'We're about to lose an entire generation'

The drive to make rural Ireland a vibrant place to live was taken to the door of Dáil Éireann last week when Mayo Macra na Feirme members joined counterparts from across the country to hand deliver letters to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste.

More than 50 young farmers completed a 16-hour, 79km walk from Athy to the Dáil to highlight issues faced by young people across the nation. Among the walkers was Robert Lally from Claremorris who said the action has elicited a very positive response.

“It was a phenomenal success,” he told The Mayo News, following the event. “We didn't expect as much momentum, so soon, but we brought a lot of serious issues to the fore and that has resonated all across the country, not just in rural Ireland.

“Politicians must realise that we're about to lose an entire generation unless they stop sitting around driving rhetoric down our throats. We're constantly receiving unhelpful commentary from the government which shows no understanding of life on the ground and we felt we had to fight back and highlight what's happening.”

Among the issues highlighted by Wednesday's event were difficulties accessing affordable housing, cumbersome housing planning guidelines, disjointed and sparse healthcare services for rural communities, a lack of public transport for rural Ireland, no recognition or engagement by government on a farming succession scheme and the lack of planning for the future of rural communities, informed by rural people.

Dismayed

Lally and his colleagues are dismayed by the stream of young people being forced out of rural Ireland and the lack of opportunity across the regions.

“I have a Whatsapp 'Friends' group with 12 of us in it and there are only two of us left in Ireland. The rest are in Canada, Australia and America, driving on those economies and making those countries better while our society is stagnating. In those ten alone there is huge talent, entrepreneurship and ability but they got sick waiting around here for something to happen. They were denied opportunity at every turn and that's a frightening statistic and shows how rural Ireland is being shorn of a generation.”

The Macra trek from Athy in Kildare to government buildings was an effort to highlight the need for a new view of rural Ireland and Lally said an early morning meeting with a family in Newcastle on the Kildare/Dublin border drove home the importance of their campaign.

“It was just after seven in the morning and as we walked along we found three kids and their parents (the Dunne family) waiting for us. The kids had painted posters for us the night before and had scones and drizzle cake ready for us.

“When we were ready to move on again the little boy Oisin came over to us and said, 'When I'm big I want to stay here and be a farmer like my daddy.' I was blown away by that and then his dad came over and said 'It's not me you're walking for. It's for him and his two sisters.'

“That drove it home to us how important it is we drive on now and make a new future for everyone in rural Ireland. This isn't just about farmers. It's about a whole way of life and we're determined to do everything we can to create a bright future for everyone.”