Ru al
Readings
www. -lea n.ie
Depa men o Adul & Communi y Educa ion,
NUI, Maynoo h
Ap il 2006
The i s issue o his monologue in oduces us o a unique e lec ion om a g oup o
NUI Maynoo h ma u e u al de elopmen s uden s who comple ed a su ey on he
ypology o a u al dwelle as pa o a na ional s udy. The s udy “Ru al Li ing: A
Su ey o 1295 households” was comple ed as pa o he Diploma in Ru al
De elopmen by Dis ance Lea ning in 2003 and published in 2006 (www. -
lea n.ie/links). Each s uden was alloca ed wen y households in andomly selec ed
u al a eas o in e iew wi h a p epa ed ques ionnai e. The su ey was comple ed in
Oc obe /No embe 2003. No s uden su eyed in hei own local a ea.
The ollowing a icles a e e lec ions by s uden s on hei expe ience. Each e lec ion
is edi ed o highligh a ange o hemes namely;
Changing communi y & li es yle, “disconnec edness”, ime?, coun y li ing, he old
& he new, he iew and he hunge , u u e o a ming, snapsho in ime, and busy
li ing.
The ollowing a e he con ibu o s;
Ms. Ma y Dee y, M . Seamus O , Ms. Helen Go man, M . John Mo an, Ms.
Philomena Finnegan, Ms. Helene Dooley, Ms. Angie McKenna, Ms. Ca mel Dunne,
M . Eddie Connell, M . Ge a d She lock.
The a icles a e ap ly i led;
A snapsho o a anishing u al li es yle: {Win e 2003}
Michael Kenny.
A snapsho o a anishing u al li es yle: {Win e 2003}
In No embe 2003 I had honou o engaging wi h he occupan s o 20 households in a
sou he ly ip o Coun y Roscommon. This u ned ou o be he mos e eshing and
aluable expe iences o my pa icipa ion in he Diploma in Ru al De elopmen in
NUI Maynoo h.
I a i ed in he a ea comple ely unannounced and unhe alded. I had elici ed good
di ec ions o my i s and las own-land om he pos man who co-inciden ally came
om he a ea.
As soon as I en e ed he i s house, by he back doo , my ne ousness comple ely
e apo a ed. I el immedia ely ha I would encoun e no p oblem wha soe e in he
pu sui o my goal o comple ing 20 ques ionnai es o he na ional u al su ey. My
main p oblem was going o be poli ely ending o he na u al good-na u ed
hospi ali y o he inhabi an s.
The i s and las own-lands on my lis we e a eas si ua ed in close p oximi y o he
Shannon. I la e disco e ed ha his a ea is a Special A ea o Conse a ion (SAC).
This made a lo o sense as i would be nex o impossible o de i e an income solely
om a ming in his a ea. As a esul o my wo k he e i s uck me ha he e could
possibly be an ini ia i e ha would also designa e Special A eas o Cul u al
P ese a ion (SCAP).
I was s uck by he elaxed and easy manne o he people o his a ea. The e we e a
lo o ex ended amilies li ing in he a ea and he in e ac ion wi h neighbou s seemed
excellen . The e was a sense o he co-ope a ion and mei heal ha exis ed in u al
I eland when I was a boy. I had hough ha wi h he ad en o mechanisa ion and
in ensi ica ion his spi i was i ually ex inc . I was ma ellous o ha e he
oppo uni y o expe ience his once again. Howe e his expe ience was inged wi h
he sadness ha such a way o li e may no longe exis by he ime he nex su ey o
his so is ca ied ou .
While I was amazed a i s o no e ha 80% o he households ha I isi ed had no
in ol emen wha e e in olun a y g oups o o ganisa ions, ye I had he belie ha i
a majo ca as ophe be ell he a ea he people would au oma ically ac as-one and
ins inc i ely know exac ly wha o do. Thei aining in his is honed annually by he
looding hey expe ience each yea . The looding inciden ally is he mos common
nega i e aspec o li ing in he a ea ha hey eluc an ly admi ed o.
