The Obama visit was a huge trigger for community development,” Henry Healy, Barack Obama’s distant relative says when Moneygall residents gather to talk to Irish Country Living.
Since 2011 one community plan is already done and dusted – that for 2012-2017 – and they have now moved on to work on their Moneygall 2025 vision. This has the aim of Moneygall becoming “a bold and modern rural community” that emphasises wellbeing, social enterprise and heritage.
They even have their tourism slogan to hand – “Moneygall: a village hidden in the heartlands of Ireland’s Ancient East”.
They all still remember the excitement of St Patrick’s Day 2011 when the big visit was announced.
“Everyone swung into action,” they say. “Buildings were painted, footpaths were fixed and more.”
Future tourism potential became immediately obvious to Moneygall residents so they set up Moneygall Development Association – a limited company – very soon afterwards.
Moneygall in Co Offaly had a world spotlight in May 2011 when Barack Obama visited his Kearney homestead there. \ Claire Nash
“The visit had really opened our eyes to community development but at the end of day we couldn’t depend on agencies to do everything for us so we had to start doing things ourselves,” Henry continues. “Small in size but big in heart – that’s how we describe this community.”
That’s eight years ago now and during that time they’ve been putting Moneygall on the tourist map as well as improving the quality of life of residents. They’ve done this by developing facilities that everyone can use and enjoy.
Think community garden (officially opened last month), a playground, a multi-use games area (MUGA), an astro-turf pitch, walking and heritage trails, a cottage market and renovations to community buildings. All this took place, of course, against the supportive background of existing organisations like the GAA and the Tidy Towns Committee.
Survey and plans are essential
Everyone around the table agrees that carrying out a household survey and developing a five-year community plan were essential moves.
“That means the research is there about what people want and you have the plan to back up the request for funding,” they say.
Two representatives from Offaly Local Development Company, Siobhan Broderick and Sarah Kennedy, were at the get-together in the hall too and echoed that statement.
The garden
The community bio-garden is their most exciting project to date and 25-30 people have undergone training. Produce is being sold in local shops and in the once-a-month Cottage Market – a GIY initiative – that takes place on the last Sunday of the month in the parish hall.
Produce is being sold in local shops and in the once-a-month Cottage Market – a GIY initiative - that takes place on the last Sunday of the month in the parish hall. \ Clare Nash
“It has to be sustainable,” Eric Crowe says. “It’s built on the model of social enterprise. The whole thing is selling the produce. That’s a different skillset for us to develop as well.”
Currently the committee are looking for funding for the completion of irrigation within their 20mx6m tunnel.
The community bio-garden is their most exciting project to date and 25-30 people have undergone training. \ Claire Nash
Pamela Ball and Margaret O’Brien never miss a Saturday helping out, even in winter. “The community garden is a great social venue where we can all join in, even the children so it’s very inclusive,” they say.
Focus on heritage
The village is in the parish of Dunkerrin, Barna and Moneygall, which straddles the Offaly/Tipperary border and parish registers and graveyards have become an important aspect of the village’s heritage focus.
Two local history groups have worked toward tying a genealogical research service into the Ireland’s Ancient East Initiative and their efforts on this front have already led to a Pride of Place Award.
Retired teacher Pat Sheedy is chair of the village’s GAA club as well as chair of the Dunkerrin History Society and Anne O’Rourke is chair of the Dunkerrin Reaching Out Heritage Group.
The village is in the parish of Dunkerrin, Barna and Moneygall, which straddles the Offaly/Tipperary border. \ Claire Nash
While the history society organises talks and publishes journals every two years, the heritage group focuses on historical walks. “We highlight places of interest along a particular road – an old school, old homestead and a mass rock, for example.”
The walks are enjoyable, they all say. “They’re educational, we have good laughs and you meet a diverse range of people.”
Recording headstone inscriptions has been important too and they are uploading the information to www.historicgraves.ie as time and money permits as a genealogical resource.
“There’s not a headstone in the parish we don’t know about!” Anne says. “All this encourages people who have a connection with the community to come home and visit,” Pat adds.
Publishing local interest books has been a feature too and these are for sale on the village’s website www.moneygall.ie where you can also see a video of all the village has to offer. One of the books, Shining A Light, featured the stories of many nuns. There were 90 nuns in the parish with some families having as many as three!
Moneygall has facilities including a community garden, a playground, a multi-use games area (MUUGA), an astro turf pitch, walking and heritage trails and a cottage market. \ Claire Nash
All isn’t rosy, however, in Moneygall; for example they lost their post office in January. However, they currently have two pubs and a car sales business as well as a 1916 commemorative garden and, of course, the Barack Obama Plaza nearby. An additional €500,000 GAA pitch has just been added also.
A visit to the community garden led to a chat in the tunnel with Cloncannon Bio Farm owner Sean O’Farrell who has helped develop the community garden. Tourists and students frequent his farm also because of his qualifications in biodiversity and conservation.
“It’s very satisfying because there is a ‘wow’ in nature that hopefully I can share with others – here too.”
In the tunnel Sarah and Siobhan surprise everyone with a “pop up thank you” from Offaly Local Development Company in gratitude for the volunteerism that exists in Moneygall.
“None of this could have been done without you guys,” they say, “and we’re acknowledging that today.”
Tips from
Moneygall
Concentrate on one project at a time.Develop a community garden.Organise
heritage trails.Document headstones. Make a video about your village. Record oral history. Read more
No folly in Cullohill where a festival funds development
Top tips from It Takes A Village
The Obama visit was a huge trigger for community development,” Henry Healy, Barack Obama’s distant relative says when Moneygall residents gather to talk to Irish Country Living.
