Tuamgraney Community Development Plan 2019 -2022

Prepared on behalf of the Community by the Voluntary Community Planning Group

February 2019

Contents Introduction ...... 2 ...... 2 Community Profile ...... 3 Tuamgraney Community Development Planning Process ...... 8 Survey Results & Prioritised Actions ...... 9 Next Steps ...... 10 Appendix 1 – The Survey...... 11 Appendix 2 – Survey Responses ...... 12

1 Introduction This document is the result of a year-long process enabled by Clare Local Development Company. The process leading to this plan was led by a group of local volunteers who worked closely with a facilitator whose role was to guide and inform the planning process. The actions proposed in this plan have been informed by the needs, interests and concerns of those living in the area. Members of the planning group invested a great deal of personal commitment in attending meetings, taking on tasks, and reflecting on the needs brought forward by their community. The planning group was made up of members from following groups:

• Tuamgraney Development • Tuamgraney Handball Club Association • /Tuamgraney GAA Club • Bodyke/Tuamgraney Pastoral • Bodyke/Tuamgraney Camogie Club Council • Raheen Hospital Support Group • Tuamgraney Community Weekend • St. Cronan’s Church Committee • Tuamgraney NS Parents Council • Blossom Harp Festival

The impact of volunteers across the broad spectrum of activities to be found in the community is enormous, and a great deal of gratitude is owed to them. Sincere appreciation is due to those who committed to this planning process.

Tuamgraney Tuamgraney is a village in east . It is a rural community with all the aspects of a traditional rural village, while located in very close proximity to the market town of Scariff. Scariff/Tuamgraney are identified as a Service Town in the Clare County Development Plan 2017-2023. , Clare’s , is 34km from Tuamgraney, a drive of just over half an hour. Tuamgraney is an attractive village with much to offer to residents and visitors. For visitors, there is the historic St. Cronan’s Church, many outdoor activities ranging from walks, horse riding and angling. There are also several businesses providing visitor experiences and products. The potential for expanding visitor numbers has been fully investigated in a recent Community, Tourism and Cultural Development Study. The community is clear on the best things about living in Tuamgraney as evidenced by residents’ views gathered from the community survey that forms the basis of this plan. Best things about life in Tuamgraney: • Community spirit • Cleanliness/upkeep • Small businesses • Peaceful/rural/safe • Woods/Quay/Lake • History/Culture/Heritage • The Green • Location - towns/airport

The task of this process was to allow residents to acknowledge the strengths of the community and to identify aspects which could be improved upon.

2 Community Profile Tuamgraney is situated in the Electoral Divisions of Scariff and Caherhurley.

Collating census data for Tuamgraney is complicated by the fact that the community resides in at least two Caherhurley ED Electoral Divisions.

The data that follows has been gathered from the three Small Areas1 most closely covering the Tuamgraney community. These Small Area ID numbers are 37017001 (1), 37142001 (2) and 37142002 (3).

Population Total Population 2016 257 260

199 195 175

130

65

0 1 2 3 • Total population of the three Small Areas is 631.

1 Small Areas are areas of population generally comprising between 80 and 120 dwellings created by The National Institute of Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) on behalf of the Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) in consultation with CSO. Small Areas were designed as the lowest level of geography for the compilation of statistics in line with data protection and generally comprise either complete or part of or neighborhoods.

3 % Pop Change (2006-16) 0

-0.03

-0.05

-0.08

-0.1 1 2 3 • There was a very small decrease in population in each of the three Small Areas between 2006 and 2016. As Small Area 2 contains the highest population of the three Small Areas, it has been taken as the sample area for several population statistics. Population aged 0 - 19 by sex and year of age - Small Area 2 in 2016 6

5

3

2

0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Male Female • Useful information for childcare and schools. Population aged 20+ by sex and age group - Small Area 2 in 2016 16

12

8

4

0 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+

Male Female • The population of 20-35 year olds is lower than 35-60 year olds suggesting out migration.

