Changing Ireland

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

14/01/2026

The official launch of five new Traveller homes in Galway – in an area now called Bóithrín na Saoirse – is the result of a new collaborative approach to delivering Traveller-specific accommodation. It places Traveller voices at the heart of the process.

The development, in a place now called Bóithrín na Saoirse, in Rahoon, was led by Cena Approved Housing Body with support throughout from . Cena is the Cant word for home.

Speaking at the official launch, Traveller and local resident John Ward said:

“Our life has changed completely and this is the way forward for Travellers, places like this.”

The launch was performed by , former communities minister and former deputy chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community, and by Cllr Alan Cheevers , Galway City’s Deputy Mayor.

📖 Read the article in full: https://www.changingireland.ie/traveller-led-housing-in-galway-shows-other-counties-the-way-forward/



The inaugural Local Development Conference, held recently in Ballina, Co. Mayo, celebrated the essential role that Local...
13/01/2026

The inaugural Local Development Conference, held recently in Ballina, Co. Mayo, celebrated the essential role that Local Development Companies play in social inclusion, rural development, enterprise support, and community services nationwide.

The two-day event on October 30–31 was hosted by the Local Development Companies Network (LDCN) and brought together leaders and changemakers from across sectors to explore “how to build stronger communities, inclusive societies, and resilient local economies”.

📖 Read the full article here:
https://www.changingireland.ie/hundreds-attended-inaugural-local-development-conference/

Irish Local Development Network

Natalia Krasnenkova was among those who were front and centre during the official visit by the President of Ukraine, Vol...
12/01/2026

Natalia Krasnenkova was among those who were front and centre during the official visit by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to Ireland in December. Here she provides a first-hand account from inside Leinster House, when she and fellow Ukrainians who now serve as community workers in Ireland met President Zelenskyy. They were visibly buoyed by his visit.

Natalia had hoped to raise the issue of online hate with Zelenskyy but time did not allow for it.

“Unfortunately, I did not have time to ask about countering disinformation. Now we are observing a wave of fakes about Ukrainians in Ireland, various provocations and hate speech on social media. It looks like a deliberate campaign to incite hostility between Ukrainians and the local population,” she writes.

Natalia says these disinformation campaigns are happening across Europe.

“Their goal is to discredit Ukraine and Ukrainians and incite hostility between communities,” warns Natalia.

Russia’s war against Ukraine stretches from the frontline to our online world.

👉 Read the full article here:
https://www.changingireland.ie/ukrainian-community-workers-put-many-questions-to-president-zelenskyy-during-recent-visit/

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How many people do you recognise? See our photo gallery here from the inaugural Local Development Conference which was h...
06/01/2026

How many people do you recognise? See our photo gallery here from the inaugural Local Development Conference which was held in late 2025 in Ballina, Co. Mayo. The conference celebrated the essential role that Local Development Companies play in social inclusion, rural development, enterprise support, and community services nationwide. A two-day event from October 30-31, it was hosted by the Local Development Companies Network (LDCN) and it brought together leaders and changemakers from various sectors to explore “how to build stronger communities, inclusive societies, and resilient local economies”.

Also included - a short interview from the event with Minister Dara Calleary who was delighted to welcome people to his hometown.

Demand is rising — and so are costs — at Dublin’s community cafésAt Crosscare Community Café on Portland Row, demand for...
06/01/2026

Demand is rising — and so are costs — at Dublin’s community cafés

At Crosscare Community Café on Portland Row, demand for affordable meals and grocery support is growing fast — but so are food, staff and energy costs.

Senior manager Yvonne Fleming explains how inflation has changed who needs support. Families, working people, and those in private rented accommodation are now relying on community cafés to get through the week.

For just €5, people can access a three-course meal — and Crosscare also provides a unique food poverty casework service, helping households access groceries, entitlements, and longer-term financial support.

This is community development in action — but funding remains fragile and annual.

👉 Read the full story on Changing Ireland:
https://www.changingireland.ie/dublin-crosscare-community-cafe-also-provides-a-grocery-service/

05/01/2026

“There’s a different world out there that no one talks about.”

Soaring inflation is hitting everyone — but for community cafés, the impact is far deeper.

