Villages and towns outside of the Pale will die without urgent action

DO you know Ballydehob? It’s a beautiful village, way down in the south west of our country.

Roaringwater Bay is around the corner; there’s archaeology and history all over the place; the actor Jeremy Irons has restored a beautiful castle nearby. The people are warm and welcoming, and totally committed to their community.

And it’s dying. Picture this for a moment. Last Friday night, at 9.30. Three pubs were open in the town. In one of them a traditional Irish seisiún was getting under way. Apart from the five or six local musicians who gather every Friday night to share their tunes, there were maybe ten customers. They rotate the seisiún around the pubs on a Friday night to try to attract a bit of business. Up near the top of the main street a small pizzeria was doing a modest business — maybe eight diners. Two teenagers walked slowly up the street.