Hats off to Carl O’Brien for his insightful feature on the economic situation in my native county, Longford. Through talking to a wide cross section of the local community – politicians, traders, publicans, auctioneers, farmers, commuters, immigrants – he paints what I feel is a very accurate picture of what’s happening there.
A drive through most parishes reveals an empty or unfinished housing development, while recently built commercial/industrial units lie dormant on the outskirts of Longford town. In the town itself, the high number of vacant retail spaces is evident and on the Main St a brand new shopping centre lies empty with no anchor tenant. The county has experienced many problems with its water supply in recent years and, like everywhere else, the job situation is prompting young people to skip the country.
Growing up in Longford, I always felt that local establishment figures (namely politicians and local media) were always too sensitive to any coverage the county received in the national media. Read the rest of this entry »
