Quotes of the Week

“Some tourists might view the Midlands as drive-through country as they travel west from Dublin to the Wild Atlantic Way, but we found just a fraction of what they are missing in the Hidden Heartlands,"

Quote featured in an article by Ronan Fagan, discussing Hidden Heartlands getting a mention on a podcast in the US. The podcast is co-hosted by Martin Nutty, who left Ireland for the US at 19.

“The demise of the street has been going on for many years, and it's simply not in the best interests of the town, be they businesses, residents, or shoppers, to have a derelict Church Street. It really needs to be addressed now before it becomes too late.”

Quotes from the Director of Burgess of Athlone, Alastair Grey, discussing the decline of one of Athlone’s most prominent streets.

“Over 300,000 households are now in arrears on electricity bills, while more than 180,000 are behind on gas payments.”

Quotes from Louise Bayliss, Saint Vincent De Paul’s head of social policy, discussing the rise in requests for help with energy bills.