Gene ally he people o his a ea alue he quali y o li e, he clean ai , and he sa e y
o he a ea om a child ea ing pe spec i e. When p essed, in addi ion o he
looding, hey ci ed poo quali y oads and he lack o public anspo as he main
nega i e poin s. I was amazed o hea a woman o 80 yea s say ha she did no like
he long win e nigh s, al hough she had li ed in he a ea all he li e. I unde s ood
wha she mean la e in he e ening when, despi e a s a y canopy abo e, he da kness
was so in ense ha I could ba ely see my hand in on o me.
A snapsho o a anishing u al li es yle: {Win e 2003}
The a ea I isi ed was u al Sou h Ca an displaying a combina ion o poo ly and well-
main ained land, combined wi h newly buil houses do ed be ween olde houses. All
o he people seemed happy wi h he a ea hey li e in and e e yone seemed o che ish
peace and quie as a quali y o he a ea.
I was in i ed in o hal o he houses I in e iewed. I did all my isi s in he e ening
ime a e 7.00 pm and on Sa u day. The impac o his was ha I was in compe i ion
wi h TV soaps, child en’s bed- ime, DIY wo k in wo houses, he ugby ma ch, he
news, meal imes and wo k. In one house he in e iewee was qui e happy o me o
s ay on o a cha . A lady on he own, who was been ea ed o cance and seemed
e y happy o ha e a di e sion om he TV.
Two o my households we e bachelo a me s. Fa me A had a big badly sc awled
sign up on he lane o his house s a ing “Bewa e o Mad Beas ”. I don’ know
whe he i was he man o he dog he sign e e ed o, bu as I sa in he ca
conduc ing he in e iew I was glad I choose day- ime a he han nigh o isi .
Fa me B asked me “Had anyone walked away and le me in he middle o he
in e iew?”: Wha would you make o ha ques ion?.
T anspo independen people hough i was a g ea a ea, con enien o all se ices.
Howe e he nex -doo neighbou , who migh be mo e dependan on a li om a
ela i e/neighbou , would say i was oo a away om se ices. I also no ed ha he
people who had no pe sonal anspo did no a ail o he bus. When I asked why I
was old hey had a amily membe who would b ing hem o own, e c. any ime hey
needed o go. I no iced ha in some cases he esponden did no pe sonally o di ec ly
use public se ices. The se ice was used on hei behal . Clea ly he ex ended amily
model is wo king.
While I encoun e ed p ac ically no suspicion o he in e iew o he ques ions, in one
case a ques ion o a bachelo a me ega ding local se ices which asks “How o en
do you use he se ices o you local bank?” go he sha p esponse; “Wha do you
wan o know ha o ?”
The con adic ion in he way neighbou ing people iew he same a ea was s iking.
Fo example in one ow o eigh local au ho i y semi-de ached houses and one p i a e
house, some said hey in e ac ed daily while o he s we e saying hey didn’ in e ac a
all. I sugges his was down o he de ini ion o he wo d in e ac . To some i means
going in o each o he s houses o ea o co ee, while o o he s i jus mean saying
hello as hey me going o o om hei houses.
The mos s iking issues a ising om he in e iews we e
• The low p opo ion o a me s and hei age p o ile, combined wi h hei lack
o op imism o he u u e.
• The lack o home o a m en e p ises in he households su eyed
• O he han oo ball he e was no no iceable in ol emen in olun a y
o ganisa ions in he a ea.
A snapsho o a anishing u al li es yle: {Win e 2003}
Behind e e y ace lies a s o y, some imes a sad one, some imes an o dina y mundane
one, and some imes one illed wi h g ea achie emen . None he less a s o y. I was
wi h his in mind I el a sense o ea and e en exci emen when asked o ake pa in
a na ionwide su ey on he ypology o he u al amily as pa o ou join ield
p ojec o ou diploma cou se in Ru al De elopmen . I knew as I c ossed he
h eshold o a household I would also c oss he h eshold o ha s o y o he sho
ime I would be he e.
