With their village heading into decline, the residents of Upperchurch, Co Tipperary took matters into their own hands and staged an impressive comeback, writes John G O'Dwyer
The pastoral landscape is deeply rural and appealing, but not in a picture-postcard way. Nestling in a valley beneath flat-topped hills, the village is eye-catching but unspectacular. The community hall is meticulously maintained and has been renovated, but this doesn't disguise the fact that it is a product of leaner times and scarcer resources. Only on arrival at the intimate village centre is there promise of true stay-awhile charm. Both the adjoining hostelries have meticulously preserved a vernacular but unpretentious architectural style. On a sunnier day this would surely be the sort of place to linger and chat.
Inside Kinane's pub it's cosy and fire-lit and surprisingly busy for a rural Saturday afternoon. Toasted sandwiches are on the go for a group of walkers who have just completed the newly developed Loop Circuit, while catering staff are busy in preparation for the arrival of yet another party for evening dinner. With pubs closing all across rural Ireland, this upland community proudly bucks the national trend. Ten years ago Upperchurch in Co Tipperary had just one pub; now the village has three - and a reputation for the quality of its hospitality and food that brings diners flocking from far and wide.
And we shouldn't really be surprised at this, for Upperchurch has for two decades consistently punched above its weight in terms of rural development, with its people resolutely failing to be constrained by modest circumstances. The community here makes no claim to eye-grabbing mountains, signature visitor attractions or iconic buildings. Instead, the strength of the place clearly comes from its people; even after a cursory visit it is apparent that the raw material for achievement has been the doughty determination of its citizenry.
For two decades now they have swum valiantly and with considerable success against what has been for many other, better-endowed communities an unstoppable tide of rural decline. Other much-hyped developments have flamed brightly only to fizzle out with equal rapidity, but here it has been all about perseverance, for Upperchurch/Drombane Development Association is this year celebrating 21 years of continual progression.
CONCEIVED IN THE darkest days of nightmare unemployment and Slattery's bus emigration, the association has initiated and supported a multitude of rural development projects for its hilly hinterland. An almost-entirely renewed village and a well-maintained natural environment are the legacies of a long-running Fás scheme. A voluntary housing programme led to the construction and management of an innovative housing scheme that enables senior citizens and other families to continue living in the area.
The Uplands Technology Centre is another initiative where the level of success confounded expectations. Conceived initially as a project for enhancing local skills, the project - which was once described as "computers for the terrified" - is now the modern technology alma mater for over 600 students, who travelled from 10 neighbouring parishes for their first tentative steps into the digital age.
There is also a locally co-ordinated scheme aimed at combating rural isolation by providing transport to churches, shops, colleges and suchlike for those who wish to continue living in remote areas, while the community focus is now directed firmly on its most expensive project to date - the construction of a €1.2 million childcare centre. And the upland village regularly welcomes visiting groups from around the world, hosts foreign language students and has organised a long-running and renowned village festival that was once headlined by Shane MacGowan.
It was Monday when I caught up with Con Ryan - the well-known former chairman of the Development Association - and Niamh Kinane, the current secretary, as they busied themselves with preparations for the community's second annual Hillwalking Festival.
Last year the inaugural event was a remarkable success, attracting almost 600 ramblers, and this time around the organisers are planning to expand the range of walks with the help of local farmers, who - unlike many of their counterparts nationwide - are happy to allow walkers access to working farms.
WITH THE ENERGY and infectious enthusiasm of someone a half-century younger, Ryan speaks of his newfound sense of hope for the community's future. He is quick to point out that, 25 years ago, it was projected that the population of Upperchurch would inevitably fall to 400. No non-agricultural dwelling had been built in the area for more than 60 years and it was suggested that the new school would eventually become a foresters' hut.
"But the present population is over 1,200 and for the first time houses are being built in this area that are not attached to land," says Ryan. "There is a new-found vibrancy and enthusiasm and it's now fashionable to live in this community. Professionally-qualified people are beginning to see the advantages of living and raising families in areas where a strong sense of community remains."
Convincingly argued, but what is the source of such apparently boundless community energy when volunteerism is in decline elsewhere? How has Upperchurch, with such scarce resources, transformed itself into a multi-award-winning rural development initiative, while more populous centres are hard-put to find volunteers for even a modest tidy towns initiative? Niamh Kinane believes that the fortitude of this isolated community arose out of adversity.
"We had no option but to try harder and be persistent since we had so little," says Kinane. "Then the farming organisations such as Macra na Feirme and IFA provided us with the required training."
"They took the humps out of our backs and gave us confidence," interjects Ryan, who is himself a former National chairman of the IFA's Rural Development Committee. "And projects such as the Ned of the Hills Festival were ideal for getting the entire community behind us," adds Kinane.
In the morning Kinane is off to Dublin for yet another meeting about the Childcare Centre, while Ryan is making final checks on the walking festival routes. First, however, they must arrange for the unveiling of a plaque in the village by one of the community's best-known sons, former Minister for Education and EU Commissioner Richard Burke. Every detail of the event is discussed with military precision: the invitation list, the food, the transport arrangements, the photographer and who exactly will do what.
STILL NOT FULLY satisfied I had uncovered all that lies behind the Upperchurch phenomenon, I head into the chilly November air. Across the street, enthusiasts are gathering for an Irish night in Murray's pub while, down the road, lights are still glowing in the hall which has now become the heartbeat of the community.
And then it strikes me - this is all about vision and leadership. Modesty is forbidding those driving Upperchurch forward from stating the blindingly obvious: the community is endowed with a core of high-quality and visionary leaders who are in for the long haul. With passionate motivators like Ryan, Kinane and all those others labouring late in the village hall, failure in its endeavours by this community is never going to be an option.
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Onwards: Upperchurch on the rise
The village of Upperchurch is located about 15km west of Thurles, just off the R503 to Limerick. The parish is co-joined with nearby Drombane and extends to a total land area of 7,500 hectares. Both parishes are within the Slievefelim Hills area. The land is predominately classed disadvantaged or severely disadvantaged and rises to an elevation of 430m.
In 1858 the population of Upperchurch/Drombane was 6,200. Today it stands at 1,250, but the decline has now been arrested and the population is increasing for the first time in 150 years.
The community has won many plaudits for rural development, including an award for its community endeavour initiatives from Co-operation Ireland. The Upland Technology Centre won a Cait prize for providing community access to information technology, while in May 2007 the parish scooped an Irish Rural Link award for its hard work and dedication to community development. The immediate objectives are the completion of the childcare centre, the wider promotion of hillwalking and the development of a bog adjacent to the village as a wildlife sanctuary and environmental laboratory.