People, Place and Planet – Council Chairperson points to ‘Ireland’s Future’

As progressive and nationalist Ireland mobilised in Dublin’s 3 Arena, recently appointed Chairperson of Mid-Ulster District Council, proud Ballinascreen woman and Sinn Féin councillor for Carntogher DEA, Córa Corry gave her thoughts on equality, community spirit and her hopes for Ireland's future. 

Councillor Corry pointed to ‘Ireland’s Future’ when stating: “People are eager for change, for a better future, for equality and a fair society that brings hope, prosperity and opportunity for everyone living on our island home.”

Taking some time out of her hectic schedule, the former Vice-President of Queen's University Belfast Students' Union, who has been involved in active republicanism since her teenage years, reflected on her first one hundred days in her new role as Mid-Ulster’s first citizen when she stated: "Since returning to 'Screen over recent years, having moved backed from Belfast, where I worked in the private sector, but was still actively involved in republican politics and campaigns, I have been really impressed by the enthusiasm locally for building a strong and cohesive community as well as the strong spirit of social enterprise which underpins all community endeavour across our district council area and indeed across rural county Derry.

"For me, as a local councillor, the strong community spirit and voluntary effort, that continues to drive forward  Moneyneena's An Ráth Dúbh, local champions for positive mental health provision such as STEPS, as well as Maghera Cross-Community Link, Granaghan Women’s Group and the myriad of locally organised community groups and initiatives, delivering much needed local and often front-line services, reflects the strong values of solidarity and fairness that are embedded across County Derry and our neighbouring county, Tyrone.

“As I represent council at civic and community events on a daily basis, I am always heartened by local people's strong interest in the conversation, which is growing day by day, regarding the need for sustainable economic growth, prosperity and a society based on social justice and equality. Brexit certainly has been a game-changer in terms of the ‘Uniting Ireland’ conversation. People want to live in strong vibrant communities which respect the human dignity, rights and entitlements of every one of their neighbours, young and old, as equal citizens.

“Local people's pride in Irish culture and sport, especially their strong support for our local Gaelic clubs bodes well for the future. Being born a Groogan, hailing from Ballinascreen, and now happily back living in the parish, in the Moneyneana area with my  husband, I know only too well that the GAA is the backbone of our rural communities and that for many people, there is no doubt, that the mantra 'Club is Life' has real and particular meaning. The leadership given by our local GAA clubs alongside others during the Covid-19 emergency must be celebrated.”

Pointing to her wish to provide strong and principled leadership during her tenure as Mid-Ulster’s first citizen, while putting a strong focus on People, Place and Planet, when always celebrating diversity and heavily promoting the inclusion of older people and citizens living with disability, Councillor Corry continued: "We must ensure that Mid-Ulster Council continues to roll out progressive initiatives which aim to create well paid employment, generate prosperity, promote opportunities to celebrate our local heritage while developing our hospitality and local tourism sector. We really need to enhance the lives of all our local people, including rural dwellers and our farm families - especially people living with disability and those people having to depend on a broken health and social care systems which fail their needs.

"It is most important that we protect the Sperrins and reject plans for a gold mine and processing plant. We must encourage genuine local economic initiatives which create real long-term employment and lead to prosperity for everyone living in our district. The protection of our environment, natural heritage and public health is paramount. To paraphrase socialist thinker Michael Parenti, capitalism has a total inability to be made kinder. Parenti wisely stated that we must not turn the live green earth into dead gold bricks, with luxury items for the few and toxic slag heaps for the many.

“For this reason, I was very privileged to have recently chaired a meeting of council which adopted a motion brought forward by my comrades and fellow Sinn Féin councillors for Carntogher, Brian McGuigan and Sean McPeake, which committed council to developing a fully funded Community Wealth Building framework with the purpose of democratising our district’s economy by empowering community organisations, non-profits, social enterprise and co-operatives to be established or expanded with the ambition to create employment and grow local economies.

“The adoption of our Sinn Féin motion comes at a time of British Tory inflicted recession and austerity. Our council’s move to a Community Wealth Building framework takes fully into consideration the current Cost of Living Crisis as well as long standing economic problems across our district for many of our workers, families and communities, including inequality, low-paid employment, poor rates of socially ineffective investment, deprivation and unsustainable levels of carbon emissions and ecological damage.

“We need a more just and fair labour market, an inclusive economy, while ensuring that land and property in our communities generates wealth for people who live there.

“Tory austerity and a denial of basic economic competencies have stifled economic development across the North. Therefore, we need to be bold in setting out a new approach for our local economy where we retain our local resources and initiative to keep good employment, the wealth of our communities, and socially beneficial investment in our communities. We need to advance these economic principles through council, in co-operation with our communities, through a coherent and ambitious economic strategy.  Economic strategies obsessed with growth alone have shown themselves to have limited benefits and can be environmentally unstainable.

“By adopting a Community Wealth Building framework, we will be planning to develop our local economy in a way that ensures wealth is added to our communities and not extracted. “

Councillor Corry concluded her interview by stating: “Community Wealth Building has the potential to maximise the unleashed potential of every village, town and community across Mid-Ulster and indeed throughout Ireland.

“It is our duty as a generation to fix what was broken by colonisation, partition and division. To make Ireland the home we know it can be, for everybody. A home for every person regardless of community, colour, creed, sexual orientation, identity, or background. Recognising and embracing that while we have many tribes and traditions, we are but one nation. North, South, East, West, Rural and Urban joining together in common purpose and under the banner of ‘no one left behind’.”