4 Usually resident population by place of birth and nationality - Small Area 2 in 2016 300

225

150

75

0 Ireland Poland Other EU 28 Not stated

Birthplace Nationality • Most of the population in Tuamgraney were born in Ireland and are Irish nationals.

Private households by type - Small Area 2 in 2016

Two or more non-related persons 2 Non-family households and relations 4 Two or more family units 1 Mother children and others 1 Father children and others 1 Couple children and others 1 Couple and others 1 Mother and children 16 Father and children 0 Cohabiting couple and children 2 Married couple and children 27 Cohabiting couple 2 Married couple 17 One person 23 0 8 15 23 30 • Married couple with children households are the most numerous • The second most common household type is ‘one person’ households • In 2016 there were 16 households where mothers were parenting alone

5 Permanent Dwellings - Small Area 2 in 2016 100 95

75

50

25 19 5 0 0 Occupied Unoccupied holiday homes • In 2016, 19 dwellings were vacant in Small Area 2. This is 15% of permanent dwellings in this Small Area.

Employment Population aged 15 years and over by principal economic status and sex - Small Area 2 in 2016

Unable to work due to permanent sickness or disability Retired Looking after home/family Student Unemployed having lost or given up previous job Looking for first regular job At work 0 15 30 45 60

Female Male • A significant amount of the population in Small Area 2 is retired. Persons at work by industry and sex - Small Area 2 in 2016

Other Professional services Public administration Transport and communications Commerce and trade Manufacturing industries Building and construction Agriculture forestry and fishing 0 8 15 23 30

Female Male

6 Educational attainment 2016 in each Small Area 40 36.94 34.51

30 21.77 20 17 13 11 10

0 1 2 3

Prop. primary education only (%) Prop. third level education (%)

Disability & Carers

Persons with a disability by sex in Small Area 2 in 2016 Disability Male Female Total Total 12 20 32

Carers by sex Carers Male Female Total Total 6 7 13

7 Tuamgraney Community Development Planning Process Following an initial expression of interest by Tuamgraney Development Association to Clare Local Development Company, a four-phase process was undertaken to inform this plan: 1) An Orientation Phase: This phase involved the establishment of the planning group to lead and project-manage the planning process in Tuamgraney. Orientation was provided on how to conduct an evidence-informed planning process while materials and information were also provided to the planning group to support the process.

2) An Information Gathering Phase: The planning group implemented a broad-based consultation process during Phase 2. A survey was developed (see Appendix 1) to enable residents to identify strengths, needs, interests and concerns from their experiences of living in Tuamgraney, and to identify priority projects that they’d like addressed in the emerging community plan. A total of 100 individuals from across the life cycle responded to the survey as outlined below: Age of Respondents 50 46

38

25 15 16 10 13 6 1 1 0 Under 18 18-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66 - 75 76+ The high number of respondents under the age of 18 reflects the kind support of the National School in encouraging pupils to respond. The low number of respondents in the 18-35 is, in part, explained by the low population numbers in this cohort. The gender breakdown of respondents was 62% female and 38% male

3) Analysis of Information and Action Planning Phase: Phase 3 required the planning group to examine the information gathered through the community consultation, identify priority needs and select priority actions based on both need and the ability of the community to implement the actions.

4) Writing Phase: Phase 4 involved the preparation, agreement and finalisation of this document as the core output of the planning process.

8 Survey Results & Prioritised Actions There were a very large number of suggestions in the returned surveys. The full list can be found in appendix 2, the actions prioritised for this plan are as follows:

Prioritised Action Lead Group Location Timefram e Children’s play equipment TDA & Parents’ The Park 2 years 1 Council (subject to consultation) Form a representative group to All the main Explore all 1 year 2 explore Community Centre community groups. options within options village Implement other main TDA and other Various After recommendations of partners community Tuamgraney Community, centre 3 Tourism and Cultural Study plan (May 2018) - Handball Museum and Develop Castle. Form (sub)group to develop off TDA & partners, e.g. 1. Complete 1 year to road walk/cycle route(s) CLDC / Clare Co. the link to form Co. / Waterways groups 4 Ireland / Scariff 2. Community Council / Route Ogonnelloe group

