*Bernice Forde Carolan.
SMALL rural towns such as Gort depend on the enthusiasm and involvement of its community to ensure they thrive as vibrant hubs rather than end up as a mere stopping point en route to larger cities.
One woman who has been recognised for enormous contributions to the town of Gort’s vibrancy is Bernice Forde Carolan. Bernice was recently honoured at the ‘Galway People of the Year Award’ for the incredible community work she has undertaken since her return from the UK six years ago.
Bernice grew up on Berwick Street, just around the corner from the town square before moving to the UK to train and work in health care. After retiring six years ago, Bernice moved back to Gort with her husband and has reintegrated into the community as if she never left.
Bernice gives The Clare Echo a tour of the streets of Gort, showing an unquestionable enthusiasm for the town and love for her community. Her grá for Gort is mirrored as the people greet her fondly as she continues to point out more of Gort’s beautiful features.
Coming from a healthcare back- ground, it is in Bernice’s nature to be busy and to help others. Following her retirement, Mary Nolan, a long-term volunteer of the Gort Cancer Support Group, suggested that Bernice volunteer as a driver for the users of the support centre and her community work just snowballed from there.
“I like to be out, I like to be chatting to people, and I like to be involved. You come back and you hear people moaning about pain. Why haven’t we got this? Why haven’t we got that? And I think, well, if you don’t get involved, you’ve no right to sit and complain about it. So if I can do something that allows the town to be improved in whatever way it is I will”.
Bernice is now a member of six community organisations including; Gort Credit Union, Gort Tidy Towns, the local tourist office which is run by Burren Lowlands CLG and the Family Resource Centre, the Gort Welcomes Ukraine Group and the newly-established Gort Town
Team. Bernice has also helped to initiate a number of initiatives to enhance the beauty of the community.
As well as being an active member of the Gort community, Bernice is outspoken about issues within the town which need to be addressed and is an advocate for positive change in the area. While enjoying a coffee at a newly-opened bakery on George’s street Bernice told The Clare Echo the main point of contention within the community at the moment is St.Patrick’s Convent.
For the past two and half years the convent has housed 34 Ukrainians who have integrated into the community Gort seamlessly. They have enrolled in local schools, registered on sports teams and become involved in the local community groups. So two weeks ago, when the County Council announced these families were to be moved to various new locations, the people of Gort got to work trying to rectify the situation.
“These people are part of our community. So we fought like hell. We had letters pinging here, there and everywhere”. As a result the families now have the option to remain in Gort, those who have opted to stay have been relocated to The Grove or have been taken in by other locals.
Now that St.Patricks Convent is empty, Bernice and other active members of the community want to renovate it so that it can be used as a prominent amenity in the town. “We have a huge plan of what we want to do with that building. We want to see things like the Family Resource Centre relocated. We want the social services down there. We want things like a remote working hub. We want it to be a community facility. We want to use the chapel there for concerts and plays. It sits on the river. It’s a prime site in the middle of Gort. And we do not want it to disappear into the ether and collapse into the river”.
Bernice says the community and Council are on board with plans to revive the convent but they are having difficulty negotiating with the nuns who own the building. The rejuvenation of St.Patricks Convent is only one of 20 initiatives currently underway as part of the ‘Gort Town Centre First Plan’ created by Galway County Council and the Gort Town Team, of which Ber- nice is the Town Champion. Many of these projects are still in planning phases but Bernice highlights a select few of the initiatives which have been put into action.
The Gort River walk scheme has been an ongoing project within the town. Headed by David Murphy and his team, the plan is to continue the development of this amenity so that eventually the walkway will virtually circumnavigate the town.
Bernice also described the plans which have been put in place to improve the Town Hall. As one of the oldest buildings in Gort, The Town Hall has recently been ‘revamped’ and these improvements will continue as the town is now looking into improved disabled access.
This was a necessary project as the Town Hall is used as a venue by a number of Gorts community groups. “There’s a lot of work to enhance that. And it’s a great venue because they use it for the Cinema Club as well. Okay, yeah. The Gordified Cinema Club. Yeah. They use it for after school events. They use it for everything and anything. Music sessions, you name it”.
The final project Benice spoke about is the Streetscape enhancement scheme, which has a massive uptake from the community so much so that they have more people opting in than they had budgeted for. The plan is to bring colour back to Gort and paint the buildings throughout the town in heritage colours. “We’ve had a colour consultant come on board, she’s met with property owners, and the engagement from the Townsfolk has been brilliant. That’s amazing. And that’s what we want to see. Now what we really want to see is this happening as soon as possible in 2025. We want Gore to be looking really
glamorous by the summer time”.
