Mayo can harness significant opportunities through stronger diaspora engagement - study

A NEW report launched today by the Western Development Commission has found that Mayo and other counties in the western region could unlock significant new opportunities for communities, enterprise, tourism, talent attraction and international connectivity through a stronger and more coordinated approach to diaspora engagement.

The report, Connected Communities, Global Relationships, is the first comprehensive regional study of its kind and examines how people and organisations in  Mayo and the west of Ireland work to build meaningful links with people overseas who retain family, cultural, professional and emotional connections to the region.

One case study highlighted is Mayo's Inishturk where diaspora engagement is contributing to the life of the island and long-term community planning.

Drawing on 240 responses representing 178 organisations and groups, the research found that diaspora engagement is notably strong across the region, led by local authorities, community organisations, heritage groups, tourism projects, sports clubs and educational institutions, with much of the activity underpinned by volunteerism and personal commitment.

Forty-seven per cent of respondents said they already actively engage with the diaspora, while a further 35 per cent said they would like to do more than they currently are.

The strongest motivation identified was maintaining bonds of friendship and connection, ranking ahead of fundraising or commercial return. Respondents also pointed to the importance of diaspora links in supporting tourism, local pride, skills exchange, business opportunities and long-term community resilience.

However, the report also found that much of this work is taking place without dedicated resources, shared systems or consistent strategic support. Many organisations cited lack of time, staffing capacity and difficulty maintaining long-term relationships despite strong goodwill and growing demand.

The study identified key international links for the region across Britain, North America, Australia and mainland Europe, with cities such as London, Boston and New York continuing to feature strongly as important centres of connection.

Speaking at the report launch, Allan Mulrooney, chief executive of the Western Development Commission, said: “For Mayo and the western region, diaspora relationships represent a significant strategic asset. They include skills, experience, networks, advocacy, cultural capital and investment potential.

“Few regions have experienced migration on the scale seen here or retain such strong emotional and practical connections across generations. With stronger coordination, dedicated support and sustained ambition, the potential exists not only to deepen existing relationships, but to unlock new opportunities for communities, enterprise and future generations across the region.”

Dr. Aisling Moroney, who led the research on behalf of the WDC, said:  “This study shows very clearly that the foundations for stronger diaspora engagement already exist across the west and northwest. Communities, local authorities, festivals, heritage groups and many other kinds of organisations are maintaining valuable relationships every day, often through volunteer effort and with limited resources. What emerged from the research was not a lack of interest or ambition, but a clear appetite to do more and to strengthen what already exists.

“A notable theme of the work being done is the strong sense of responsibility towards ‘our people abroad’, accompanied by a desire to honour and maintain connections with the generations of people who emigrated from this region. So, the kind of diaspora engagement that we are talking about strengthening is not necessarily about ‘asks’ but about mutual respect and mutual benefit.”

The report highlights a series of case studies from across the region, including island communities, festivals, heritage projects, local authority strategies, cultural centres and international initiatives that demonstrate what can be achieved when strong local identity is matched with practical outreach and sustained relationships.

INISHTURK CASE STUDY

One of these case studies is Inishturk Community Club where diaspora engagement is contributing to the life of the island and to long-term community planning, including the community-led strategy, Inishturk Vision 2050.

The organisation sees the island as having a much wider circle of belonging than people currently living there, including children and grandchildren of island families living elsewhere, and a broader network of people who may not be related but who have built a strong connection to the island over time.

The club uses tools such as a monthly newsletter, hybrid AGMs and town halls, and a dedicated section on the Inishturk Community Club website focused on the island’s future to encourage people to get involved.

A strong example of what that can unlock is the board itself. One young man with grandparents from Inishturk became involved through the newsletter, joined the board, now chairs the heritage group, and has already pursued several funding streams while helping to document island life and argue for the conditions needed to move back.

Current work on renewable energy, invasive species removal and the native Irish black bee is helping people see Inishturk not as a place standing still, but as a place trying to build something imaginative and worthwhile.

Increasingly, as development manager Sinead Cahalan puts it, “when the island puts its dreams out there, somebody’s catching them.”

The biggest barriers to further work in this area are time and staff capacity. Sinéad says that the most useful support would be a skilled communications and outreach resource, someone who could help develop a smart social media campaign, create templates and messaging for regular asks, and build a better system for logging and thanking people for their contributions.

To help support the work of Inishturk Community Club and other groups and organisations seeking to amplify their diaspora engagement efforts, the WDC report recommends stronger regional coordination and networking, improved access to shared communications and engagement tools, more structured collaboration between organisations and a greater focus on converting goodwill into practical action. It also points to the value of recognising that different diaspora groups may engage for different reasons, from heritage and identity to business opportunity, return migration or skills exchange.

The Western Development Commission will host a public webinar on June 2 at 11 a.m. to examine the report findings and discuss how communities, agencies and diaspora networks can work together to build the next phase of engagement across the region.