LOCALS DEFEND BALLYLONGFORD

RESIDENTS in Ballylongford have this week expressed upset over a TG4 documentary on the north Kerry village which they claim portrayed the village in a negative light.

Such was the upset caused by the documentary, which aired almost two weeks ago, some residents have sent letters to TG4 about the programme content. The Kerryman also received letters criticising what the writers claimed was the ‘negativity’ showcased by the documentary makers towards the north Kerry village. The documentary was the second part of the series ‘Tabu’. Midas Productions were behind the programme and they have refuted these claims.

24-year old Emily Wrenn expressed her upset in a letter which she posted to TG4 and to social media.

“I am appalled at how our village was portrayed. You chose not to air any positive content in order to paint Ballylongford as a desolate wasteland with nothing to offer, full of apathetic people who care nothing for our village,” Ms Wrenn claimed.

“I am writing to tell you that this is not at all the case,” she added in the letter.

“We are located at a beautiful position at the edge of the Shannon Estuary. We are blessed with stunning views and wildlife - again, none of which was showcased in your programme.

“How can you expect us to draw more people to the village when one of our national broadcasting agencies chooses to describe it as a barren blip in North Kerry, not suitable for habitation,” she questioned.

Emily said that she was delighted to return home to Ballylongford after travelling around the world and hopes to continue to live there.

“It is horrendous to see something you love so much being painted in such a way.”

She was joined in her upset by 76-year old Mamie (Nora Mary) Kearney, who was born and bred in Ballylongford.

“They spent days filming and they showed it in a negative light. It was all doom and gloom,” said the local woman.

She said that the whole community was waiting for the “good bits” but they never came.

She added that Ballylongford is a wonderful place to live and has a wonderful community spirit but that the documentary never showed any of that.

She conceded that the village is facing issues with rural decline and the closure of the post office, which was a centrepiece of the documentary, but she said that there are also wonderful things in the village as well such at the Tidy Towns groups who have huge efforts, the local school and the supermarket.

Midas productions said that rural decline is a national issue and that they had focused on Ballylongford and Kiltyclogher, both of whom are being challenged by this.

“We are confident that the programme captures the concerns and ambitions for each community and shows their community pride and their work to promote the towns as well as bringing to the fore a real concern for rural communities all over Ireland who find themselves in a similar position,” the production team said in a statement this week.