PEDESTRIAN SUPPORTS

DEVELOPMENT OBSTACLES

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CAVAN COMMUNITY FORUM PEACE III BALLINAGH

TRAINING & EDUCATION

TOURISM

ISSUES

APATHY

COMMUNICATIONS

HERITAGE
ISOLATION

SOLUTIONS

SOLUTIONS

DEVELOPMENT ISSUES ARISE WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY VARIOUS VOICES PULLING IN MANY DIRECTIONS. HELPING BUILD LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CAPACITIES ARE ESSENTIAL TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL POTENTIAL FOR SHAPING THEIR OWN AREAS. COMMUNITY COUNCILS & THE LIKE WERE MENTIONED. SIMPLIFY PROCEDURES TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO DEVELOP LOCAL POTENTIAL MORE.

ENCOURAGE LOCAL SHOPPING FAR MORE. WHERE HAVE THE BUY LOCAL CAMPAIGNS GONE?

PROMOTE DECENTRALIZED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MAKING IT MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR BUSINESS SET UPS IN AREAS WITH LESS RATES & BENEFITS TO THE LOCALITY (CAF IN BALLINAGH!)

BEAUROCRATIC JUNGLES IT WAS FELT THAT TRYING TO DEVELOP ANYTHING INVOLVED VAST AMOUNTS OF SPECIALIST PAPERWORK AND OVER COMPLICATED PROCEDURES WITH CROSSORGANISATIONAL SQUABBLING.

DEVELOPMENT OBSTACLES

SMALL TOWN MARKETING SOME FELT IT WAS TIME TO START SUPPORTING & PROMOTING SMALLER TOWNS AS SME OPTIONS, DECENTRALISING BUSINESS TO SPREAD WELATH INTO LOWER RATE PAYING AREAS.

FISHING IS A KEY ATTRACTION TO CAVAN WITH KILLYKEEN AS A KEY LOCATION. FACILITATION OF THIS NEEDS SUPPORT!

THE CAF AND CHALLETS OF KILLYKEEN LIE DORMANT IN COILLTE OWNERSHIP. WHILE ACTIVE THEY RAN PROFIT, WHY NOT WORK TO REINSTATE THIS AGAIN.

BRANDING CAVAN SHOULD HAPPEN TO BRING THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO THE COUNTRY & WORLD THAT IT IS A DESTINATION, NOT A PLACE TO PASS THROUGH. OUR LAKES & WATERWAYS ARE KEY, EITHER VIA ACTIVITIES OR SCENERY & BOTH REQUIRE ADEQUATE ACCESS. SUPPORT THIS IS CAVAN BRAND LOCALLY (MAYBE THIS IS BALLINAGH CAVAN). PROVIDE ACCESS TO KEY LOCATIONS OF TOURISTIC POTENTIAL. RECLAIM THE RAILWAY LINE AS A CROSS COUNTRY TRACK. DEVELOP A CAMPING SITE IN THE AREA DUE TO THE CENTRAL LOCATION TO VARIOUS ATTRACTIONS IN SOUTHEAST CAVAN.

IO

THE MILL WALK & F LEMMINGS FOLLY, IF DEVELOPED WITH ACCESS, WOULD BRING VISITORS TO THE TOWN. ALLOW IT TO GO AHEAD OR PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE! SUGGESTIONS WERE MADE TO SET UP A PROJECTOR OUTDOOR DRIVE-IN CINEMA. IT WOULD BE UNIQUE TO BALLINAGH & PROMOTE THE TOWN!

KILLYKEEN POTENTIAL THE LOCAL FOREST PARK DISINTEGRATED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AS A PLACE TO INVEST IN, DESPITE CONSTANT USE. KILLYKEEN IS A JEWEL OF TOURISM WAITING TO HAPPEN FOR THE COUNTY!

TOURISM

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS WHAT TOURIST ATTRACTIONS WITHIN THE AREA OF BALLINAGH COULD HELP MAKE IT A PLACE TO STOP AND ENJOY AND SOAK UP THE WONDERFUL AREA OF THE TOWN AND ITS ENVIRONS.

CAVAN AS A WHOLE ITS A SHAME CAVAN IS NOT CAPITALIZED ON AS A TOURIST DESTINATION. WHAT CAN WE DO?

 INACTIVE GROWTH THE INCREASE OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS IS NOT LEADING TO AN EQUAL GROWTH OF THESE PEOPLE ENGAGING IN COMMUNITY. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO COAX THEM TO BE MORE INVOLVED OR REMOVE OBSTACLES?

