On Sunday, we explored Carrigart in the early morning, did project work in the afternoon, and ended our day in Downings for the annual festival. It was an ease into the busy rest of the week.
On Monday, we continued to work on our project, and then met with Moving Mevagh Forward and Noel McBride. Moving Mevagh Forward is a community organization that was very active around the 2010’s, and while still operating today, has started to feel the age of those who started it. Noel McBride was a former councilman of the Donegal County Council, and recently retired. Both these conversations helped identify how Carrigart has been supported in recent years, and how many efforts have continued, but unfortunately have begun to fizzle out due to the age of the founders. After, we drove the Atlantic Drive, and visited Murder Hole Beach. From what I’ve gathered, the name is said to originate from the shape of the caves, and their liking to murder holes. It was much larger than I expected, and not as somber as the name “Murder Hole Beach” would suggest.
For many of these natural landmarks and festivals, it seems that the people who show up are locals and visitors from Northern Ireland. Most of the money generated stays within the community, but some has the unfortunate circumstance of simply passing through the town.
For Carrigat, many people drive through the town centre, but do not stop. The hardest challenge is finding ways to capture their attention, and offer them products or services that a consumer would truly want. Carrigart has the potential to utilize its position, but there are certain blockages (pedestrian accessibility, store hours, etc.) that can harm their foot traffic.