Rté - The Ties That Bind

In this episode, presenter Brian O'Connell delves deep into what sustains community life in rural Ireland today. In a vastly changed and changing world, what are the challenges to a rural society today and what solutions are rural communities discovering for themselves?

The third episode of the series opens on sale day at Ennis Mart. We meet sons trying to negotiate their inheritance, school children trying to figure out their future role in an ever changing world and shopkeepers ushering their business into retirement.

In this second episode of the series, Brian explores the theme of belonging - what is it that makes us feel part of a community? In the world of Facebook, easy travel and increasing urbanisation, is there such a thing as local identity in rural Ireland today?

This episode sets the scene for us and looks at community life in Ireland today, guided by the intriguing work of two Harvard anthropologists who studied the people of Clare in the 1930s.