Letter: How Mayo can effectively counter the harsh realities of ghost town status
Sir,
IN response to a number of points raised by a recent letter in The Connaught Telegraph headlined 'Why so many young people are leaving Castlebar', I wish to make the following observations that may be helpful.
Mayo is now a place of economic neglect. Many of our once vibrant towns now have ghost town status. We have recovery policies, but no decisive plan for recovery.
We can recall what Mayo was like in past decades, but what of a local future for the next generation?
Communities still play an active role in social and economic development. There are local community centres in Mayo that are more active than Wall Street. It is this active element, with direction and support, that can drive a positive agenda.
In his 1968 book, The Death of an Irish Town, journalist John Healy typified rural decline.
The depopulation in the west of Ireland commenced in the 19th century and has continued since. In more recent times, the decline of once prosperous towns and villages in Mayo are embracing ghost town status.
The more recent ramifications of Covid-19 and Brexit adds further to the already vulnerable micro business sectors in the county.
The clear and unequivocal challenge is to rebuild and restore the local economy. Ireland, especially rural Ireland, now faces a severe recession.
How will rural Ireland appear post-pandemic? What we do know is that economic discrimination still persists.
The impact and effect from Covid will continue in the longer term. The recent Our Rural Future publication appears aspirational, without timeline, strategy, a policy nor a plan.
This policy document appears to ignore current EU discussions on 'Ruralisation’ and ‘Smart Villages', which potentially could bring large-scale impact to rural Ireland.
It would appear there's very little evident national leadership regarding recovery and resilience. Sadly, most policy makers are removed from the reality of the situation. The Our Rural Future presentation follows in the wake of the now forgotten National Spatial Strategy 2002 to 2020, and has had very little impact. There is a clear and evident dichotomy between national policy and the real needs of rural Ireland
The stark choice is obvious: Accept the current circumstances and await another phantom recovery formula, or establish an apolitical County Resilience and Recovery Plan on an operational and county-wide basis.
In a departure from traditional mode, a county-wide economic development company can realistically be considered. The overall goal is to identify and address the economic needs of towns and villages.
Significantly, these needs are best determined by local business and enterprise. In 1948, a group of local Ballina pharmacists formed was then known as United Drug.
The goal was to find reliable medical supplies. The much-enhanced company is now UDG Healthcare - a multi-national pharmaceutical distribution company.
In the 1970s, the town of Balla was faced with the devastating news of the pending closure of its secondary school. The response? The local community provided the funds and support to take over and purchase the local school.
The late Monsignor James Horan visualised an airport in Mayo. Community support helped to bring that vision to fruition.
In more recent years, a community group, based in Claremorris, managed a significant local housing project and has since gone on to develop a local enterprise hub.
In response to the helicopter tragedy, the community response from Aughleam was inspiring.
Mayo has had a self-help legacy throughout the county, both in social and economic development sectors.
The proposed innovation should be apolitical, embrace all local business groupings and organisations in the county. This is not an aspiration but a very necessary development foundation.
The immediate gain should be scale, impact, synergy and objectivity. Fundamentally this is about the future of Mayo.
The target areas should include an early restoration of the local economy across the critical sectors.
Individual micro businesses may find a recovery path somewhat difficult. Much more effective results can be achieved in a group, collegiate, cluster network with an agreed objective.
My proposal is: Partnering with LEO, Udaras, ATU, Leader, Teagasc and Westbic is a logical strategy. The WDC and NWRA can also be significant partners. The frontline module should include an IOM (Independent Operations Management).
The key target markets are those local business clusters and communities engaged in economic development. A significant input from the youth sector is expected.
Considerations: Initial consideration and discussion groups, local media, press and radio, secondary school students, preliminary discussions with LEO, Leader, Udaras, Teagasc, community and youth groups, and local business groups.
Support is already indicated from the Mayo campus of ATU and ETB. A working relationship to be explored with WDC, Westbic and NWRA.
The initial discussion should consider the TOSS format: Objectives, Structure, Strategy, Budget, Branding, Training and Timeline.
The development framework is a local network of growth hubs throughout the county.
A primary hub assumes a central role in the provision of a full e-commerce site, influenced by an early version of Alibaba.
This allows every business in Mayo with cost effective access to a fully managed e-commerce site - County Marketing Company.
CMC will assume a dual role: to restore business levels and to seek additional market opportunities. CMC provides a role in VIP/smart tourism. The primary hub is a distribution point for distance learning and training.
The local growth hub should be a building serviced by quality broadband with sufficient bandwidth.
The building must assume the flexibility to respond to identified local needs. Some may assume a role, as espoused by Our Rural Future, in the sole provision of remote work centres. However, the operational vision must be much wider and more cost effective.
The growth hub network can avail of smart tourism, an in-house local tourism module, smart villages, distance learning and training, GYO network, solar farming, localized business supports and online marketing platform. The scope and potential of a local hub is determined by local requirement.
Three-hundred and sixty degree development will always be incomplete, responding to ongoing and evolving changes. The immediate concern is local economic recovery in all sectors.
Environmental issues are pending. Major changes are expected in the agri sectors. A localized co-ordinated support structure can be effective.
For several years EU discussions are revolving around ruralisation, rural pact smart villages and a possible re-positioning of long-held regional strategy.
It is planned that the growth hub network is well positioned to respond to local changes and opportunity.
There are already a number of development centres at various stages of development in the county.
This is an apolitical presentation offering a realistic, and early, economic redevelopment strategy. This task can present Mayo as a class leader. The result of past public sector input alone has simply not delivered to the county.
The proposed alternative, subject to agreement, can effectively counter the harsh realities.
Yours Sincerely,
John Moran,
Mayoplus.ie,
Castlebar,
Co. Mayo.