Donal Hickey: How far from some rural towns do you have to travel for a carton of milk?

Disappearing shops are a real concern — but remote working hubs could be a solution... if people working and living in Irish towns remember to shop locally

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Danny Collins visits Bantry E-Centre following the completion of upgrade works at the remote working facility which were funded by Cork County Council and the Connected Hubs Grant Scheme. Pictured here with Paul Sutton and Bernie McCarthy, Cork County Council. Photo: Adrian Cronin

The large-scale closure of country pubs (including a few personal favourites) is often cited as a mark of rural decline. Less attention, however, is given to the disappearance of shops from small towns and villages.

City people travelling around Ireland during the tourist season discover this when they might have to go for many kilometres before they can buy something as simple as an ice cream.

An example: in three neighbouring villages along the Cork/Kerry border — all well known to me — it’s no longer possible to purchase a carton of milk, a stamp, or a litre of petrol. Gneeveguilla, Knocknagree, and Cullen once had vibrant commercial lives, but none now has a shop, or post office.

Yet, each village has an active GAA club and a spirited population, as evidenced by the splendid work done on an old fair-field around which Knocknagree is built. It's biodiversity-friendly, beautifully landscaped, and planted.

There has never been more Government money for rural communities. In June, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, told the Dáil almost €1 billion is available for projects until 2025.

There’s a particular focus on tackling vacant buildings and dereliction and supporting projects that will bring more footfall into town centres. New plazas, parks, playgrounds, and green spaces will also be helped, as will farmer and artisan markets.

All fine, but the key is to get more people to live in such places, so that essential services, like convenience shops, schools, and sports clubs, can be viable. Grants for refurbishing run-down properties and houses are welcome for that reason.

In the past, communities in which farming families formed a strong majority supported local economies, including shops and many craftspeople.

But, rural society has changed radically, with farmers now a minority. Many people living in and around villages know little about farming and work in a commuting-distance town where they also do their shopping.

The internet and remote working is enticing some people back to rural areas and that’s a help.

Cork County Council, for example, has Government backing for remote working hubs in Cobh and Mitchelstown. Also, a vacant property in the north Cork village of Kiskeam is being converted into a hot-desk facility for remote workers.

After several decades of one-off housing in the countryside, planners are looking more at boosting the populations of villages and small towns as a means of making them more sustainable in the future.

There’s much to be said for living in such places, but they are obviously far less attractive when they don’t have basic services such as shops. The bottom line though is: if people want services, they must support them.