The a ea I was alloca ed is loca ed in wes Coun y Lou h, bo de ing Monaghan and
Mea h and pe haps somewha isola ed om he cen al ac i i y o he coun y. As I
a elled along he N2 I could no help being s uck by he au umnal colou s ha lined
he oad and he g een olling hills o he sou h. This was he a ea I was heading
owa ds. F om he N2 i was no ob ious ha many houses occupied he a ea and my
i s imp essions we e ha his mus be a p edomina ely a ming communi y.
Howe e i u ned ou ha he landscape I was looking a was p ac ically owned by
one a me . As I le he N2 I no iced he e was no ac i i y on he oadway, no ac o s
anspo ing ound bales, no child en on bicycles, no women walking. The oads we e
e y quie . I did no ice qui e a ew old houses being eno a ed, new houses being
buil , and qui e a ew “ o sale” signs a ound he oads.
The e was de ini ely a sense o neighbou liness in he a ea in e ms o espec o each
o he and suppo in imes o need. Howe e , he e was a also a sense o
“disconnec edness”. Ve y li le in e ac ion be ween neighbou s seemed o ake place
on a daily basis. Apa om he GAA I did no in e iew anybody who was a
olun ee o a membe o a local g oup. The i s pe son I in e iewed had mo ed in o
he a ea on he ma iage and did no know whe e some o he neighbou s ac ually
li ed. One lady whose husband died wo yea s p e iously spoke o he g ea suppo
she had om neighbou s a he ime o he dea h. Howe e , since hen she eels o ally
cu o as she has nowhe e o go o socialise as a single pe son excep he pub whe e
she jus could no see he sel going. Neighbou s do no call and she eels unable o
call o o he s. He g ie was s ill e y e iden and a sense o hopelessness was p esen .
The le el o sickness people alked abou du ing he in e iews also s uck me. A lady
wi h mul iple scle osis alked abou he illness. I could sense a eal loneliness in he
oice especially when she seemed o mou n he loss o he younge gene a ion. She
said he e may be mo e houses bu he e a e no as many young people in hem. I was
a his s age I looked o e he su eys and no iced ha he younge people whe e in
ac no li ing in he a ea. They ei he had le o we e commu ing on a daily o
weekly basis. I isi ed ano he lady who su e ed om se e e backache. When I asked
how o en she in e ac ed wi h he neighbou s she aised he a ms owa ds he window
and he g een ields and asked “Wha neighbou s?”. Isola ion, illness. I you d o e
h ough his a ea on a Sunday a e noon you would all in lo e wi h i . Bu i you
li ed in i I wonde how much you would eel a pa o i .

A snapsho o a anishing u al li es yle: {Win e 2003}
This is a b ie desc ip ion o my expe iences o ca ying ou my u al household
su ey in Sou heas Wes mea h. I is a e y u al a ea, mos ly made up o unspoiled
a mland, s ill una ec ed by he building boom, al hough ela i ely close o he main
Dublin o Galway ou e. I was a ypical I ish illage wi h a chu ch, school and
communi y hall o which he local people we e e y p oud. Almos e e y householde
pa icipa ed in local ac i i ies.
