#WeAreAthleague A Community and Economic Plan for and its Hinterlands September 2019 Dening Athleague: The Plan focuses not just on Athleague village but also on its hinterlands. It covers from Scrine to Rookwood bridge to Castlestrange and Clooneen, all of which are within a 4km radius of the village centre. Contents 1. Introduction and Background n The Athleague Plan and its Background n How We Did Things: Our Planning Process 2. Athleague: Our Place and Our People n Where We Are n Where We’ve Come From n Who We Are and What We Do n Physical and Functional Athleague n What Others Think 3. Bringing Athleague Forward 01 n How We Shaped Our Work n Our Planning Workshops n What People Told Us: Our Consultation Feedback 4. Drawing It All Together: A Plan for Athleague n Introduction n Taking Things Forward: Our Priorities n Theme 1: Physical Athleague n Theme 2: Business Athleague n Theme 3: Tourist Athleague n Theme 4: Community Athleague Appendices: 1. Notes of a Planning Workshop, 4 April 2019 02 Roscommon Athleague and Hinterlands Galway ONE Introduction and Background The Athleague Plan and its Background process was co-funded by the Athleague community, Athleague is an historic village of largely linear form, Roscommon County Council and the Department of located on a crossing of the River Suck and on the N63 in Community and Rural Affairs’ Town and Village Renewal west Roscommon, about five miles from Roscommon town. funds. The village itself is home to some 250 people and it lies at This Plan is the result of that process. the heart of a wider Athleague community of over 1,100 people. It is also a busy place economically and socially, How We Did Things: Our Planning hosting several micro-businesses (largely service-oriented) as well as significant meat-processing activity. All of this is Process underpinned by a strong combination of ‘community 03 infrastructure + heritage legacy + environmental assets + The Athleague planning process was multi-layered and strategic location’. involved: n In 2009 and again in 2015/16 the village was seriously Desk research and analyses flooded which led to a robust and successful community n Interactive local community planning workshops response. Flood remedial works are now in place, but the n Presentations from external speakers who shared their community was keen to maintain and build on the personal and professional local development development and self-help momentum created. experiences: this ‘Dragons Den’ approach was an innovative approach to community planning which Accordingly, in early 2019 the local Athleague community brought a new energy to the process, provided and Roscommon County Council came together to facilitate Athleague with different perspectives and was firmly the development of a Local Community and Economic Plan rooted in the principle and practice of learning from for Athleague village and its hinterlands. As well as people who’d ‘been there, done that’ in their own settings developing a Plan the process also involved energizing a collaborative Local Village Team which could lead out on n Consultation surveys and an engagement with local the development and implementation of the Plan. The National School pupils. n Study visits to Manorhamilton and Tyrone. The planning process looked at Athleague from four interlinked perspectives: Helping energize the n Physical Athleague, concerned with the village fabric, traffic, walkways, environment, appearance, public realm and dereliction/vacancy Athleague Planning n Business Athleague, looking at jobs, work, economic development, retailing and commercial activity Process were: n Tourist Athleague, bringing the focus onto attracting people into Athleague, in marketing and promoting our Athleague Active Age village and surroundings and in creating a ‘Wow’ factor. Athleague Amenity Group n Community Athleague, ‘bringing it all back home’ with a Athleague Apostolic Association focus on ourselves, on looking after our own home population, on developing our community and Athleague Community Centre understanding/celebrating our local history and heritage Athleague Fair and Festival Committee and natural environment/biodiversity. 04 Athleague Heritage Group This framework has been retained for the actual Plan itself. Athleague Hurling and Camogie Clubs Athleague National School Parents Association Athleague Parish Council Athleague Suck Valley Centre Athleague Tidy Towns Athleague/Tremane Debrillator Group Roscommon County Council St Ciaran’s Football Club Suck Valley Way Development Association Local businesses TWO Athleague: Our Place and Our People Where We Are Athleague village is in south-west Roscommon, some 8km from Roscommon town. It sits on the junction of the N63 National Route and the R362, where the latter crosses the River Suck. Its name is derived from Áth Liag, 'The ford of the flagstones', reflecting its historic strategic location as a major crossing point between the 7th/8th century kingdoms of the Uí Maine and Uí Briúin. It remains a busy place with 3,500 vehicles passing through daily. 