Changing Ireland

Changing Ireland Ireland’s No. 1 Community Development magazine, publishing quality journalism since 2001. HQ Moyross, Limerick.

Social enterprises are quietly transforming the lives of people leaving prison — and strengthening whole communities in ...
09/12/2025

Social enterprises are quietly transforming the lives of people leaving prison — and strengthening whole communities in the process.

Our newest article is led by Dr Jody Moore-Ponce, a postdoctoral researcher at Cork University Business School , working on the EU Horizon WISESHIFT project, which examines work-integration social enterprises (WISEs) across Europe. She is joined by principal investigator Prof Mary O’Shaughnessy and mentor Dr Mara Van Twuijver.

Their piece explores how WISEs provide stability, routine, connection, and real employment for people navigating the difficult transition from custody back into community life. Featuring new UK research by Rebecca Jayne Oswald, insights from initiatives like the , and fresh European evidence on WISE impact.

Read the full article in our newest issue — or online at:
👉 www.changingireland.ie

08/12/2025

Hi everyone — Allen here, editor of Changing Ireland.

Our latest magazine is going out countrywide this week, and our lead story is a remarkable interview with singer and activist Gemma Dunleavy

Gemma, who grew up in Dublin’s north inner city, described her identity in a way that stopped me in my tracks:
“Community to me means soil — the soil my roots are planted in.”

She speaks openly about the pressures her community faces — gentrification, neglect, and the fight for dignity — but also about the strength passed down through generations of women who shaped her sense of justice.

She shares the incredible story of her great-grandmother, the “midwife of the Monto,” and why she continues to use her platform to stand up for communities like hers, including speaking out on the long-running campaign for justice for Terence Wheelock.

This is one of the most grounded, honest conversations we’ve published this year.

Read the full story here ➤ https://www.changingireland.ie/gemma-dunleavy-community-to-me-means-soil/

North Wall CDP
The Rotunda Hospital, Dublin

04/12/2025

“Community to me means soil…” – Gemma Dunleavy

Singer and activist Gemma Dunleavy , known for her breakout hit Up De Flats, spoke to Changing Ireland about what community truly means in Dublin’s north inner city — and why the fight for justice continues.

From gentrification pressures to decades of neglect, Gemma describes the women of her area as the pillars who “kept the place warm with their hands” when the State did not. She also uses her platform to highlight local injustices — including the ongoing campaign for a public inquiry into the death of Terence Wheelock, 20 years on.

Her message is powerful:
🔸 Find your people.
🔸 Build community.
🔸 Educate yourselves.
🔸 And protect what keeps you rooted.

Read the full interview and hear her call for solidarity, creativity, and local action:
👉 https://www.changingireland.ie



03/12/2025

Social Enterprise Spotlight: Tralee trainees get a kickstart serving coffee ☕🇮🇪🌍
-International-Resource-Centre

In Tralee, people seeking refuge in Ireland are gaining skills, confidence and community through a simple but powerful social enterprise — the Coffee Pod on Boherbee Road. Operated by Tralee International Resource Centre (TIRC), the converted horsebox is now one of Ireland’s most impactful integration projects.

For many, including Ukrainian learner Dariia Asieieva, barista training has been a lifeline.
Dariia completed 48 hours of hands-on work experience shortly after arriving in Ireland — and says it helped her improve her English, gain confidence, and feel part of the local community.

The The Coffee Pod is built on two aims:
1️⃣ Supporting people into work — with barista skills, customer service, manual handling and Irish workplace experience.
2️⃣ Integration in action — locals order their coffee from people from Ukraine, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan and more, creating everyday moments of connection.

Manager Mary Carroll says over 50 trainees have completed the programme, with many now in work.
Funders and supporters such as , the Community Recognition Fund, LEADER, and Newkd have all played vital roles in making the project possible.

✨ Read the full story here:
https://www.changingireland.ie/cloudpicker-coffee-from-a-converted-horsebox-gives-refugees-a-kickstart/

02/12/2025

More than three years after the invasion, over 2,600 Ukrainians are rebuilding their lives in Sligo — and community support is playing a vital role.

Sligo LEADER Partnership Company Ltd is helping families access training such as SafePass, Manual Handling, first aid, barista skills, CV support, and mock interviews. Their youth programmes — from surf camps to robotics classes — are helping children settle in, make friends, and learn English quickly.

Employment Links Worker Anna Koka, herself a Ukrainian refugee, supports people daily as they navigate services, education, and job opportunities.

“Everyone is really thankful for the support that Ireland provided from the first day, and continues to provide,” she says.

Read the full story here:
🔗 https://www.changingireland.ie/ukrainians-in-sligo-everyone-is-really-thankful-for-the-support/



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Fr. Michael Mernagh has spent more than six decades fighting poverty and injustice — from the Liberties in Dublin to rur...
01/12/2025

Fr. Michael Mernagh has spent more than six decades fighting poverty and injustice — from the Liberties in Dublin to rural Ireland and South Africa.

🔹 Arrested for defending a Traveller family
🔹 Targeted by Charles Haughey for challenging inequality
🔹 Founder of the
🔹 Helped establish the PAUL Partnership in Limerick now called
🔹 Believes activism is central to living the Gospel

Today, as he turns 88, Fr. Mernagh is urging a new generation of community workers to take the lead — and to be properly supported while they do it.

👉 Read his powerful reflections and lifelong advocacy for equality:
Full article: https://www.changingireland.ie/the-activist-liberties-priest-fr-michael-mernagh/


Pavee Point

National Traveller Womens Forum


Community life across Ireland changed dramatically during Covid — meetings turned into Zoom calls, long-running traditio...
28/11/2025

Community life across Ireland changed dramatically during Covid — meetings turned into Zoom calls, long-running traditions paused overnight, and the shift back hasn’t been simple.

