Rural Resettlement Ireland

Founded in 1990 by sculptor Jim Connolly, Rural Resettlement is a voluntary national agency which seeks to arrest rural depopulation by resettling families from urban to rural areas.

Rural decline was at crisis-point in the early nineties, particularly in the west of Ireland. There's a fatalism about a dying community, the same way there is about a dying person,' says Jim Connolly, 'People think, "It's sad, but it can't be helped". Connolly thought, why not fill this scenic, empty landscape with families from the city? They can give their children a clean, safe environment and uncrowded classrooms.

The resettlement scheme helps to revitalize rural parishes by increasing their population thus helping to maintain economic, social, sporting and cultural vibrancy in these areas. Resettled families' income helps to maintain rural businesses such as shops, post offices and garages. New families often help to replenish a deficit of essential skills in depopulated rural areas.

In moving to the country families free up much-needed housing in urban areas. At the same time they bring life back to many closed-down rural houses and generate additional income for their owners.

Since 1990, RRI has moved almost 500 families to rural areas. These families have moved to many counties in Ireland, mainly in the West. The results speak for themselves: 30% of families now own their own home, and in County Kerry, over half the resettled families have stopped receiving welfare.

The success rate of families staying is 80%. There is a waiting list of 3,600 families; 29% of families have become homeowners since moving and 52% of families have one person in full or part-time employment since moving.

The Ireland Funds has donated almost $130,000 to Rural Resettlement Ireland to date.