It takes a village: Crafty thinking in Ballinahown

A vintage tearoom, world-class craft studios, ample car parking – the village of Ballinahown definitely has let’s-stop-here appeal. Throw in tidiness, an impressive church and school, butterfly and centenary gardens, tree sculptures, a pub, an agri-business, a shop with old-fashioned charm and a phone kiosk turned into a library – what more could one ask?

And yet there was more. In terms of amenities well-lit walkways have been put in around the soccer pitch so villagers can exercise even late on winter nights and a polytunnel is in situ, too, where flowers for the village are grown and horticultural classes are held.

It seems Ballinahown has thought of everything – but how easy was all that to achieve?

The plan goes back to the 1990s, says Helen Conneely, chair of the Ballinahown Development Group that Irish Country Living met in the Celtic Roots studio beside the church.

Helen is a farmer’s daughter from Galway, a one-time civil engineer with Bord na Mona and now an internationally renowned bogwood sculptor.

Her use of bog wood was triggered by the availability of bog oak left on headlands after Bord na Mona rationalised in the 1990s.

“Bog wood is central to my work,” she says. “The bog really is part of the social fabric of this whole area.”

Helen got an immediate boost as an artist when then Taoiseach Albert Reynolds promoted her work internationally.

“They were looking for something intrinsically Irish to highlight, so it was a great start for me.”

Leader so important

The building we meet in is an old school and used to house CORE, a co-operative of 25 artists from Westmeath and Offaly. While that fizzled out in 2014, showcasing the crafts of those artists and ongoing business training for them is still very much part of the village aim.

Aileen Duffy is secretary of the development group and was project manager with CORE. “Many artists in Ballinahown have had professional training over the years to develop their products and their skills,” she says. “They have developed their brands – the story behind their art and the label and packaging. That is so important for any market.”

In relation to overall village development, both women acknowledge the support of Bord na Mona, Westmeath and Offaly County Councils, and other sponsors in achieving all this – but LEADER support has been fundamental, they say.

“LEADER has transformed rural Ireland, really. The challenge for us was to live in rural Ireland but to be able to have our work shipped all over the world. The idea is that living in rural Ireland shouldn’t stop you.”

The Ballinahown Development Group has had three-year plans since the 1990s and they started small – developing the carpark across the road.

“You start with one project and you complete it, whatever it is: fixing a stone wall or whatever,” says Helen. “It’s a win-win situation then. You get satisfaction from that and then you move on to what needs to be done next.”

Every three to four years the Ballinahown group takes on a big project. “We save up and then get 50% funding or a loan that we’d clear off, then start again. We’d also be doing smaller projects in between but the work is always intuitive. The projects are for ourselves, no one else.”

Community development training has always been a driver in Ballinahown, and the education received by core members from NUI Maynooth and NUIG was brought home and put to good use.

Catalyst and conductor

The tearoom upstairs in the Celtic Roots studio is used as a hub for meetings, while the community hall across the road is also important and houses the workshop of artist Rosemarie Langtry, whose specialty is encaustic painting, with pigments mixed with hot wax.

Helen’s role as village visionary is acknowledged by the others. “Helen is the catalyst – the conductor of the orchestra,” says Micheal Colgan, treasurer and local businessman.

“While there is a core membership of five or six bringing lots of different skills to the group, Helen is our creative: the person who has the concepts, ideas and the bigger picture perspectives. We come in behind her to get the detail done and drive things along with her.”

Cross involvement

Tommy Parker’s principal involvement is with the soccer club. A self-confessed home-bird he loves the buzz of living in Ballinahown: “People are very helpful and there’s always something going on.”

He points to cross-involvement too: “If a person is involved with one group, they’re probably also involved in sport or parish committees as well. That’s the way it is in most villages.”

Development, coupled with conservation, is the overarching ethos, and a walk around the village proves that nothing is wasted.

Louvres removed from church windows were used as plinths in the centenary garden, for example. Old trees weren’t cut down; instead, a chainsaw artist was brought in for 40 days to create sculptures that add to the aesthetic beauty of the walks.

Yes, Ballinahown Craft Village has come a long way and its example will, no doubt, ripple out to inspire many others around the country.

Note: Helen Conneely is a member of Economusee – a network of 93 artists across the world who create art from materials that have heritage appeal and use traditional craft techniques.