THE tourists have departed, the summer festivals are over and the seasonal traffic has died down. Winter looms, and for many rural dwellers the long dark evenings usher in a heightened sense of loneliness and isolation.

For those living in busy urban centres surrounded by brightly-lit shopping centres and bustling streets, the arrival of winter may be no more than a change of season.

However, for people living in sparsely inhabited coastal or mountainous regions, or deep in the countryside with few or no close neighbours, the coming months can be psychologically bleak.

When your nearest neighbour is half-a-mile away or further, when you live, as many older country people do, at the end of a rough, winding boreen, or miles away from the nearest shop, loneliness can be a major issue.

In fact, isolation is a recognised and serious problem for many older people who live in remote areas and are unable to drive, says Martina Gavin, a supervisor for the Social Care programme in north-west Galway, which organises a wide variety of community events, in conjunction with FAS and the community group Forum.

"These people would be mostly in their 70s, 80s and 90s. Most of the older women and some of the men would have never learned to drive and they'd be very dependent on neighbours, family and the rural transport scheme to travel the vast mountainy area which stretches from Maam/Leenane along the western seaboard to Clifden," she explains.

"Isolation is the biggest thing. People could be a number of miles away from the doctor, the shops or the hairdresser and they wouldn't be able to drive -- we deal with hundreds of people in that position."

Isolated

Her concerns are echoed by the Centre for Ageing Research and Development Ireland (CARDI), which warns that rural communities and older individuals are becoming increasingly isolated. The Rural Transport Programme -- now under threat as a result of threatened government cutbacks -- is a crucial element of rural life according to the centre, which recently awarded a grants to a number of groups to examine the difficulties and inequalities that face older people in rural areas.

Younger people, too, can feel the gloom as the long dark evenings settle in.

"There is a problem with isolation because of where you live -- it can be difficult in the winter. The summers are brilliant and we get people here from all over the world, but it can get closed off in winter, so you really have to make the effort to get out," says 28-year-old farmer Tommy Moyles, who lives outside the west Cork town of Clonakilty.

Once summer winds down, he says, things can become very quiet "until the GAA training starts in January".

Friends who visit his dairy and pig farm at Ardfield describe the area as "paradise", he reflects, "yet they still feel it's isolated -- even though it's only just over an hour's drive from Cork".

As a busy young farmer, Tommy is highly mobile but that's not the case for everyone, he emphasises.

"Initiatives like the rural transport schemes are very important because some people still don't have a car. If you don't have a car in a rural area, you're lost. I love living down here but there are drawbacks."

However, it's not all doom and gloom.

Although there is still a high degree of loneliness across all spectrums of Irish society, according to Macra na Feirme president Michael Gowing, recent months have brought an unexpected sea-change.

The demise of the Celtic Tiger has had unforeseen benefits, as some people start to re-think their priorities and re-focus on their community. In recent months Macra na Feirme, which boasts around 300 branches across the country, has recorded a solid rise in membership.

"In the past 18 months we've noticed that lifestyles have slowed down a bit. There seems to be a realisation amongst young people that they've drifted away from the core of their communities, and there seems to be a big interest in getting involved again," says Michael Gowing.

"Our membership has grown by almost 10pc in the past 18 months. That's a very substantial rise. People are taking part in competitions, local clubs based within communities are organising teenage discos -- there's a growing sense of community since the boom ended.

"The feedback we're getting is that because of the recession people have more spare time and community involvement and volunteering is on the up.

Communities

"In the past 10 years, people were moving around and they didn't seem to connect as much to the communities in which they were living.

"There now seems to be a situation where people are trying to rectify that and we're seeing it out there on the ground. We're hearing it from other community organisations as well -- rural communities are experiencing a resurgence."

There may be more good news to come, hopes Miriam McKenna, community transport initiative manager for the Rural Transport Programme in Co Meath.

She believes that over the next few years the huge influx of new families to rural villages -- a major hallmark of the Celtic Tiger era -- will begin to integrate more significantly into the communities in which they have chosen to live and make their own unique contribution.

"It takes a long time for people to integrate into a community," she says, adding that she believes the downturn will also create the time and the opportunity for more people to re-focus on the issues affecting their own communities.

Along with this, despite the perception that they're not interested, young people can be unexpectedly enthusiastic about local and community projects, says Tommy Moyles, who is chairman of Macra na Feirme's Rural Youth Initiative Committee.

"You'd be surprised by the interest amongst young people. If the opportunity is there they're always willing to step up to the plate -- it is a case of 'Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí'."

Although the countryside can be quiet in the off season, there are activities for those who have the interest and the ability to get involved, he says.

"It's very much up to the individual. It doesn't all necessarily come to your door but it's there if you go looking for it," Tommy says.

Through Macra na Feirme, for instance, Tommy is involved in drama, festivals, public speaking, debating, talent competition, sports and exchange programmes. "Recently I had young farmers from Canada and Scotland visiting under an exchange programme run by Macra."

Rural dwellers who wish to get involved in anything from sports to self-help courses can enjoy some of the most up-to-date facilities in the country, says Seamus Boland, chief executive of Irish Rural Link, which represents about 300 rural community groups across Ireland.

Facilities

"If you go around the countryside, you'll notice the development of new sports pitches and the upgrading of sports activities and community facilities generally, with halls being turned into gyms and sports centres, and available for people doing self-help courses and classes.

"Nearly every village in the country will have a community-run day centre for older people, for example. Older people come in once a week to enjoy a bit of socialising and get their health looked after.

"There's now a community group in many villages and it deals with lots of aspects -- social, economic, sporting. If you care to look, rural Ireland is a very vibrant place."

There's usually something going on in rural communities for those who wish to get involved. In Ardfield, for instance, says Tommy Moyles, there are a number of different community groups in the area. "There's everything from GAA to rowing, tennis, fishing and community events like the threshing festival."

And there's never a shortage of volunteers either, he says. "There's good community spirit around here and there seems to be a good mix between the people who have moved in recently and those who've always been around."

Ardfield is no exception -- Moynalty, a small rural village in Co Meath, has around 20 different community organisations, says local resident, nurse and mother of four Joan Donegan.

"We do everything from football to karate to tennis; there's the parents associations, the steam-threshing committee, there's an art group, a drama group and the ICA. It's a very vibrant community with lots going on -- but of course it always depends on the individual and to what degree a person wants to get involved."

Pre-school teacher Brenda McQuillan is a big fan of country life. The 24-year-old, who lives outside the village of Emyvale, Co Monaghan, says she wouldn't change it for the world.

"There's plenty going on -- you just need to get yourself involved," she says. "The community spirit here is very strong; people look out for each other. Emyvale has a great football team. The GAA is very strong -- the Emyvale Ladies Football team won the all-Ireland club championship last year!"

- Ailin Quinlan

Irish Independent