Since 2011 one community plan is already done and dusted – that for 2012-2017 – and they have now moved on to work on their Moneygall 2025 vision. This has the aim of Moneygall becoming “a bold and modern rural community” that emphasises wellbeing, social enterprise and heritage.
They even have their tourism slogan to hand – “Moneygall: a village hidden in the heartlands of Ireland’s Ancient East”.
They all still remember the excitement of St Patrick’s Day 2011 when the big visit was announced.
“Everyone swung into action,” they say. “Buildings were painted, footpaths were fixed and more.”
Future tourism potential became immediately obvious to Moneygall residents so they set up Moneygall Development Association – a limited company – very soon afterwards.
Moneygall in Co Offaly had a world spotlight in May 2011 when Barack Obama visited his Kearney homestead there. \ Claire Nash
“The visit had really opened our eyes to community development but at the end of day we couldn’t depend on agencies to do everything for us so we had to start doing things ourselves,” Henry continues. “Small in size but big in heart – that’s how we describe this community.”
That’s eight years ago now and during that time they’ve been putting Moneygall on the tourist map as well as improving the quality of life of residents. They’ve done this by developing facilities that everyone can use and enjoy.
Think community garden (officially opened last month), a playground, a multi-use games area (MUGA), an astro-turf pitch, walking and heritage trails, a cottage market and renovations to community buildings. All this took place, of course, against the supportive background of existing organisations like the GAA and the Tidy Towns Committee.
Survey and plans are essential
Everyone around the table agrees that carrying out a household survey and developing a five-year community plan were essential moves.
“That means the research is there about what people want and you have the plan to back up the request for funding,” they say.
Two representatives from Offaly Local Development Company, Siobhan Broderick and Sarah Kennedy, were at the get-together in the hall too and echoed that statement.
The garden
The community bio-garden is their most exciting project to date and 25-30 people have undergone training. Produce is being sold in local shops and in the once-a-month Cottage Market – a GIY initiative – that takes place on the last Sunday of the month in the parish hall.
Produce is being sold in local shops and in the once-a-month Cottage Market – a GIY initiative - that takes place on the last Sunday of the month in the parish hall. \ Clare Nash
“It has to be sustainable,” Eric Crowe says. “It’s built on the model of social enterprise. The whole thing is selling the produce. That’s a different skillset for us to develop as well.”
Currently the committee are looking for funding for the completion of irrigation within their 20mx6m tunnel.
The community bio-garden is their most exciting project to date and 25-30 people have undergone training. \ Claire Nash
Pamela Ball and Margaret O’Brien never miss a Saturday helping out, even in winter. “The community garden is a great social venue where we can all join in, even the children so it’s very inclusive,” they say.
Focus on heritage
The village is in the parish of Dunkerrin, Barna and Moneygall, which straddles the Offaly/Tipperary border and parish registers and graveyards have become an important aspect of the village’s heritage focus.
Two local history groups have worked toward tying a genealogical research service into the Ireland’s Ancient East Initiative and their efforts on this front have already led to a Pride of Place Award.
Retired teacher Pat Sheedy is chair of the village’s GAA club as well as chair of the Dunkerrin History Society and Anne O’Rourke is chair of the Dunkerrin Reaching Out Heritage Group.
The village is in the parish of Dunkerrin, Barna and Moneygall, which straddles the Offaly/Tipperary border. \ Claire Nash
While the history society organises talks and publishes journals every two years, the heritage group focuses on historical walks. “We highlight places of interest along a particular road – an old school, old homestead and a mass rock, for example.”
The walks are enjoyable, they all say. “They’re educational, we have good laughs and you meet a diverse range of people.”
Recording headstone inscriptions has been important too and they are uploading the information to www.historicgraves.ie as time and money permits as a genealogical resource.
“There’s not a headstone in the parish we don’t know about!” Anne says. “All this encourages people who have a connection with the community to come home and visit,” Pat adds.
Publishing local interest books has been a feature too and these are for sale on the village’s website www.moneygall.ie where you can also see a video of all the village has to offer. One of the books, Shining A Light, featured the stories of many nuns. There were 90 nuns in the parish with some families having as many as three!
Moneygall has facilities including a community garden, a playground, a multi-use games area (MUUGA), an astro turf pitch, walking and heritage trails and a cottage market. \ Claire Nash
All isn’t rosy, however, in Moneygall; for example they lost their post office in January. However, they currently have two pubs and a car sales business as well as a 1916 commemorative garden and, of course, the Barack Obama Plaza nearby. An additional €500,000 GAA pitch has just been added also.
A visit to the community garden led to a chat in the tunnel with Cloncannon Bio Farm owner Sean O’Farrell who has helped develop the community garden. Tourists and students frequent his farm also because of his qualifications in biodiversity and conservation.
“It’s very satisfying because there is a ‘wow’ in nature that hopefully I can share with others – here too.”
In the tunnel Sarah and Siobhan surprise everyone with a “pop up thank you” from Offaly Local Development Company in gratitude for the volunteerism that exists in Moneygall.
“None of this could have been done without you guys,” they say, “and we’re acknowledging that today.”
Tips from
Moneygall
Concentrate on one project at a time.Develop a community garden.Organise
heritage trails.Document headstones. Make a video about your village. Record oral history. Read more
No folly in Cullohill where a festival funds development
Top tips from It Takes A Village
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