While I have been looking forward to the Ireland/Carrigart consulting segment of the fellowship for quite some time, I have been slightly intimidated by the tall order that awaits us there. Today’s site visit to Connellsville PA (in Fayette County, about an hour south of Oakland) gave me a great idea of what to expect as far as the needs of a small town and the best strategies to include in a business development plan. First and foremost, the Fayette County Cultural Trust has endeavored over the past twenty years to slow their declining population using advertising, community pride, and public resources in a three-pronged attack, so to speak. The town struggles to attract passersby to the shops and sites they have to offer. In response, they invested in constructing a 54-room Comfort Inn that houses guests from the hiking/biking trails, Seven Springs, and more. This lodging was absolutely pivotal for the town, as people suddenly had reason to stop and spend money in Connellsville. The hotel collaborates heavily with the hotel and event space next door by offering discounts and making referrals, garnering a very high booking rate of 80-90%. Fortunately, the three businesses are next door to each other, which creates a valuable asset: convenience. The Fayette County Cultural Trust has also invested much effort in creating a consistent county theme, which they recently solidified in a Fayette Anthem. Their goal is to build a sense of place-based identity and pride for the area. They are hoping to push that song into schools to encourage the younger generations to get involved. Lastly, they have really ramped up beautification efforts especially in the high foot traffic areas, such as trailheads. Their use of public art demonstrates their commitment to making Connellsville a place to stop, stay, and call home. Though many of these efforts are baby steps towards an overarching goal, I believe these small incremental efforts are exactly the kinds of recommendations we will look to make in Ireland. Small things I would like to implement/suggest in Carrigart would be discounts/referrals between local businesses, hotel services such as bikes and walking sticks, and multipurpose buildings to bring people together. I was definitely grateful for this experience today because there are so many parallels to the situation we will find in Ireland, I imagine. The Connellsville community was very welcoming and very helpful in answering questions.