The People’s Agenda Crossmolina
Community with attitude
Áine Ryan THERE has to be a certain irony in the fact that just days before the north Mayo town of Crossmolina was suffused by the flood waters of the River Deel on December 3 last, an ambitious plan for the area was launched in Hiney’s Upper Deck by County Manager, Mr Des Mahon.
Praising the sophisticated publication, entitled The Crossmolina Parish Area Development Plan 2006, Mr Mahon observed that the timing was perfect for ‘a community with attitude’ to harness the many resources provided by Mayo County Council. He cited a litany of developments and investments in the previous years - €15 million spent on water and sewerage schemes, the installation of public lighting, the development of a car park, and the purchase and servicing of an industrial estate.
Within days the small rural town would be awash with the waters of its pretty river, its inhabitants evacuated from their homes, small businesses in ruin and estimated damages running at €1 million, and still counting.
As Christmas approached the positive acclamations of the County Manager must have seemed hollow, while the 17 action areas identified by the newly-launched plan were undoubtedly on the back-burner as the stunned locality was suspended amid a microcosmic natural disaster.
By all accounts, Crossmolina is located in an area of ‘great natural beauty’, situated on the banks of the River Deel, in the shadow of Nephin, Connacht’s second-highest mountain, and close to scenic Lough Conn and historic Enniscoe House.
The traditional market town has increasingly become a satellite of the north Mayo capital, Ballina. Census statistics show a delicate demography with a steady and sustained out-migration of youth towards the larger urban centres for education and employment, with the majority of these migrants not returning.
The plan also reveals that, while national increases in population have translated into increases by county in most parts of Ireland, the population of the area is still in decline with age dependency higher than the average rate for Mayo.
It also notes that the future of the area has been severely impacted upon by the closure of the Bellacorick Power Station, which at peak production employed 480 people, the majority of whom also farmed locally, while the ESB had regularly employed up to 120 workers.
Crossmolina Development Group Chairman, Mr Ciaran Loftus, told The Mayo News that while the flood was obviously disastrous, it also highlighted the wonderful and unquenchable community spirit of the town. He cited the stoicism of businessman Francis Brogan, who saw seven years of hard work and investment float by in the shape of sodden mattresses from his furniture shop FAB Carpets and Furniture Store.
Within ten days, Mr Brogan was up-and-running in a temporary premises, according to Mr Loftus, who stressed that while north Mayo had suffered from the lack of political representation during the term of the last Dáil, communities like Crossmolina had still soldiered on, getting on with the job of community survival.
“We would love to have a north Mayo-based TD after the coming election and we really need one, but in the last few years we couldn’t rely on politicians and we learned to access monies ourselves. We have greatly benefited from Mayo County Council grants and have moved ahead in the last few weeks with 4,500 square feet for four starter units [in the IDA Park] and are now set to attract some small businesses into them,” said Mr Loftus.
The Deel had not flooded since 1989. While the chances of it flooding again during the term of the next Dáil may be in the laps of the gods, or within the unpredictable patterns of global warming, the whims of nature and the conviction of both local and national governance, there is one thing certain at the moment: the community of Crossmolina is intent on surviving.
The People Speak
1 John Nallen “The next government would need to focus on more incentives, other than building construction, to keep young and educated people in the area. They are all still being forced to migrate to the bigger urban centres. Unfortunately, most parties don’t seem to be focusing on smaller communities and instead are concentrating on the hub towns. We really need an enterprise that would have long-term sustainability since we lost Bellacorick and the ESB.”
2 Hilary Coggins “I’m from Ballina and I come out here once a week for a drive and to do a bit of shopping. I hope Crossmolina doesn’t change too much, it’s so easy to park, not like Ballina, and the people are so friendly and the shops are so nice.”
3 Tony Rowland “What the next government should do is demolish the whole town. It’s very old and was built in 1690 by Mervyn Pratt. Since I was born I’ve experienced five floods myself; the population needs to be put on high ground. Build a new town, that’s what’s needed. In the words of ‘The West is Awake’, ‘it’s time I was moving, It’s time I was awake’.”
4 Lisa McKinley “The town needs more facilities for young people even though it’s a great place to live. There is a gym at the GAA club but it could do with more equipment and we still have to go to Ballina for swimming. A new night club opened here in the last month which is great.”