POP UP SHOPS, LOCALLY DRIVEN VOLUNTEER WORK SCHEMES, SKILLS SHARE AND TIME BANKS ARE ALL WAYS THAT MIGHT HELP LOCALITIES TO BENEFIT FROM & PROVIDE FOR PEOPLE WITH POTENTIAL FREE TIME.

APATHY
YOUTH GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IS SOMETIMES A CHALLENGE AND WE NEED NEW WAYS TO ATTRACT OR ENTHUSE THEM TO CREATE THEIR OWN ATTRACTIONS IN THE AREA.

A YOUTH CONSULTATION SHOULD BE DONE IN EACH MAJOR SCHOOL TO FIND OUT WHAT COMMUNITY INITIATIVES THEY WANT. THESE WOULD THEN BE CO-DRIVEN BY COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS & YOUNGER PERSONS.

SOCIAL MEDIA SITES AND GOOD PR FOR GROUPS WILL GRAB YOUNGER PEOPLES ATTENTION. GROUPS COULD DO WITH A FACEBOOK TUTORIAL.

SOLUTIONS

REMOVE OBSTACLES SUCH AS SOCIAL WELFARE STIPULATIONS BLOCKING UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE FROM VOLUNTEERING.

COMMUNICATIONS

SPREAD THE NEWS ACCESSING WIDER AUDIENCES REQUIRES WIDER COMMUNICATION NETS, WHAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST IN SPREADING WORD OF GREAT WORK OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS CAVAN?

UNSPOKEN RICHES THERE IS A RICH QUALITY OF ACTIVITY IN THE AREA BUT SOMETIMES THE EVENTS ARE NOT REACHING LOCAL EARS. HOW CAN WE REMEDY THIS AND GET PEOPLE MORE INVOLVED?

IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IF FORUM NEWS WERE A LITTLE MORE WIDESPREAD TO STRATEGIC POINTS & INCLUDED A SECTION ON REGULAR COMMUNITY EVENTS IN AREAS OF THE COUNTY.

SOCIAL MEDIA IS A KEY TO DEVELOPING ENGAGEMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNGER PERSONS. COMMUNITY TRAINING IN SETTING UP SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL GROUPS IN THE AREA.

POSSIBLY COULD EACH TOWN HAVE A THIS IS CAVAN COMMUNITY PAGE TO BOAST ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES IN THEIR AREAS?

INSTALL PUBLIC NOTICE BOARDS IN VISUAL AREAS ON MAIN STREETS OF THE TOWNS TO ADVERTSISE ACTIVITIES, MAINTAINED BY A COMMUNITY ACTIVE PERSON. LOCAL INFO-LEAFLETS COULD BE PRINTED AFFORDABLE FOR LOCAL DISTRIBUTION IN SOCIAL SPOTS TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED.

SOLUTIONS

EXTINCTION OF OLD RURAL SOCIAL SPOTS THE OLD COUNTRY POST OFFICES & CREAMERIES, PLACES OF SOCIAL INTERACTION HAVE DISAPPEARED. WHAT STRATEGIES CAN REPLACE THESE FOR PEOPLE IN RURAL AREAS?

ISOLATION

THE TRANSPORT PROBLEM RURAL AREAS LACK NUMBERS TO ESTABLISH ROUTES & TAXIS CAN BE UNAFFORDABLE FOR ACTIVE PEOPLE DUE TO FUEL POVERTY. HOW CAN WE SOLVE THE ISSUE OF GETTING ISOLATED BUT EAGER PEOPLE TO EVENTS?

INFO LEAFLETS SHOULD BE GIVEN TO LOCAL PRIESTS, NURSES, VETS, DOCTORS FOR WIDER RURAL DISSEMINATION. CAVAN COMMUNITY FORUM TO ORGANISE?

DEVELOPING SOCIAL CAR SCHEMES IS AN EASY AND AFFORDABLE METHOD OF CONDUCTING LOCAL TRANSPORT TO/FROM EVENTS. EVENT ORGANISERS SHOULD BE GUIDED IN HOW TO ESTABLISH THIS.

DEVISE TRAVELLING EVENTS TO BRING THESE TO RURALLY ISOLATED PARISHES. E.G. BARN BINGO WHERE A COMMUNITY GROUP HOSTS BINGO IN A BARN OF A LOCALLY INTERESTED PERSON, ENAGAGING NEIGHBOURS ETC. PUBLIC TALKS SHOULD TRAVEL COUNTYWIDE IN RURAL AREAS ON TOPICAL ISSUES BUT INCORPORATE A SOCIAL ELEMENT TO THEM TO GROW LINKS AND DISCUSSION BETWEEN PEOPLE. EVENTS AKIN TO THESE ROADSHOWS WERE SEEN AS PERFECT VEHICLES IN THIS REGARD.

