• Education Design or Fine Art
• BA Illustration

Depopulation of Rural Ireland

Shane McIntyre

The depopulation of rural Ireland is not a recent upheaval. For centuries, this issue has been a constant threat to many communities on the west coast of Ireland. South-west Donegal, and in particular Glencolmcille, has arguably dealt with the brunt of this crisis. The rural Gaeltacht of Glencolmcille has developed an incredibly distinct culture that spans 5,000 years. With the loss of a community, we risk losing the very unique attributes that make this community so authentically ‘Irish’.

The wealth of knowledge in our community, with respect to our native language, ancient heritage sites and local folklore, are at risk of dying out if we lose any more of our population. Through my work, I have aimed to preserve these cultural characteristics that have developed in this region to ensure my community, and a wider audience can easily embrace themselves in our unique way of life in Glencolmcille.