In Limerick, St Munchins Community Centre, Limerick has made the heartbreaking decision that, for the first time in over 20 years, it will not offer Christmas dinners on December 25. CEO Linda Ledger says the pressure on staff, rising costs and shrinking funding has made it impossible to sustain.

Running costs now stand at €237,000 a year, while funding supports are being steadily reduced — at the very moment when food, heat and lighting costs are soaring and demand is rising.

St Munchin’s café serves people who are cutting back on essentials — some now coming for dinner just three days a week instead of every day.

This is not about mismanagement. It’s about a quiet crisis playing out in communities across Ireland.

👉 Read the full story on Changing Ireland:
https://www.changingireland.ie/theres-a-different-world-out-there-that-no-one-talks-about/

Happy New Year from all of us at Changing Ireland.Thank you to everyone working in communities across the country — volu...
01/01/2026

Happy New Year from all of us at Changing Ireland.

Thank you to everyone working in communities across the country — volunteers, workers, activists and neighbours — for everything you do.

Here’s to a hopeful, fairer and more connected 2026.

🎄 Merry Christmas from all of us at Changing IrelandThank you to everyone working every day to strengthen communities ac...
25/12/2025

🎄 Merry Christmas from all of us at Changing Ireland

Thank you to everyone working every day to strengthen communities across Ireland — volunteers, community groups, activists, organisers, and supporters.

Your work matters, and we’re proud to help tell your stories.

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and continued solidarity into the New Year.

— The Changing Ireland team

19/12/2025

🎄 A Christmas message from our Editor 🎄

Hi everyone, Allen here, editor of Changing Ireland.

As the year comes to a close, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone working in and for communities across Ireland — volunteers, community workers, activists, social enterprises and local leaders. Your work often happens quietly, but it matters deeply.

From all of us at Changing Ireland, I wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year. Enjoy a well-earned rest if you can, and we’ll see you again in 2026 with more stories from the heart of Irish community life.

18/12/2025

Please note that Changing Ireland’s offices will be closed from Monday 22 December until 5 January 2026.

We’d like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers, community partners, contributors and supporters a very merry and peaceful Christmas, and a healthy, hopeful New Year.

Thank you for being part of the Changing Ireland community — we look forward to reconnecting in 2026.

17/12/2025

Scariff Bay Community Radio has just secured a full-time licence — and it’s a milestone for community media across Ireland.

After a decade on air and years of building momentum with 30-day and 100-day licences, the volunteers behind Scariff Bay Community Radio can now broadcast far more regularly following approval from . It Coimisiún na Meán brings to 22 the number of fully licensed community stations nationwide.

Station manager Jim Collins called it “a very positive move,” saying the licence gives them the freedom to choose how often to broadcast — while still keeping things sustainable for their volunteers. The plan? Start with three days a week (Fri–Sun), supported by over 90 volunteers across East Clare.

Craol welcomed the move, noting that many aspirant stations have waited over a decade to progress from pilot to full licence.

Community radio is about more than airwaves — it’s community development in action. Volunteers say the station keeps them connected, grounded, and active: “It keeps the brain ticking over,” one joked.

👏 A huge congratulations to the entire Scariff Bay team.
📻 Tune in: www.scariffbayradio.com

📖 Full article: https://www.changingireland.ie/scariff-bay-community-radio-secures-full-time-licence/

"Why are community groups struggling to open basic bank accounts?In our latest issue, we look at the growing frustration...
16/12/2025

"Why are community groups struggling to open basic bank accounts?
In our latest issue, we look at the growing frustration among volunteer-led groups who face long delays and complex requirements when trying to open accounts — a step that is essential for accessing grants and running activities.

While groups report increasing difficulties, Ireland’s main banks say their hands are tied by strict anti-money-laundering and compliance regulations. Meanwhile, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and Pobal have both stated that they have not received complaints on the issue.

Banks highlight that they must meet AML, CFT and “Know Your Customer” obligations, and say requirements apply even when multiple volunteer signatories are involved.

Community groups, especially smaller informal ones, say the burden is becoming unmanageable.

Read the full story to learn what banks, government, and community organisations are saying — and what needs to change.

🔗 Full article: https://www.changingireland.ie/banks-bound-by-regulations-while-department-and-pobal-not-alerted-to-issues/

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