Synopsis:
If there is life, there can be a community. Often I hear sure rural is dead, pubs are dead, the community is dead. If this is true it’s because the people are dead! I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss any big news bulletin about a community being completely wiped out?
So a community may be sleeping, it may even have had a heart attack but thankfully many have woken from their sleep and many have survived a heart attack. This means a community can also regain consciousness but like many medical emergencies it requires a team effort.
Key Takeaways:
- Connect and help awaken a sleeping community.
- What do you do when a heart attack occurs?
- There is no rule book.
- Be brave and be bold.
About Aoife Keady:
My name is Aoife Keady and I’m the founder of What’s Where. After 4 years studying Irish and Translation studies in NUIG I leased my first pub in my final year and a common phrase I kept hearing was ‘I would’ve gone if I’d known it was on’. I couldn’t understand why people didn’t know but communication was changing and not everyone was adapting.
After it kept me awake night after night in 2017 I began interviewing 3,000 people and 99% said the famous words. I began to investigate further and from that unmet need What’s Where was born, your central source of Ireland’s best events at the touch of a button. We’re launching in 2020 and currently looking to build teams so I’d love to speak to you if your interested.
Contacting Aoife Keady:
By Aoife Keady
Firstly I apologise for making a reference to a heart attack but gladly I know many more people who have survived one than that have died from one. So your community, my community, have we enough to fill Croke Park? The answer doesn’t really make a difference because I don’t think there’s a community in Ireland who attempts to get that many people together on a regular basis. I checked out the 2016 Census and it turns out Malin in Donegal has the smallest population on record at 92 people. Please let me know if your aware of smaller populations. Anyway 45 of them are female and 47 are male. I don’t think I know anyone living in Malin but I’d love to know how their community is doing? This is the age variation living there.
0-17 years – (6 people)
18-64 years – (56 people)
65 years + (30 people)
I dug a little deeper and found an article about their Community Centre celebrating 100 years back in 2012 and they’d gotten some funding to renovate it. It states there was a turnout of 150 so maybe a few gatecrashers but no harm in that. 🙂
Also in the article it says: Community Association chairman, Robert Farren said: “In essence, it’s about building something sustainable by bringing people, both young and old, together from across the community to work toward a shared future. The centre is ideally placed as a driver for economic and social inclusion, building inter-cultural bridges and showcasing the immense local talent – not only in music but in crafts and art.
“To that end we’ll be hosting cultural events throughout the year and setting up a crafters’ co-op which will see some of the older generation sharing and teaching their talents in weaving and spinning, knitwear and lace-making so that some of these traditional arts don’t die out.
ref Inishowen News
They sound like they’re on track to keep their community alive regardless of their size. After reading and learning more about Malin I’d like to go and visit and see for myself what kind of community they have because they’re sounding like a nice bunch.
What’s the point to all this? This place has the smallest population on the census record and it sounds like they’ve a tight knit community that’s trying it’s best to stay connected. What’s your community like? Is it thriving? Is it asleep? Has it had a heart attack? Don’t tell me it’s dead, as my synopsis states I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss a news bulletin about a community being completely wiped out and thankfully so. Therefore I strongly believe all is not lost. So this is Wikipedia’s description of a heart attack.
‘A heart attack occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to a part of the heart.’
This is exactly what is happening in some areas across Ireland and like many medical emergencies a team effort has better results whether it’s to call an ambulance, find medication, begin CPR or use a defibrillator. We want and need connected communities so put on your big girl knickers or big boy pants and help awaken any sleeping communities or start that CPR. Loneliness is the silent killer here but there’s a cure and each and every one of us have it at our disposal.
There is no rule book, the future is still unwritten, we can and we will make a difference in our communities. They need us now more than ever. I’m making it my mission, feel free to join me.
Be brave and be bold. Believe in your ability. Never give up. Time will tell.
