Category: Local Services

Muintir a’Chorráin, in partnership with Achill Community IT Centres, is campaigning for an improvement to the telephone system in Currane.
Our focus is on the lack of ISDN availability, due to the distance from the exchange at Achill Sound, which prevents any meaningful use of the internet at the IT Centre as well as hampering any business ventures in Currane.
The solution is to install a small Exchange in Currane. Not only will this provide digital services for those who need them, it will also solve the capacity, quality and reliability problems faced by all telephone users here.
Several letters have been sent to government ministers and two meetings have been held with Éamon Ó Cuív. The Minister supports the campaign and has indicated that funds are available, all that is needed is a politically acceptable mechanism for allocating the money.
The campaign must keep up the pressure, especially with cutbacks being made in all areas, but there is light at the end of the tunnel!

The FÁS scheme finished on the 1st November. 14 participants were employed, 10 mainly on outside work and 4 working inside.
The work carried out was as follows:
• The entrance to Casadh an Taoille was made wheelchair accessible.
• The parking area around the Church was lined out and the cattle grid was removed and re-welded.
• The flower beds around the Church were dug and new flowers and shrubs set.
• The inside and outside of Glór na dTonn, the Church porch, the store room, and parts of Casadh an Taoille were painted.
• The ground outside exit doors was painted with special safety paint.
• A wall was built around the Cillín at Gob na bPáistí in Mewillian.
• A sign was erected around the Cillín at Clochán.
• A new fence was erected around the football pitch at Bollinglanna and new shrubs were set.
• The road to Aith an Aoil was maintained on several occasions.
• In Glór na dTonn the floor was swept and washed weekly, the toilets and kitchen cleaned daily, tables, chairs and stage moved as required and fixtures and fittings repaired or replaced as necessary.
• A meals-on-wheels service was provided daily, along with day care on a Wednesday.
All participants took part in training schemes such as Health & Safety, Stonework and Tiling, while some took part in an ECDL computer course.
The new scheme starts on 2nd December and an ambitious programme of work has been drawn up.

Muintir a’Chorráin Teo is the Currane development company. Although a limited company, it has no employees, just a voluntary committee comprising the Directors and other co-opted members.
The Directors are elected at the Annual General meeting, which is open to all members of the community. The Directors have a legal responsibility to ensure that the company is solvent and are liable for any debts incurred by the company.

Why have a company?

Any group of people can get together to develop an area. However, most State and EU agencies and NGOs will only provide grant aid to incorporated bodies (companies), so by forming a company we have been able to receive significant amounts of funding that would not otherwise have been available to us. It’s all down to being legally responsible.

So what do we do?

The remit covers any kind of development or activity that would benefit the people of Currane. So, for example, building the community centre and enterprise centre, running a community minibus and sponsoring job initiative and FÁS schemes are some of our achievements.
Current projects include repair of our piers, fighting for a continuation of the FÁS scheme, promoting the Irish language and culture, fundraising for dressing rooms at Griffin Park, and campaigning for upgrades to infrastructure such as roads and the telephone network.

How can you help?

Get involved. Come to the AGM and stand for election to the board or volunteer for a sub-committee. We meet only once a month, and an effort of just a couple of hours a week can make a real difference to all of our lives.

Your community needs you!