In Offaly, held their first fully in-person meeting since the pandemic in September. While hybrid options were a lifeline — especially for members juggling family and farm life — the club found that connection suffered and numbers declined. Returning fully in-person is helping rebuild momentum and welcome new members.

Across Galway, noticed that social activities such as bingo, cards and set dancing were much slower to come back. In some places, older organisers stepped back and momentum was lost.

But there’s good news too 👉 New groups are forming, community learning is booming, and rural volunteerism is climbing again as people rediscover the joy of coming together — in the room, cups of tea and all.

📖 Read the full article:
https://www.changingireland.ie/pandemic-hangover-some-rural-groups-only-now-back-face-to-face/

🗣️ Has your local group returned yet — or changed forever?



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27/11/2025

What’s new in Moyross?
Quite a lot — from improved housing to new roads, expanded community facilities, and better transport links. But one development nobody expected was Moyross appearing in RTÉ quirky new weather-forecast format, where smaller communities are name-checked instead of just major cities. It’s a clever way of spotlighting places often overlooked.

Moyross, New Twopothouse and Inchigeelagh — who would ever have linked those three?
It’s another reminder of how far the community has come, and how much positive change is happening on the ground.

🎥 If you missed it earlier in the year, this video gives a great look at Moyross — reputedly home to the biggest cul-de-sac in Europe, and still unknown to many in Limerick. Published by Changing Ireland in January to mark the signing of the Northern Distributor Road contract, it showcases the community in all its glory:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzK4xLF49h4

Share your thoughts: What local community would YOU love to see named in the weather forecast next?

26/11/2025

"Across Ireland, volunteers, local groups, and biodiversity champions are transforming public spaces into flourishing community orchards. A new series of projects — supported through , local authorities, TidyTowns Ireland Towns groups, faith communities, and artists — is reconnecting people with heritage apples and local biodiversity.

In Cloughjordan Ecovillage , the project Úlla, Dúlra agus Pobal (‘Apples, Nature and Community’) hosted five events exploring heritage apples, community food systems, and creativity, culminating in Féile na nÚll.

Meanwhile, community orchards are taking root nationwide:

🍎 Monaghan has built a “Dispersed Urban Orchard,” with residents planting native apples in gardens, schools, and GAA clubs — creating a town-wide biodiversity corridor.
🍏 County Clare has seen 19 churches commit to returning 30% of their grounds to nature, supported by Clare County Council & NPWS.
🌳 Limerick City is rediscovering its orchard heritage through community-led planting and creative arts programmes.
🎶 Ballymun blended music and memory as young people planted orchards connected to new compositions.

These volunteer-led orchards show how communities can restore biodiversity, preserve heritage, and foster local belonging — one tree at a time.

Read the full story on Changing Ireland:
➡️ https://www.changingireland.ie/volunteer-led-community-apple-orchards-are-growing-in-ireland/


25/11/2025

"Our editor Allen visited the Galway City Partnership rooftop garden — a thriving urban oasis perched above on the Headford Road. Staff shared how this project, supported by the Community Climate Action Fund through Galway City Council and the , shows just how much can grow in a small urban space.

What started as a €15,000 Climate Action Fund project has become a living example of community innovation: veg, herbs, salads, even figs — all grown on a city rooftop. And GCP says other community groups can replicate this with minimal cost.

“It doesn’t have to be sophisticated. You can start small with simple wooden boxes. Anyone can do this,” staff told us.

Beyond food, the garden boosts wellbeing, brings staff together, and shows how urban climate action can be practical, local, and joyful.

📹 Watch the rooftop chat in our latest video
📰 Full story: www.changingireland.ie/spuds-overhead-in-galway-city-after-minister-opens-roof-garden/

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For community groups, rebranding is more than a name change — it’s a major moment of identity and direction.Across Irela...
24/11/2025

For community groups, rebranding is more than a name change — it’s a major moment of identity and direction.

Across Ireland, several local development companies have rebranded this year to better reflect who they are and the communities they serve.

In Limerick, the long-established PAUL Partnership has officially become , following extensive consultation as part of their new Strategic Plan. CEO Jennifer Moroney-Ward said the change brings clarity and aligns with sister organisations like Galway City Partnership and . The new name also avoids years of confusion (“We used to have people ringing up looking for Paul!” she joked) and reflects the much broader range of supports the organisation provides today.

In Wicklow, Bray Area Partnership is now # recognising their real geographic reach — from Bray to Greystones, Enniskerry, and parts of Newtownmountkennedy.

Nationally, the Irish Local Development Network has rebranded as the Local Development Companies Network, placing the 45 LDCs at the centre of its identity.

Read the full story on Changing Ireland:
https://www.changingireland.ie/for-community-groups-rebranding-is-a-really-big-deal/

The passing of Sister Stanislaus Kennedy (Sr. Stan) has led to heartfelt tributes from social workers, activists, teache...
21/11/2025

The passing of Sister Stanislaus Kennedy (Sr. Stan) has led to heartfelt tributes from social workers, activists, teachers and community leaders — many of whom say she shaped not only their work, but their values.

Former Focus Ireland staff recalled her humility and kindness. Activists remembered her stepping in to support them during tense campaigns. Teachers shared how Sr. Stan encouraged generations of young people to “be the change” through the Young Social Innovators initiative.

From founding Focus Ireland, to inspiring lifelong careers in social work, to championing fairness and dignity for all — her legacy is woven through communities across Ireland.

Read our full tribute here:
👉 https://www.changingireland.ie/social-workers-and-activists-tell-of-late-sr-stans-influence-on-them/

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