Cathal O'Donoghue

Unlocking the Potential of Rural Ireland Cathal O'Donoghue

UNLOCKING RURAL POTENTIALbuilds upon a decade's analytical work by Prof O'Donoghue as the Head of Teagasc's Rural Economy & Development Programme, as CEDRA's CEO and as a Director of the Burren Lowlands Development Company. The aim is to bring together in an informative non-technical manner issues associated with the rural economy, providing a commentary on the issues and policies that affect Rural Ireland.

The book starts with a short history of the rural economy since the 1950s, tracking some of the main trends and drivers. The next chapters define what Rural Ireland is and why we should be concerned about rural development. The middle of the book focuses on policy mechanisms to support jobs built around rural resources, in the local economy or in exporting. It finishes on the governance and policy formation mechanisms needed for sustainable, on-going policy development so as not to repeat the problems of the past. Structured as a series of magazine article-length chapters, UNLOCKING RURAL POTENTIALdeals with myths, discusses challenges and presents solutions to help citizens understand the issues and policies that relate to Rural Ireland.