05 The area is largely rural, low-lying and is set out in pastureland. The Roscommon County Development Plan 2014-20 Landscape Character Assessment (page 66) defines this area as ‘LCA 12, Athleague and Lower Suck Valley’ and assesses the local landscape character as follows: ‘The western edge of the Athleague and Lower Suck Valley character area is bounded by the River Suck while its eastern boundary is delineated by an elevated ridge line as far east as Scrine Hill. It is the longest character area in the county extending from the village of Castlecoote in the north to the N6 in the south. The landform gently undulates from the north to south petering into flat low land where it meets the flood plains of the Suck Callows east of Ballinasloe in County Galway. Dry grassland dominates the elevated regions in the north, while raised bog and reclaimed bog, as well as wet grassland, occur in the lowlands in the south. There are nature designations all along the Suck River. The R357 and R363 are the main regional roads, and although built development is generally evenly spread in the area there is an increase in concentration along these roads leading into Athleague. The overall image of this character area is of a gently undulating dry grassland farmland with the River Suck winding its way through creating a subtle valley.’ Where We’ve Come From Who We Are and What We Do There has been a settlement at Athleague for more than The 2016 Census showed that 1,117 people lived in the 1,500 years, with an original church founded around 500AD Athleague Plan’s catchment area, with 260 (23%) based in by Maenucan Atha Liacc ('Maonagán of Athleague'). It is the village itself. That represents a growth of about 50 referenced several times in the medieval Annals of people (5%) over the previous decade. Connacht, Lough Cé and The Four Masters. Athleague’s population is a fixed rather than a transient one Over time Athleague village has developed into a local with fewer than 5% having lived somewhere else a year residential, employment, service and community centre and before the 2016 Census. is an established, central part of community and economic The population is spread across 444 households, giving an life in this part of Roscommon. average household size of 2.52 (smaller than the national The local heritage assets include: average of 2.75). More than half Athleague's households (58%) are one or two-person households: n A significant water mill and drying kiln, built around 1800 but no longer in use ATHLEAGUE n Athleague Castle, a three-storey 17th century fortified Household Sizes 06 house n A stone and brick dovecote dating from around 1830 n The La Tene Stone at Castlestrange, Athleague n A former Church of Ireland built in 1841 on the banks of One Two Three Four the River Suck, and now reconfigured as an Person Person Person Person Angling/Tourist Centre 136 120 76 112 n A location on the 50 km Suck Valley Way and its connectivity with the national Beara Breifne walkway Defining Athleague: For the purposes of this Plan, Athleague is defined as the CSO Census Small Areas 197007002, 197006002, 197085002, 197085001 and 197007001. They range across the Athleague East, Athleague West and Lisnaha Electoral Divisions. This catchment definition comprises an area within a 4km radius of Athleague village. The overall Athleague population age profile is older than the national average with 20% aged 65 or over compared with just 13% nationally: ATHLEAGUE Age Breakdown 65+ 20% 0-15 20% 16-39 26% 40-65 34% In terms of educational attainment, Athleague's figures for its Over 16 population are as follows and are close to the national averages: 07 ATHLEAGUE Educational Attainment Degree⁺ 5% No Formal 1% Degree Primary 18% 16% Post School 18% Secondary 42% Athleague's older age profile is reflected in the 17% of its Just over half (53%) of the local people who are in over 16-year-olds (the economically active sector) who are employment, work in 'white collar' jobs but, as expected in retired. One-person-in-ten is classed as a Home Maker a rural part of a largely rural County, agriculture remains whilst a similar proportion are Students. important as an employment sector: 08 ATHLEAGUE ATHLEAGUE ATHLEAGUE Employment How People What People Status Work Work At Ill/Disabled 5% Other 15% Agriculture ⁺ 16% Managerial/Technical Other 18% Retired 17% Professional 31% Construction 5% Home Makers 10% At Work 52% Skilled/Unskilled 17% Services 24% Manufacturing 12% Non Manual 22% Students 10% Commerce 16% Skilled 15% Public Unemployed 6% 9% ATHLEAGUE Physical and History Makers James Curley (1796-1889) Functional Athleague - Born in Athleague - An Astronomer who determined the latitude and longitude of Athleague is a linear village, east-to-west from ‘Keenagh to Washington, D.C.