New community bench in Tipperary marks 40 years of Community Alert Programme

A new Community Bench marking 40 years of the Muintir na Tíre Community Alert Programme was unveiled by the National President of Muintir na Tíre Jackie Meally, and the Deputy President of the IFA, Alice Doyle, at the Muintir na Tíre HQ in Tipperary Town, on Saturday May 31.

The National President of Muintir na Tíre, Jackie Meally, welcomed the large attendance and spoke about the background to the organisation.

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"To understand Muintir na Tíre you need to set yourself back in 1937 when it was set up, and what Ireland looked like, and what was it was at that time. So if you were 37 years of age in 1937, you would have seen the First World War, you would have seen the War of Independence, you would have seen the Civil War and the setting up of the new State and at the end of the 20's you would have seen the Great Depression. All in an era when there was no grant funding from the County Councils or from the LEADER partnership Companies, where you can get grants for community development.

"So Canon Hayes set up this organisation for community development and it was a National organisation and there were no funds there. Neighbourliness, self-help and self-reliance, were the principles at the time and to encourage community organisations to get together, do your plan and do it the best way that you can along with your neighbours. We still espouse these principles and Muintir now is an icon for communities. We have well over a thousand communities affiliated to Muintir na Tíre, so we are still there doing the work for communities, an example being the Community Alert Programme. Muintir still is a major force in Ireland today.

"Some of the major national projects that are here today that were initiated or assisted by Muintir na Tíre include the Citizens Information Service, the Tidy Towns Competition, Group Water Schemes, the development of Community Halls and of course the development of Rural Electrification, which Canon Hayes and Muintir lobbied very hard for, so that communities would accept the scheme and would encourage others to do so.

"I would just like to say that Muintir is still here and going forward. At the moment we are looking at our strategic plan for the next 5 years, and that is in train at the moment, and we probably need a Muintir na Tíre plan version 2. Mention finally of the Community Alert Programme, which was a tripartite agreement between the Gardaí, Muintir na Tíre and the communities. Great credit is due to the Community Alert Development Staff who have contributed so much to the programme and continue to do so today. Community Alert did work when it was founded back in 1985 and it is still working today in 2025," concluded the National President.

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Garda John Hennessy, represented An Garda Siochána, and spoke about the 40 year partnership between An Garda Siochána and Muintir na Tíre.

"The Community Alert Programme has expanded over the years to become a significant presence in the crime prevention landscape with over 1,000 Community Alert Groups throughout the country. The active and sustained participation and contribution over many years of so many committed community members, community groups, members of An Garda Siochána and Muintir na Tíre, is acknowledged and deeply appreciated.

"Today we celebrate the success of Community Alert and we look forward to the future with a renewed confidence. Community Alert is a community safety programme for rural areas, with an emphasis on older and vulnerable people. It operates as a partnership between the community, An Garda Siochána, and of course Muintir na Tíre. It works on the principle of shared responsibility for crime prevention and reduction. The aims of the Community Alert Programme are to foster the process of community development, to reduce opportunities for crime to occur, to unite communities in the spirit of neighbourliness and community service and to devise programmes to improve the quality of life for all rural communities. Throughout the past 40 years Community Alert has evolved in its response to crime in Rural Ireland.

"Community Alert encourages communities to be pro-active, and to participate in improving the life and safety of communities. I wish to acknowledge the positive impact that the volunteers have had on the programme. Their contribution plays a significant part in ensuring the success of the programme. In addition it must be mentioned the valuable contribution of the Government Bodies and various groups towards the programme. I wish to acknowledge and thank Muintir na Tíre for the work that they have achieved in developing and promoting the programme. An Garda Siochána is fully aware of the positive impact that Muintir na Tíre has on communities through the Community Alert Programme.

"In addition it is also acknowledged the positive impact Muintir na Tíre has in relation to the operation and promotion of programmes and initiatives such as Text Alert, the Cáirde App, Message in a Bottle, Senior Alert Scheme, the ICE initiative and more recently the Community Alert start up and comeback events. I would like to acknowledge the strong and effective working partnership between An Garda Siochána and Muintir na Tíre.

"An Garda Siochána is committed to this partnership and the Community Alert Programme with this commitment stated and acknowledged. An Garda Siochána is committed towards the operation of the Community Alert Programme with two aspects to be central to this. Stated function of Garda Divisions and Districts towards the operation of the Community Alert Programmes and inclusion of the Community Alert Programme in policing plans nationally. The future of the programme looks to be bright and positive and I would like to thank Muintir na Tíre for the significant contribution that they have made towards the programme," concluded Garda Hennessy.