Minister set to open Irish Rural Link’s anniversary event

Moate-based Irish Rural Link (IRL)– the national network representing the interest of rural communities, is celebrating their 30th Anniversary with a conference entitled 'A Changing Rural Ireland 1991-2051' on Friday, May 6 in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone.

IRL was established in 1991 and since then enormous change has taken place in rural Ireland. There has been many challenges for rural communities and many of these still remain today.

We continue to witness the closure of essential rural services, loss of jobs, a declining and ageing population and migration of young people to take up better quality job opportunities in cities and larger urban centres. However, there have also been some positive changes in more recent years.

The development of remote working and digital hubs and the rollout of high-speed broadband can help make rural areas a place where people can work close to where they live and allow people to become more involved and play a larger role in their rural community.

With a panel of rural development experts and influencers the conference will reflect on how rural Ireland has changed over the past 30 years, the lessons we can learn from these changes and what opportunities and challenges lie ahead in for the next 30 years. It will examine topics such as rural planning, rural enterprise, changing role of women, rural community development and changes in agriculture and farming life over the past 30 years.

The event will then explore what opportunities and challenges rural Ireland may face over the next 30 years in terms of the environmental challenge, transport, rural development and how Government policies can support and address these opportunities and challenges.

Seamus Boland, CEO of Irish Rural Link said: “Rural Ireland has been fraught with many challenges over the past 30 years; high emigration and migration to larger towns and cities; ageing population; closure of services; loss of jobs, etc. Irish Rural Link has provided a platform for communities in rural areas to share their concerns and put forward proposals to possible solutions to revive their local community and make rural Ireland a more sustainable place for people to work and live”.

“IRL see many opportunities for Rural Ireland and see it at the forefront of providing many of the solutions as we address climate change, higher food and energy costs, transition to a greener and more digitalised society as well as providing a greater sense of well-being for people and communities,” he added.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions in place in 2021, IRL postponed this celebratory conference until now. It wanted to have this conference in-person as it is an opportune time to acknowledge and commemorate the work done by our Community Champions, as part of the Covid-19 Community Outreach Programme IRL delivered in partnership with their colleagues in The Wheel. These Champions, dedicated their time during the early months of Covid-19 to help those most in need during lockdown restrictions and made sure they were linked in with essential services.

The conference will be opened by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, who will also make the presentation to the Community Champions.

It begins at 9.30 with tea/coffee and registration from 9.15 on Friday, May 6 in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone.

More details about the conference, list of speakers and to register are available on the Irish Rural Link website or you can register through Eventbrite.