I ound he people I su eyed o be mos kind and decen people who we e ex emely
help ul. In all cases I was in i ed in o hei homes and gi en a cup o ea in a e y
adi ional manne . I was ne e asked o show my iden i ica ion. They we e e y
us ing o s ange s despi e he media wa nings o he con a y. My obse a ions
we e mos ly o happy con en people who we e e y p oud o he a ea in which hey
li ed al hough his was sp inkled wi h a deg ee o loneliness and isola ion, some
aspec s o which we e pa icula ly sad. In one ins ance down a long lane- way a
a me li ing on his own in i ed me in o his home in o de o ca y ou he su ey. He
apologised o any un idiness in he house bu explained ha his mo he had died. I
sympa hised wi h him p esuming i was in he ecen pas . I la e disco e ed ha his
mo he had died hi een yea s p e iously. When I asked him he ques ion “Had he
iden i ied a successo ?”. He said he had no and a bewilde ed look came o e him, as
i i had only dawned on him ha he was in a ime-wa p. His li e was comple ely
aken up main aining hings as hey we e bu he did no seem o know o wha .
When asked wha hey liked abou li ing in he a ea almos all esponden s said hey
enjoyed he peace and qui e o he coun yside and he ac ha i was emo e.
I onically i was he same emo eness ha was he g ea es cause o complain , e.g.
he dis ance om a ious ameni ies. In gene al he people we e e y eluc an o
complain. In one house ha I su eyed he e we e wo elde ly b o he s who sa
smoking hei pipes, one on each side o an old black S anley ange, all h ee pu ing
equally. As a esul i was a smoke illed ki chen I hough i comical ha when I
asked wha hey liked mos abou li ing in he a ea, hey said, "i was a clean
en i onmen ". They also gi e me se e al o he posi i es in answe s o my ques ions,
e en hough hey we e li ing in a co age ha was buil in he se en een hund eds. I
had no unning wa e and was wi hou all o he mode n con eniences. They could no
gi e me any nega i es when p essed on he issue. They old me hey would like mo e
I ish music in he locali y. Two happy men!.
In gene al I ound he people o be looking o wa d o he u u e al hough conce ned
abou he changes aking place in a ming. In all cases a me s we e op ing o pa -
ime a ming o hei amilies and did no see ull- ime a ming as an op ion going
o wa d. The people I su eyed we e e y a ached o hei oo s. E en in hei
pas imes, hey e lec ed on hei coun y way o li e; hei in ol emen in game clubs,
he b eaking and aining o ho ses and he b eeding o g eyhounds. Thei passion o
he Gaelic games showed a people s eeped in he cul u e o hei a ea.
A snapsho o a anishing u al li es yle: {Win e 2003}
I su eyed 20 households andomly selec ed a ea in he No h Midlands. Based on he
adage ha “a man’s home is his cas le” I was conscious ha when you knock a
someone’s doo , ega dless o whe he you know ha pe son o no , you a e
eques ing pe mission o en e hei wo ld and i is wi hin hei powe o accep you in
o o lea e you on he ou side. The welcome I go om esponden s was equally spli
be ween hose who we e qui e willing o accep me in o hei wo ld and hose who
ga e he imp ession ha hey migh ha e p e e ed o keep me on he ou side.
The op o my lis had o be he household o a e y elde ly couple who we e jus
si ing down o dinne when I knocked a he doo . I apologised o in e up ing hei
meal ime indica ing ha I wouldn’ s ay long. “You can s ay he whole day i you
like” he elde ly man said! I anspi ed ha his elde ly couple (she was 89 and he
91) did no a end a senio ci izens club and had only occasional con ac wi h
neighbou s. This lack o con ac wi h he ou side wo ld didn’ de e hem om asking
me as many ques ions as I had asked hem (some ques ions oo pe sonal o include on
any su ey!). I comple ed my in e iew a a leisu ely pace and could ha e s ayed a
lo longe . I bid hem goodbye and le mysel ou . I s uck me how us ing hey we e
as I walked o hei on doo . The lack o secu i y measu es a he house was
gla ingly ob ious, a si ua ion no helped by he ac ha bo h occupan s we e ha d o
hea ing. All o he elde ly people I isi ed we e jus as cha y and cu ious as his
couple. All we e only oo deligh ed o ell me all abou hei aches and pains, hei
g andchild en and, o cou se, hei a ou i e p og ammes on TV. C oppe s on
Co ona ion S ee , and Ma y and Ma y on Open House we e as much, i no mo e, a
pa o hei li es as we e hei amilies o neighbou s.
