'Clubs worried': Leaving of Longford as 'lots of lads have gone to Australia, America and Canada'

Longford's Caoimhín Ó Fearghail will feature on TG4’s flagship current affairs programme 'Iniúchadh TG4' this week as it examines the impact of rural decline in remote parts of Ireland. 

The documentary Bánú na Tuaithe (Rural Depopulation) presented by the award-winning investigative journalist Kevin Magee and airing on Wednesday, March 25 at 9.30pm, explores the pressing question: Is rural Ireland really dying? 

And during the programme, Caoimhín, from Cashel GAA in Newtowncashel, reveals that seven players, or 30 per cent of the team that won the Longford County Intermediate Championship in 2009, are now living broad.

Speaking in Irish, Caoimhín explained, “Lots of the lads have gone to Australia, America and Canada. Every rural club is struggling for numbers, and the club is worried about that — that people will want out or that they will emigrate."

According to the latest 2022 census figures, the population of Ireland at 5.149 million was up 8% per cent on the previous 2016 figure. 

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South Kerry GAA board carried out an analysis of the decline in school enrolment numbers in its area. It calculated that there has been a 41 per cent fall in the combined primary school population at 13 national schools in the 28-year period from 1993 to 2021. The board has predicted that certain clubs “will have major difficulty fielding underage teams” in the future. 

South Kerry GAA board chair Joseph McCrohan said: “If you want to measure a GAA club and you want to measure what's going to happen to a GAA club in the next number of years, take a look at the primary school. If you’ve kids in primary school, you’ll have football teams, hurling teams. If you don't, you're in trouble.” 

This year, five south Kerry clubs, Reenard, Waterville, Dromid, Cahersiveen and Valentia had to join together to field an under -14 boys’ team. 

General Secretary of the INTO, John Boyle also tell the programme that more than 70 rural primary schools are under threat of closure if the current trend in rural depopulation continues. 

According to the latest data from the Department of Education and Youth, the number of children enrolling in primary schools across the country fell by 6,470 last year. 

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Eleven primary schools have closed permanently since last June due to falling rolls, with others now facing an uncertain future. According to the INTO, the problem is getting worse. 

Speaking in Irish Mr Boyle said, “If things continue the way they are, more than 70 schools will come under pressure. These small schools are located at the heart of the area, at the heart of the community, and if they close them, like the post office and other places, there will be no heart left in these communities. It is therefore extremely important to the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation that the government properly supports small schools.”