Social Enterprises in the Irish Rural Space: An Analysis in the Area of Ballyhoura

Abstract

Social enterprises are a pivotal tool for improving the living conditions in the Irish countryside and also to reduce the sense of remoteness in rural space by creating many job opportunities specifically towards disadvantaged people and unemployed workforce. The latter aspect is particularly topical during this time of Irish economic crisis as many dismissed people come back to their rural villages aimed to find new job chances. The object of this quantitative analysis was to investigate the role and the impact of social enterprises in a small Irish rural area such as Ballyhoura able to stimulate endogenous job opportunities towards disadvantaged groups of people and young generations. The Local Action Group is the most and foremost local factor to promote and to manage in collaboration with stakeholders, farmers and entrepreneurs the rural development in the countryside, using different sources of financial supports allocated by the European Union and by the Irish government as well. The methodology of analysis was a qualitative description of the role of social enterprises in a rural Irish area after a description of features and issues of the rural context. Over the time of analysis, the less favored people as elderly and young people, female workforce and dismissed people have improved their skill capabilities and they have formed new enterprises able to produce handmade products, to implement the tourism fruition of the countryside. They have also set up new enterprises aimed to take care of disadvantaged people creating a social and solidarity economy. The social enterprises have had a pivotal role in increasing tourism flows and the socio-economic growth in the area of Ballyhoura. Other findings have pointed out as in the area of study there has been a strengthening of the sense of belonging to rural communities and also a new involvement in a modern path of rural planning. Rural communities are a fundamental pillar in the Irish process of endogenous development able to reduce the sense of remoteness in the countryside and stimulating new generations to move from urban areas to the rural space. The local and European authorities should allocate new addition financial resources to stimulate the growth of social enterprises in order to reduce the out-migration from the Irish countryside by several job opportunities in this time of economic downturn. Others recommendations for the public authorities are also to assign to social enterprises a prime role in providing social services towards people at risk of marginalization, in preserving the environment and in upholding cultural traditions in rural territories.