Population collapse threatens future of GAA clubs across Iveragh and rural Kerry

Council members warn planning restrictions and infrastructure gaps are hollowing out rural Kerry communities and threatening schools and GAA clubs

Portmagee on the Iveragh peninsula in Kerry. It may already be too late to reverse the decline in Iveragh. File picture: Dan Linehan

A new task force is to be established to tackle population decline on the Iveragh peninsula in south Kerry, with officials expecting the initiative to become a template for other counties.

A meeting of Kerry County Council heard how recent local GAA club success may never be seen again because of the drastic decline in population. It was told that it may already be too late to reverse the decline in Iveragh as well as villages in North Kerry.

The population of school-going children across Iveragh has almost halved from 1956 to 2011, declining from 3,036 to 1,795. Enrolment in primary schools recorded a decrease of 41% between the 1993/94 and 2021/22 school years.

GAA clubs with a rich history and tradition are struggling as young people are being “forced” to move elsewhere because of restrictive planning laws and lack of basic infrastructure, said Fianna Fáil councillor Tommy Cahill.

GAA clubs are the heartbeat of rural parishes but some are having to amalgamate due to falling numbers. “A major driver is the overly restrictive planning system, ” said Mr Cahill, explaining that young people who cannot build on family land are being forced to relocate to other counties or move abroad. 

The Glenbeigh-based councillor also pointed to a lack of wastewater and water infrastructure. “Homes cannot be built, businesses cannot expand, communities cannot grow without infrastructure,” he said.

Without basic infrastructure rural Kerry will continue to fall behind.

Mr Cahill is a teacher who returned from Dubai to take up his father Michael Cahill’s seat on the council following his election as a TD last year.

He said the neighbouring West Kerry peninsula was experiencing the same problems as regards planning. While it is late in the day to establish a dedicated task force on rural depopulation, he said it would nevertheless be welcome.

Mr Cahill also called for a joint civic reception for Dingle/Daingean Uí Chúis, An Ghaeltacht, and Ballymacelligott following their recent club championship successes in Croke Park. "If this rural depopulation continues, we may never see this again," he said.

South Kerry

Independent councillor Dan McCarthy, of Kenmare, said people in rural areas are getting up at 6.30am for school and college runs and argued that expanded third-level options are essential to keep young people in South Kerry.

“We need something to keep people from moving out of the area,” said Mr McCarthy.

Following a motion to set up a task force to tackle rural depopulation in Kerry, council chief executive Fearghal Reidy said officials had already met with GAA development groups and that the body was expected to be set up under the Department of Rural and Community Development. 

It could act as a pilot for the rest of the country, he added. 

In South Kerry, total enrolment in primary schools fell from 1,153 to 684. Last September, only 83 pupils started across the 12 primary schools in the area.

South Kerry saw a brief boost in numbers with the arrival of Ukrainian children, but those gains are slipping as families move on or the children grow older. 

And while Kerry’s overall population has risen, census 2022 shows an ageing profile in the main urban centres of Killarney and Tralee.

Supported by the Local Democracy Scheme