Community projects help foster ‘civic pride’ in some of Enniscorthy’s most deprived areas
Wexford PeopleA community initiative led by Wexford County Council (WCC) is helping to foster civic pride in some of Enniscorthy’s most deprived areas. Designed to increase health and wellbeing among residents in Enniscorthy, the Slaintécare Healthy Communities Programme (SHCP) has been operating in Templeshannon for the past two years and has introduced a number of programmes which have reduced anti-social behaviour in the area,
According to the 2022 Census there are over 7,500 people living in disadvantaged areas in Enniscorthy with the unemployment rate (19 pc) more than double the national average (8.5 pc).
The SHCP, which is run by community development officer Ann Marie Laffan, sought to address this by helping those living in these areas to set up residents associations and carry out clean ups.
At the December meeting of the Enniscorthy Municipal District (EMD) Ms Laffan provided an update on the work she and her team had been undertaking in estates in Templeshannon.
"We identified two areas, Forgelands and Cluain Dara, where there were issues with littering, anti-social behaviour, and a lack of public transport,” she said. “We set up a resident’s association and supported them to improve their community, that estate is very clean now. It’s become a community-led project, we don’t have to provide financial support any more.”
By entrusting those living in Templeshannon to take ownership of their area, Ms Laffan said the SHCP has helped foster a “community spirit” in many of the estates. Building upon that, the SHCP has provided amenities and facilities for residents including a community gym, a summer sports programme, podcast training, and a music programme.
“Those in Templeshannon felt they were being left behind and needed more support,” continued Ms Laffan. “Along with the guards we worked a lot on community safety and anti-social behavioural issues, a lot of it was about talking to the residents and working out what the issues were. Lack of public transport was also identified as a big issue so myself and MaryB O’Leary from Local Link worked on getting a bus route into the area.”
Aside from the more practical solutions, Ms Laffan wanted to improve the wellbeing of those in Templeshannon by focusing on the history and heritage of the area.
“We are going to do a heritage and folklore project, where people can tell their stories, take some civic pride in where they’re from,” she said.
As a result of this work, local gardaí have reported a significant reduction in anti-social behaviour in Templeshannon and overtime is down by 800 hours as a result. Looking forward to 2026, Ms Laffan said the next target for the SHCP was to secure a family resource centre for Enniscorthy which she said would be “transformational” for the town.