Mayo village a case study in rural decline – MEP

The north Mayo village of Moygownagh has been cited in Europe as an example of how rural communities are being stripped of their population.

Independent Ireland MEP Ciarán Mullooly has called on the EU to act now on rural decline and demographic challenges which he says is a crisis for the west of Ireland.

Speaking in Strasbourg on rural depopulation to the EU Commission, MEP Ciarán Mullooly highlighted the urgent need to employ the ‘Demography Toolbox’ - an EU strategy to tackle demographic challenges by supporting families, empowering youth, improving older generations' well-being, and managing migration to sustain labour markets.

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“The figures are stark,” Mullooly stated. “The EU population is set to peak next year, and we will lose around 30 million people within the next 75 years.”

When underscoring the impact of these trends on rural communities, MEP Mullooly highlighted the village of Moygownagh located between Crossmolina and Ballycastle as an example of population decline.

“Moygownagh has lost an astonishing 90 percent of its population since 1841. On June 24 last year, Mitchell’s shop, the public house, post office, farm supply business, and hardware store all failed to open. The tipping point of sustainability has now been passed.

“Like many parts of rural Ireland, north Mayo is being stripped of its population. This is a crisis that demands our immediate attention.”

MEP Mullooly called for the full implementation of the EU Demography Toolbox and stressed the importance of Cohesion Funds in addressing these challenges.

“We in the REGI Committee want to get the Cohesion Funds to do this job,” he said. “Measures such as those you mentioned in Cohesion Funds are important. The long-term vision for rural areas must be fully implemented.”

Appealing to the EU Commissioner he asked for direct action: “Please help us, Commissioner, to solve this problem. Rural communities across Europe are depending on us. We cannot allow rural Europe to fade away. We must act now to secure its future.”