Irish election: Shared Island funding ‘vital’ for border communities

Lifestyle Development’s managing director Eilín Casey said part of the motivation for applying for the funding had been an opportunity to create a stronger link with women who lived just a few miles away.

“South Armagh and Louth are very close together and we figured it would be good for us to interact with somebody else nearby,” she said.

“Even though we have a shared history, sometimes that was seen as two separate histories.

“It has opened up a whole new way of discussing our histories, it has given people licence to express themselves.”

Regardless of who forms the next government in Dublin, Ms Casey said they should be serious about continuing to fund groups like hers.

“For border communities the importance of these type of programmes cannot be understated.

“If I could say anything to the government I would say: ‘Please pay attention to this.’

“This is something which would benefit everybody in the whole of Ireland.”

Sister Ann Brady, one of the founder members of Lifestyle Development, said the funding had been “core to helping us to do what we aimed to do”.

“We are really hopefully that we will be successful in our application for another round of funding to continue and further develop the project and look at the present day challenges faced by people in south Armagh and in this area,” she said.