Contemporary landscape pressures and opportunities: the quest for a sustainable future for Leitrim
McManus, RuthORCID: 0000-0003-1477-8254
(2019)
Contemporary landscape pressures and opportunities: the quest for a sustainable future for Leitrim.
In: Kelly, Liam and Scott, Brendan, (eds.)
Leitrim History & Society.
Geography Publications, Dublin, Ireland, pp. 787-820.
ISBN 9780906602898
‘Lovely Leitrim, where the Shannon waters flow’ is renowned for its scenic combination of waterways and uplands, for its rural borderland location, and for its small population. While it shares many challenges and opportunities with neighbouring western counties, some of its recent experiences are unique to the county and reflect its geographical location and its population decline, as well as efforts to address both issues. Attempts to drive economic growth in Leitrim have had a number of unintended outcomes for the county, as the following discussion will demonstrate. As the least populous county in Ireland, there are few Leitrim-dwellers who are not acutely aware of the vulnerable position in which this places them. While Leitrim might be a ‘hidden gem’, it could also be characterised as a forgotten county, which can struggle to have its voice heard on a national stage. This chapter explores some of the recent pressures facing Leitrim’s landscape and society, including housing oversupply, fracking and afforestation.