first, they didn’t know why they were there. When I arrived at Tiglin’s Aftercare Programme in Greystones to deliver a module on Sustainable Community Development, I was met with blank stares and blunt honesty. Some participants, like Gerry, told me outright: “I don’t see how this is useful to me”. Others said they planned to return to trades and couldn’t see how learning about community development would fit into their lives. For a few, the idea of anything resembling formal education brought a visible wave of unease.

Hours before Storm Éowyn swept the country, Fianna Fail’s Dara Calleary was given responsibility for supporting communities. The Ballina native was appointed as Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht on January 23 by newly elected Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

Moyross is unusual in having a Marian Shrine dedicated to remembering local children who are deceased and on Monday close to a hundred people gathered at the shrine to light candles and remember each and every one of them. People wept as the names of at least 50 children and young people were read out.

Traveller culture awareness workshops in Co. Wexford are improving the ability of employees in state agencies to deliver services for the Traveller population. The workshops have also been held in primary schools, increasing awareness among the general school population and instilling pride among Traveller children in particular. Such workshops also take place in other counties; we focused on one county to see the difference they make.

Shauna McClenaghan is joint CEO of Inishowen Development Partnership, a local development company in Co Donegal. She chats here with editor Allen Meagher as part of our Changing Ireland Together podcast pilot series.

€7 million in funding is to be provided to community groups under the Department of Rural and Community Development Local Enhancement Programme 2025.