ROTATED DESIGNATED DRIVERS COULD ENABLE PARTICIPATION WITHOUT THE ONUS BEING PLACED ON ONE PERSON ALONE. AGAIN, THIS COULD BE ORGANISED BY THE GROUP OR EVENT ORGANISER TO ASSIST.

SOLUTIONS

SOLUTIONS

DEVELOP A CYCLE LOOP ALONG THE OLD TRAIN LINE FROM CAVAN, PAYING PARTICLAR ATTENTION TO SIGNAGE FOR BIODIVERSITY. THE SAME FOR ACCESS PATHS TO FLEMMINGS FOLLY AND THE RIVER WALK BY BALLINAGHS MILL. QUIRKY LOCAL NATURE FACTS RANDOMELY PLACED AT VISUAL POINTS WOULD BE GREAT FOR KIDS AND ADULTS ALIKE. DEVELOP A CHEAP NATURE WALK IN THE FOREST BELOW FLEMMINGS FOLLY.

NATURAL ELEMENTS CAVAN HAS A RICH NATURAL HERITAGE, PARTICULARLY WATERWAYS. HOW CAN THIS BE IMPROVED OR WORKED UPON TO IMPROVE THEM AS AN ASSET?

HERITAGE
HISTORICAL ELEMENTS THE AREAS SURROUNDING BALLINAGH HAVE A VERY VALUABLE INHERITANCE FROM THE PAST. THIS CULURE IS PRESENT EVERYWHERE BUT HIGHLIGHTED VERY LITTLE. HOW CAN WE WORK TO RAISE AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION OF OUR HISTORICAL RICHNESS?

LACK OF ACCESS & INFO SIGNAGE FOR THE LIKES OF RINGFORTS MUST BE TACKLED. PUBLIC ACCESS MUST BE PROTECTED AND SIMPLE EDUCATIONAL PLACARDS RAISED AT LOCATIONS AND DEVELOPED.

SOLUTIONS

SIGNAGE IS POOR IN THE COUNTY OVERALL FOR TREASURES OF CAVAN E.G. VERY DIFFICULT TO GET TO KILLYKEEN FOR A VISITING TOURIST. EVERY CAVAN TOWN TO HAVE A SMALL HISTIRCAL INFORMATION PLAQUE TO RAISE AWARENESS OF INTERESTING POINTS WITHIN ITS ENVIRONS.

MAKE LOCAL HISTORY MORE INTERESTING TO CHILDREN (FUND A STORY BOOK!)

SOLUTIONS

DEVELOP MORE PRACTICAL TRAINING MODULES & CAPACITY TRAINING FOR PEOPLE. EDUCATION SHOULE REFLECT OUR REAL POSSIBILITIES FOR DEVELOPING LOCALITIES. IF WE WANT TOURISM & THERE IS A TOURIST POTENTIAL THEN ROLL OUT THAT TRAINING IN SIGN MAKING, TOUR GUIDING, ANGLING. ALL THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF MAKING INDIVIDUALS MORE CAPABLE TO PROVIDE FOR A MORE ATTRACTIVE COUNTY.

SKILLS MATCHING MANY COURSES ARE IRRELEVANT AND NOT PRACTICAL AT ALL. HOW CAN THIS BE CHANGED TO GIVE PEOPLE PATHS TO GETTING OR CREATING A JOB.

SOLUTIONS

REMOVE RIDICULOUS BEAUROCRATIC OBSTACLES IN THE WELFARE SYSTEM BLOCKING PEOPLE FROM VOLUNTEERING. LETS (LOCAL EXCHANGE TRADING SYSTEMS) AND TIME BANKS ARE ALL POTENTIALLY BRILLIANT WAYS TO HELP PEOPLE DEVELOP & SHARE THEIR SKILLS & IMPROVE THEMSELVES. COULD THE COUNCIL OR FORUM HELP TO ESTABLISH SOMETHING? EACH MAIN STREET COULD HAVE A COMMON SPACE, OPEN TO ALL FOR SHARING, DISCUSSING, SOCIALIZING THAT IS INFORMAL & NOT REQUIRING PAYMENT AS A COMMUNAL SPACE.

TRAINING & EDUCATION

UNEMPLOYMENT POTENTIAL THERE IS A MASSIVE POTENTIAL FOR SKILLED UNEMPLOYED PERSONS TO GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY IF THE CORRECT STREAMS WERE ESTABLISHED TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. HOW CAN WE SUPPORT LOCALLY UNEMPLOYED PERSONS TO HELP THE LOCALITY?

