Tipperary's Loughmore Cottage featured in new book on social enterprises

The launch of Dr Senan Cooke's book “The Enterprising Community” took place earlier this summer at  Dublin City University. 

The launch was attended by Sean Kelly, MEP and speeches were given by Michael Ring TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Professor Joe O’ Hara, Dublin City University, Dr. Anne Looney, Dean of Education Institute, Dublin City University, and Mr. Brendan Whelan, CEO Social Finance Foundation and Chair of the Special Olympics.

Dr. Senan Cooke is a native of Kilmacow, County Kilkenny and has lived in Dunhill,  Waterford since 1974 where he has been an active member of his community, social enterprise groups and has contributed to a growing national discourse on social entrepreneurship and the potential for local communities to create jobs and shape their own futures. 

Through the work of an inspiring and committed group of community volunteers of which Senan is a member, the rural parish of Dunhill-Fenor Co. Waterford has developed 15 social enterprises ranging from Dunhill Rural Enterprises Ltd to Fenor Bog in the past number of years. 

Pic: Seamus Goggin, Communities Creating Jobs (CCJ), John Hinchey, Teresa Hinchey, Manager Tipperary Community Council Ltd. and Dr Senan Cooke, Author

Senan’s book is informed by this life time of involvement with voluntary and community groups both locally and nationally, and provides a bottom up perspective on the capacity within communities to re-generate. 

The book describes the age old values which sustain volunteerism, communities as problem solvers and wealth creators and the potential of dormant resources all of which combined with sense and pride of place can serve to strengthen and grow rural and urban communities in innovative and sustainable ways.

In his book, Dr Cooke heralded Loughmore Cottage as one of the most important community led projects to emerge from Ireland in the last 10 years having documented the value of the co-operative in the Tipperary village. 

Drawing on a number of case studies, including a look at  Loughmore Cottage in Tipperary,  the book gives a practical and insightful understanding into the challenges and approaches to socio-economic innovation.

Professor Joe O’Hara said the book would inform national and international strategists. As Ireland’s university of enterprise, Dr. Anne Looney, Dean Institute of Education spoke of the growing importance of sense of place and social entrepreneurship across all disciplines and in particular in the field of teacher training. 

 Mr. Brendan Whelan, CEO Social Finance Foundation spoke of the challenge of financing social enterprise, and the author, Mr. Senan Cooke spoke of how a co-ordinated support environment hindering would assist in developing this untapped national asset when it is addressed and improved through a new policy which is about to be launched by  government shortly. The new policy will also serve to strengthen rural and urban communities across the island which is vital to help counter the effects of globalization and international political instability.