Welcome & information pack TDA form sub-group N/A 1 year 5 for new residents Information sharing on local TDA for N/A 1 year to 6 activities/events for residents representative group form group and visitors Evening classes TDA – circulate Explore all 1 year poster on how to venue options organise classes/ within village 7 clubs and encourage people to start classes themselves

9 Lobbying for: TDA Various 1 – 5 years • Upgrade of quays • Traffic plan implementation • CCTV • 60km speed limit at Steiner school 8 • New housing • Improved road surfacing • Electric car charger point • Uber type transport solution

Next Steps This plan reflects the needs, interests and concerns of the community as identified by its residents in 2018. Lead groups have been assigned to each prioritised action and a timeline given for completion; the steps required to implement each action will be determined by its lead group. Several of the actions and issues identified through the survey were already being addressed by local groups, while others were outside the current scope or capacity of local groups. A number of new ideas and initiatives have been suggested which would be supported, but for these to be enacted it will require additional volunteers and resources. If you think you could help to get new initiatives going, we would be delighted to hear from you. The full list of survey responses is contained in appendix 2. The planning group is extremely grateful to everyone in the community who assisted in this process, especially those who completed the survey.

10 Appendix 1 – The Survey Have your say! We need your help to plan the future of Tuamgraney. A Tuamgraney Planning Group has been formed by volunteers from several groups active in the community (including Active Ageing, Blossom Harp Festival, Community Weekend, GAA, ICA, Pastoral Council, Raheen Hospital Support, TDA, Tuamgraney N.S. Parents Council and Youth Club). Following a successful application for assistance we are being supported by Clare Local Development Company to create a Community Development Plan for Tuamgraney. We are one of the first 10 communities in County Clare who have been selected for this. The plan will identify the needs of the community for the years ahead. This is a completely new process and separate from the recently published Tourism, Community & Cultural Development Study for Tuamgraney. The two documents together will be invaluable for considering our future development needs. We would like to find out what people think about Tuamgraney – what you like about it and what you would like to see improved. We are asking everyone in the locality to think about the questions below, talk about them with family, friends and neighbours, and then give us your thoughts. All ideas, big or small, are welcome. We are trying to get this survey to as many people as possible by having it delivered to each household. Each person in your household is likely to have different views, so if you need additional copies of the survey they are available at the Nilands 24/7, St Joseph’s Church and the Parish House, Tuamgraney or you can complete the online version here http://bit.do/ TuamgraneyOnlineSurvey Please encourage everyone you know to complete it. We want to hear from younger people, older people and everyone in between! If you know someone who might find it difficult to complete the survey, please offer to help them. Everybody's opinion is valued, and by completing the survey your views will be considered with those of your family, friends and neighbours when we compile the Tuamgraney Community Development Plan. The deadline for completing and returning your survey is Saturday 14th July 2018. You can return your completed survey to Niland’s 24/7 or St Joseph’s Church or the Parish House, Tuamgraney, or you can complete the online version. All responses are confidential and once reviewed we will provide a summary of the results before finalising the Development Plan.

PLEASE WRITE YOUR ANSWERS CLEARLY. THANK YOU. I am: Male Female I am aged: under 18 / 18 – 35 / 36 – 45 / 46 – 55 / 56 – 65 / 66 – 75 / 76+ Questions: • What are the best things about life in Tuamgraney? • What would improve the quality of life in Tuamgraney? • Please list actions you would prioritise to improve life in this community.

