Gentrification of Claddagh pinpointed as a concern

The 3-Cities Project, which focussed on two neighbourhoods in Dublin, Limerick and Galway – shed new light on the barriers to community involvement in both Doughiska and the Claddagh.

All information was provided by young people, older people and people with a disability that live in the community.

Both hugely different communities, Doughiska was chosen for its rapid development and hugely diverse community.

The Claddagh was singled out by researchers because of its status as an established inner-city neighbourhood – as well as being a place that has experienced significant neighbourhood change.

While there was much praise from local residents whom were surveyed by means of interview and focus group – some of the younger residents compared the Claddagh with other ‘younger’ areas of the city and outlined the difficulties for children living in areas with an older population.

One young female respondent compared the Claddagh to the communities to the west of the city and described how life might differ for a child growing up there – even noticing a developments in the short time since she was a young child.

“There was a good group of us when I was younger . . . I see my friends who live in like Shantalla or Knocknacarra . . . they can just go across the road and go to their friends house or they just meet up.

“There is no one really there for her [younger sister], she has to go to Knocknacarra to meet her friends. If she is at home she has to stay there is nothing to do around the place,” she explained.

Concern arose in the report about the “gentrification” of the area and the difficulties associated with trying to develop a community when a large number of people are either not from the area or just purchasing houses to use as holiday homes.

One older resident recalled how in the 1950s, she knew a very different Claddagh to the one that exists today.

“Well going back to the early 1950s, we used to go in a group down to Lydon House, and we’d get the bread and we’d deliver them to the poor people, particularly in Claddagh – some of the people would be standing on the door waiting for us to come and some of the ladies – they were in their bare feet.

“So it was a very poor area of Claddagh. Now it’s the crème-de-la-crème of the city, but in those days, it was very poor,” he said.

Also evident from the responses of locals was that there is a real sense of belonging existing amongst those who were born and reared in the Claddagh – something that is hard for newer residents to tap into according to one respondent.

“She actually said to myself and [my friend], ‘You will never be Claddagh, you’re only blow-ins,” she said as she recalled an incident between her and someone who had roots firmly in the former fishing village.

The report concluded that there was a strong sense of community in the Claddagh with customs including the King of Claddagh all adding to a sense of local identity.