The elde ly esponden s and a me s we e a ailable du ing he day bu I ound a e 6
o’clock he bes ime o ge o he esponden s a home. Howe e , isi ing a his ime
o e ening p esen s i s own di icul ies. I el I was in uding on he domes ic i ual o
e ening meals, homewo k and, o cou se TV iewing ime! I was in e es ing o no e
hough ha mos o hese esponden s s a ed “Lack o Time” when asked i hey we e
in ol ed in any g oups o o ganisa ions. I inc easingly el like an “Agony Aun ”
lis ening o peoples’ jus i ica ions o no using he local place o wo ship, local
doc o o local bank. Mos o hese people wo ked ou side he a ea and, as one lady
poin ed ou o me, she doesn’ see he house in he dayligh du ing he win e mon hs!
My eelings as I d o e away om he a ea on he las day we e abou he ways ha
u al I eland has changed beyond ecogni ion. Whe eas in he pas u al a eas ha e
been cha ac e ised by close kni communi ies made up o in e dependen uni s he
end nowadays seems o be cha ac e ised by hose who li e by he “U ban Li ing
wi h Space” ideal – he people who ha e no ime o li le in e es o alk o in e ac
wi h hei neighbou s and hink u al de elopmen is o o he s. In he wo ds o
Ge ude S ein (1948)1 “A house in he coun y is no he same as a coun y house”.
1 S ein, G. “Blood on he Dining Room Floo ” Banyan P ess, 1948
A snapsho o a anishing u al li es yle: {Win e 2003}
The alloca ed u al a ea was o ally unknown o me and appea ed o be so a away.
Knowing how absolu ely d ead ul I am wi h eading maps, I el I was su e o ge los .
Wi h he able assis ance o my eenage son I consul ed he map and, hank ully, he
loca ed he a ea. I was heading o Sou h Mea h.
I made con ac wi h he local Cu a e who e y kindly (and speedily) p o ided me wi h
an in oduc ion o a local communi y ac i is . This gen leman ag eed o ake ime o
mee me a his house. A e a cha he o e ed assis ance. He deli e ed he no ices and
pu me in con ac wi h a iend who li ed in he second own-land. This man was jus
as accommoda ing. The icing on he cake was when my i s con ac ag eed o ake
me a ound o show me he a ious houses I would be isi ing.
The e we e nine houses in he i s own-land, 6 o which we e labou e ’s co ages
buil in he 1950’s. Mos o hese had unde gone some o m o eno a ion. All we e
beau i ully main ained. In addi ion, he e was an old coun y house, which o iginally
was used o a m labou e s bu had now been con e ed in o a p i a e esidence o
he new owne . The second own-land was much la ge and had 24 houses. The e was
qui e a mix o housing in he a ea. An old a m-house which added g ea cha ac e o
he a ea, a numbe o houses which I es ima e we e buil om he mid se en ies
onwa ds, a ew ecen ly cons uc ed houses and some local au ho i y houses. Again
he whole a ea was e y well main ained.
I would be ha d o mee a mo e accommoda ing g oup o people. The households
welcomed me wi h such amazing wa m h i will emain in my memo y o a long
ime. These we e people jus i iably p oud o hei a ea and he ameni ies in i . They
we e mos open in hei commen s and p o ided me wi h many e eshmen s and on
one occasion a mos delicious meal. In ela ion o local in e ac ion, he majo i y
spoke egula ly wi h hei neighbou s and many socialised wi h hei neighbou s on a
weekly basis.
The households highligh ed many easons why hey enjoyed li ing in a u al a ea.
Among hem being he peace and quie , he lack o pollu ion, na u e, he iews and
he quali y o li e. Some we e conce ned abou a lack o ameni ies and he isola ion.