IO

SOME RESIDENCE ASSOCIATIONS ORGANISE STREET PARTIES, PERHAPS BALLINAGH COULD HAVE A TOWN PARTY, INVITING EVERYONG TO ATTEND AS A MORAL BOOST & WAY TO GROW COMMUNITY SPIRIT. CAVAN FORUM SHOULD BE SUPPORTED MORE TO ROLL OUT SIMILAR EVENTS TO HIGHLGHT COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA SUCH AS THIS ROADSHOW.

A BYPASS WOULD EVENTUALLY HELP & HARM BALLINAGH IN TAKING LARGE TRUCKS FROM WHAT WAS ONCE THE 2ND BUSIEST JUNCTION IN IRELAND AND TAKING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS AWAY. MORE BINS & BETTER PUBLIC LIGHTING WOULD HELP THE AREA VASTLY. PLEASE GIVE EXCESS CUTTINGS FROM THE COUNCIL HORTICULTURALIST IN AUTUMN TO LOCAL RESIDENCE TO PLANT BERRY BUSHES IN THE AREA.

S S O

A LOCAL NEWSLETTER COULD BE RESURRECTED & DEVELOPED USING ADVICE FROM COUNCIL/FORUM ON DESIGN TO MAKE IT AS APPEALING & USER-FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE. THE CLOSENESS TO CAVAN HAS CAUSED BALLINAGH TO BE SOMETIMES CONSIDERED AN APPENDAGE TO THE TOWN. THIS IS UNFAIR & SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN SOME WAY, POSSIBLY MARKETING/BRANDING THE TOWN UNDER THIS IS CAVAN AS SIMILAR BUT UNIQUE WITH ATTRACTIONS IN OUR

THE WATER MILL IS AN EXCELLENT POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT, CAN SOMETHING BE DONE HERE, EVEN A RIVER WALK FOR ACCESS?

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE OF THE AREA IS VITAL TO PROVIDING A GOOD & HAPPY PLACE TO LIVE. WHAT WAYS CAN WE IMPROVE THIS ELEMENT ?

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT THE AREA OF BALLINAGH HOLDS GREAT BEAUTY BUT ACCESS & SIGANGE TO SOME OF THESE AREAS IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT COULD BE. HOW CAN WE WORK TO IMPROVE THESE ELEMENTS AND IMPROVE THE PHYSICAL LANDSCAPE OF OUR HOMETOWN AREA?

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

SOLUTIONS

THERE ARE MANY LOCAL SITES THAT COULD BE DEVELOPED FOR WALKING ACCESS E.G. FLEMMINGS FOLLY & ADJACENT FOREST, THE RAILWAY LINE TO CAVAN AND WATERMILL ALONG THE RIVER ARE EXAMPLES OF HISTORIC REMAINS NEARBY. ROAD VERGE SUPPORTS FOR PEDESTRIANS NEED TENDING TO, PARTICULARLY ON THE KILNALECK & CROSDONEY ROADS OUT OF TOWN, THESE ARE LETHAL FOR WALKERS. SUGGESTIVE SIGNS COULD BE SET UP WALK/CYCLE ROUTES IN TOWN & TRAINING GIVEN TO A LOCAL PERSON IN THE GIVING OF TOURS IN THE AREA.

IMPROVED LIGHTING, A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING AT THE CHAPEL & SEATING TO SUPPORT OLDER WALKERS. THESE WOULD FACILITATE THE GROWING ACTIVITY OF WALKING IN THE AREA OF BALLINAGH. PUBLISH A WALKING GUIDE BOOK OF CAVAN (COULD THE FORUM FACILITATE?)

A CYCLING LOOP REACHING TO KILLYKEEN WOULD PROVIDE SAFER ACCESS & PROMOTE A POTENIAL CYCLING LOOP BETWEEN CAVAN-BALLINAGH-CROSDONEYCAVAN. CYCLING TOURS OF THE AREA WOULD BE BENEFICIAL, EVEN IN LEAFLET FORM & SET UP A BIKE RENTAL SCHEME IN THE COUNTY. CREATE A REASON FOR HAVING THE BIKE SHELTER IN THE TOWN!
CYCLING SUPPORTS BALLINAGHS PROXIMITY TO SOUTH CAVAN SITES LEAVES IT IN A KEY POSITION TO FORM A CYCLE HUB FOR PEOPLE. WALKING SUPPORTS LOCAL WALKING HAS SOARED IN BALLINAGH IN RECENT YEARS BUT THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS FELT BY THOSE THAT PARTICIPATE IN THIS HEALTHY ACTIVITY. HOW CAN THIS BE IMPROVED FROM A LOCAL POINT OF VIEW?

PEDESTRIAN SUPPORTS