Roscommon to the fore as Moving West shines spotlight on county

A broadcaster, former newscaster, and writer has declared her love for County Roscommon, describing it as “a treasure”.

In a new series of TG4’s Moving West, which will be screened this spring, Mary Kennedy will shine the spotlight on the county and show people why Roscommon is a great location for anyone seeking to move West.

Having visited privately with her family over the years, Mary told the Roscommon Herald: “Roscommon is gorgeous. It’s just one of those places, I don’t want to say it’s a hidden gem, it’s one of those treasures.”

Mary and the production crew were in the Spool Factory in Boyle at Studio Meala for the Moving West programme to talk to two women who had moved from Greystones in Wicklow and Dalkey in Dublin to Boyle.

Conducting an interview for the first time in an animation studio, Mary said: “Here, you have a bright, modern studio that is big and spacious, with beautiful views. It offers job satisfaction and better chances with housing.”

She added that in all of the three series of Moving West, each of which has six episodes, she realised that “it is possible to have a fabulous lifestyle”.

“Here there is an outdoors vibe and for these young women there is a great nightlife,” she said.

“People are very obsessed with centric stuff, but I love decentric stuff. I relish the opportunity on Moving West to showcase this.”

During the pandemic “a lot of people realised they could work from home in a gorgeous environment”, she said.

“It is not just about the people moving, it is about lifestyle, work/life balance, mental health, and about opportunity and possibility.”

Ruth Harbison grew up in Greystones and is a lead 2D animator with Studio Meala. Her job entails managing a team of animators and supervising animation on individual episodes of RTÉ’s preschool series Doodle Girl. She is also involved in IP development with the studio, explaining that they are developing a TV series concept ‘Space Aged’ for 8-12-year-olds that focuses on young people’s relationship with the elderly in a fun and whacky space setting.

When asked about her move to Boyle, she said: “We are able to enjoy the tranquility of the countryside while still having access to some fantastic bars and cafes, and most importantly our work. And the size of the house we live in is four times larger than what my partner rents in Dublin for a far higher price. I am actually able to make some savings by living here whereas most of my friends who live in Dublin are seeing their wages disappear completely into their rent.

“I have been holidaying in the West of Ireland since I was very young. My family owns a house in Caherdaniel, County Kerry, that we visit for a few months of the year. I have stayed and worked summer jobs there, so I have some experience with living in the West before I moved to Roscommon.”

Her friend Éilish Holohan moved from Dalkey and also works for Studio Meala. Describing how she feels since moving to Boyle, she said: “I found the town very welcoming; it actually took some getting used to having people greet me in passing when I’m going for a walk. I like the people here. People are friendlier for sure. I’ve had some great chats even just doing my shopping.

“I’ve had great experiences with local shopkeepers and even just people I encounter out and about. I also love how safe it feels here. For the first few months my guard was still up from being in Dublin, but living in Boyle now has done wonders for my stress levels.”

The Moving West production crew also interviewed Áine Murphy, who along with her husband and her children Cúál, 3, and Máine Cosgrove, 5, also live in Boyle.

“We moved from Brussels to Boyle in March 2021,” said Áine.

“We have been welcomed with open arms by our neighbours and now friends. We have renovated the building we are in over the past couple of years. My husband’s grandparents used to live here. We meet people on weekly basis who share a story or two about my husband’s grandmother or grandfather. It’s lovely to hear them reminiscing about the past.”

Áine, who works in the Boyle Family Resource Centre, added: “Moving West has been the best decision for us. If you are looking for a place where you can slow down, enjoy nature, and live a simpler lifestyle, then moving West is for you. Moving to a small town makes for an easier existence as everything we need is on our doorstep, from the local schools, to the GAA pitch, tennis courts, shops, and beautiful walks with picturesque scenery. We have been warmly welcomed into the community. The proximity to everything is one of the key benefits.”

Fynn Hopper and Elena Tenschert operate Heathbank Farm in Arigna. Fynn moved to Ireland from Hull in Yorkshire, bought an eight-acre smallholding, and has developed it and an additional 50 acres into a colourful agribusiness selling organic pork, lamb, and beef direct to customers in Ireland.

He is developing social farming projects with adults with special needs, and taking international volunteers to educate them in organic farming and self-sufficiency.

Elena moved to Ireland from Graz in Austria as a volunteer on the farm and decided to stay. They were both nurses in a previous life but wanted to produce food, be self-employed and more connected to the rhythms of nature and country life.

Moving West producer and director Enda Grace explained to the Herald: “We put out a call earlier this year and received a number of really interesting responses from the area. We look for stories and we found plenty.

“We received a wonderfully warm welcome in the county and think viewers will be very drawn to the idea of Roscommon as a place to live and work when the episode goes to air in 2024”.

The Roscommon episode is expected to air this spring on TG4.