Bu qui e a numbe pe cei ed ha he ad an ages ou weighed he disad an ages. The
majo i y enjoyed he close kni communi y in which hey esided and he e was qui e
a mixed esponse o he issue o allowing de elopmen o ake place pu ely o locals
o o anyone who wished o build in he a ea. In e es ingly a numbe o hose who
had eloca ed o he a ea we e ussy abou allowing o he s eloca e!
A numbe o households emain in my memo y. Howe e he e is one ha eally
s ands ou . As I d o e a ound he second own-land I no iced a ligh coming om a
house a he op o a long ga den. Cu iosi y go he be e o me and, in he pi ch da k
I app oached he house, walking up a long unli d i e way as I could no ge he ca
h ough he ga e. I was g ee ed my wo gen lemen who in i ed me in o hei home.
The house was deco a ed in a s yle akin o he 1950’s ye one o he b o he s had
ecen ly pu chased a compu e and was eally looking o wa d o su ing he ne !
A snapsho o a anishing u al li es yle: {Win e 2003}
Lei im is a coun y ha I ha e seldom isi ed. I was deligh ed o be gi en he
oppo uni y o ca y ou he in e iews in his unexplo ed coun y.
On a b igh cloudy No embe Sunday mo ning I le my home and headed o Eas
Lei im. As I d o e I wonde ed o mysel wha would he people be like and would
hey be keen o see me on a Sunday a e noon. Jus be o e lunch ime I eached my
des ina ion. Fo a while I looked a he beau i ul moun ains all a ound and could see
some small houses hidden wi hin. Li le did I know ha I would be isi ing hose
same houses? I soon ealized I was in he hea o u al I eland.
Like all I ish men I headed s aigh o he pub o ask o di ec ions bu mo e u gen ly
o use he ‘ba h oom’. I s a ed o ask he pub owne some ques ions abou he a ea
and she answe ed hem wi h mo e ques ions. I wasn’ long un il I go a eel o he
a ea by a elling a ound i and om wha he people we e elling me. I saw no g een
ields bu many ields o ushes and hea he . I saw no dai y a ms, no mush oom o
poul y a ms. I saw many sheep. I me only pa - ime a me s who we e ying o do
as many a m jobs as possible on he Sunday a e noon. I saw e y happy, easy-going
people who we e con en ed. I saw a lo o e i ed elde ly people who we e g owing
old in he a ea hey lo ed. I saw some single elde ly men. I saw no ac o ies o
en e p ise cen es. I saw he chu ch, shop, pos o ice, and he pub.
The welcome o me as a s ange was hea wa ming. E en hough some people we e
in a hu y hey s ill ound ime o alk wi h me. Thei likes o he a ea included he
eedom, quie ness, good neighbou s, nice o b ing child en up in; esh ai , knowing
e e ybody. These a ou weighed any dislikes. Dislikes we e he lack o ameni ies and
isola ion o child en.
The a ea could be di ided in wo – he illage and he moun ain. The moun ain’s
inhabi an s we e mainly olde single people whe eas in he illage he younge
amilies li ed. Those on he moun ain wo ked he e y poo land on a pa - ime basis.
The illage was simple – a pub and a ew houses. A amily un ga age was he main
business in he illage.
On lea ing he a ea I el some sympa hy o i as I knew i would ake a lo o wo k
o de elop i and o make i sus ainable in o he u u e. No enough young people a e
emaining in he a ea o main ain en husiasm and li e in i .
I is an a ea o emendous beau y and scene y. On my second day o a elling I
d o e a ew miles up he moun ain o one o he a ming dwelle s. A e comple ing
he in e iew I go up and looked ou he window. The e was a alley below o beau y
and anquilli y – a iew I will ne e o ge . I commen ed o he single a me abou
his g ea iew. His eply was ‘i ’s no much good i you’ e hung y’