11 Appendix 2 – Survey Responses What would improve life in Tuamgraney?

Total Comm. NS Children's play area/playground 25 15 10 Community centre/space/hall 18 18 0 Indoor swimming pool 13 1 12 Cycle/walk paths - woodland/link quays 9 9 0 Cycle lane (Scariff) 8 2 6 Litter bins 8 6 2 Reduce vehicle speed 8 8 0 Youth facilities/activities 8 8 0 Use water more - kayaking/fishing/ watersports 8 6 2 Sports facilities - soccer/running/boxing 7 5 2 Housing for young families 6 5 1 Social events / classes 6 6 0 St. Cronan's for events/parties/cinema 6 3 3 Parking spaces - church/school/events 5 5 0 More shops - clothes/farmers' mkt 5 3 2 Jobs/jobs training 5 5 0 Street lights - approach roads/to GAA/ park 5 5 0 Litter reduction campaign 5 0 5 Upgrade Memorial Park 4 3 1 Upgrade Reddan's Quay - slip/toilets/ water 4 4 0 BBQ/picnic area 4 2 2 Tourist facilities/accomm. 4 3 1

These are things that people suggested and that are already happening: • Use St. Cronan’s for events • Clarify boundary between Tuamgraney and Scariff – signage happening • General upkeep – paint, landscaping – Tidy Towns – could use more volunteers • Implement new Tourism Plan

12 • Restore St. Cronan’s – in Tourism Plan and started • Tourist information boards • Talk with vacant property owners - TDA • Upgrade park - TDA • Supports for elderly – have been offered, no take-up so far • 2 public meetings a year – 11 TDA meetings a year open to residents • History / culture projects – talks at community weekends • Better signage on one-way system - TDA • Christmas / Easter display in park - TDA • Keep Tuamgraney authentic, no big developments - TDA • Improve signage to local places - TDA • Canoe/kayak facilities – in Scariff Harbour • Improve entrance to Dock Road - underway • Welcome signs at entrance to village - TDA • Pedestrian crossing at NS - TDA • Astroturf at GAA – GAA planning to do this • Gym – GAA gym in place • Involve public representatives – strong engagement already • Renovate derelict buildings – engaged with Co. Co. / owners • Café – in new Art & Craft Coop and in Tourism Plan

These are things that people suggested, but we need groups or new volunteers to take on/ explore: • Cigarette buts/chewing gum – school (at secondary school) • Cemetery needs attention – St. Coolan’s committee • Basketball court - school • Evening classes – happening in the school – need more? • Writers’ Festival • Mindful/kindness projects • Better/more recycling – already happening • More social events – no suitable community space at the moment • Environmental sustainability projects • Expand June Festival • Upgrade handball facilities • Kids’ Club –need volunteers • Gymnastics classes

These are the suggestions that haven’t been prioritised for this plan: • Swimming pool – Killaloe/too expensive & hard to maintain • Cycle lane to Scariff – road not wide enough all the way • Litter bins – attract household waste • Sports facilities - Scariff • Microenterprise space – there is space available • Picnic tables/seating – have at quay and river • Better/more recycling – good facilities in Scariff • Reduce pesticides/weed killer/plant native species – already happening • Control dogs – not aware of problem • Water park – private sector venture • Go Kart track – private sector venture • Clothes shop – private sector • Paddle boats – private sector • Support Made in Clare shop – already happening • More places to eat and stay – private sector • Local guide scheme – going to start with info boards • Outdoor gym equipment – in Scariff

13 • Re-energise Farmers’ Market - Scariff • Reduce car boot fee – private enterprise • Footpath to Bodyke – prioritising L. Derg path • Open gym to over 14s – not good practice – over 16 only • Community garden - Scariff • Street lighting – good provision • Soccer pitch - Scariff • Jobs/job training – we create environment for jobs. Promote services; CLDC, ETB, • Pedestrian crossing at Nuala’s – have enough • Water feature in park – upgrade planned, will consider but not commit. • Bus shelter – not enough buses • Play area at NS – no space, but prioritising play equipment in village • PE hall NS – no space • P.O. – Scariff P.O. nearby. Bank – private enterprise • Mental health services – Scariff – provide info • Remove crucifix in front of beautiful Lime tree – historic feature/part of park • Chalk for chalk board – privately owned • Tennis court - Killaloe • Recreation park/bouncy castle – working on play equipment • Promote sources of microenterprise supports – supports provided by Local Enterprise Office and CLDC

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