Our FABulous Place. The story of a community in Coolcotts, Wexford, in word, song and film.

Description

Older people from the estates of Belvedere, Ashfield and Ferndale at Coolcotts in Wexford Town came together with Sylvia Cullen, Annie Reynolds, Terence White and Billy Roche to tell the story of their place, and the people who lived there in their own words.
This led to the publication of a book FABulous. The book tells through story, film and song shows how over 40 years, individual people become a community. It is the cumulation of a project where older people and younger people collaborate to reminisce and tell stories of resilience, community and togetherness.
The stories tell of happy memories and the challenges of moving, of people relying on one another to make things happen. Enduring friendships are a strong feature, as are the bonds made between neighbours that continue to this day. These stories from the early years of these modern estates are counterpointed by reflections from young people today and histories and fables from long ago.

Working together has always been an essential part of the process of getting things done in the area. People working together, taking imaginative approaches to making improvements and bringing about lasting change for the better. This process of including people at every stage of community development, kept people engaged to bring facilities to the area.
The book celebrates and highlight some of the many achievements of the past; it includes people’s personal recollections of the history of the area and the changes they have witnessed. They can now look forward to building on the work to date in the community and forging a better future together. A broad spectrum of voices is represented here, reflecting the diversity that exists in the area.

However many of these stories reflect how life in the locality has changed dramatically down through the years, particularly for members of the original community. For those involved, participating enabled them develop a stronger sense of self, learn new skills and making new friends. In so doing they have added to the collective local memory by publishing this book that documents the collective memory of their community.

The older people were challenged and taken out of their comfort zones by participating in a creative writing project. Many participants told how they learned so much about themselves by participating in the creative writing and also by having their voices recorded in a newly composed song about their community.

Aim of Initiative

Concept: An opportunity for Older People to come together to share their stories about Coolcotts in a new publication. Some tales take the reader back in time to when the three estates were first built; others offer a contemporary perspective on the area’s recent history and culture. Many of these stories reflect how life in the locality has changed dramatically down through the years, particularly for members of the original community.
Focus: The goal of this project was the creation of a new book, by and for members of the local community. While some people will write their story during the workshops, others may opt to have theirs recorded and transcribed. As the focus is on creativity for older people, the aim is to focus primarily on this age cohort. The project includes settled people, members of the Travelling community, along with those from the more recently-arrived ‘new communities’ sector. Alongside these stories, it was also anticipated that the publication would feature photos from the archives, as well as some people’s personal photos.
A short film was made to document the process of creating the book. It also complemented the publication by featuring additional material, including footage of the local area, footage shot during the song writing workshops, as well as short interviews or vox-pops with the participants.

Who is it aimed at

Older people living in, from or with roots in the Coolcotts area of Wexford Town who would gather, in post covid days, to rebuild their social connections and in so doing to reflect, write, film or in song chart the beginning and development of their urban community 40 years ago to becoming the vibrant community it is today.
Younger members of the community to write and talk and sing about the life experiences they have now; living in that community, where the older people had campaigned to build childcare, community, social and commercial facilities.
The Community. The book, FABulous, 1500 copies, is available to all members of the community free to collect from Wexford Library and FAB Community and family Resource Centre. All families attending Scoil Mhuire Primary School in Coolcotts received a copy.
Those who composed lyrics and score of the song ‘I’m From Here’ are willing to consider requests to use the song for fundraising initiatives in the locality.

3 Steps critical to success

1. The people of Coolcotts Wexford.
   14 women who wrote their individual stories. The 4 younger voices. 2 Poets.
   15 people who in their community contributions tell the stories that create the modern history.
   9 people to write and sing the song, I’m from here, with guitarists Frank Tennant and Billy Roche, and Terry Byrne on piano and keyboard. 80 people who attended the launch in Wexford Library and brought the story of FABulous back to their home, family and community. 1 Anne Reynolds, Outreach Co-ordinator, a long time resident and stakeholder who had the trust of all.
2. Collaboration of local based Support Services Wexford Library. Project management, launch venue, distribution of book free to community, adding to library book stock to make book available from libraries in county Wexford nationwide. FAB Community and Family Resource Centre. Part of management team; venue for meetings. Central location, base for outreach co-ordinator, place for informal discussion, ideas, addressing challenges as they arose. Location for song writing. Coolcotts Community Centre & Wexford Local Development, provide space for creative writing sessions for book. Mobile Sound Studio that rolled into FAB, Coolcotts with Terry Byrne to record song.
3. Allocation of funding from Creative Ireland Creativity in Older Age scheme, to enable the 23 older adults volunteer to engage in the creative writing and publishing programme with Sylvia Cullen, writer and editor, to create the book that now provides a social history of their area 1983-2023; Billy Roche to lead song writing, to enable group to sing, hum, reminisce and debate the song lyrics; and engage Terence White to document the

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Delay in commencement of Project due to Covid and its legacy, ongoing illness;
2. building community confidence to meet safely in group had to be built into planning and session management. Once begun, this programme ran effectively and as planned.
3. Coordination of the many elements of the programme, the creative writing, sonwriting, filming, launch and publication.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. The community at large gathered, enhancing their lives, to reflect, document and make public the history of their people and place. To put their story, their history on record to make it available for research purposes and to benefit the community at large.
2. A sense of welbeing and achievement by the participants as well as developing new skills and challenging themselves.
3. Recording of new song. A source of community pride, achievement and a recording for history and for the benefit of the community. I’m from Here written and sung by Frank Tennant on guitar, Winnie Ennis, Maura Rattigan, Marina Gambold, John O’Connor, Marian Frayne, Agnes Bolger, Rhiann Reynolds, with Billy Roche on guitar and vocals and Terry Byrne on piano and keyboard. Song arranged by Billy Roche and Terry Byrne. Available online from the Wexford County Council website. Roche, Billy and Terry Byrne. Notated Version, I’m From Here, arr. By Billy Roche and Terry Byrne. Our FABulous Place. A collection of new writing celebrating and reflecting on life in the Coolcotts area of Wexford Town. Wexford: Wexford County Council, (2023) 114-122 .