A beehive: that’s what the village of Redhills is like at the height of summer, according to Garda Sean Dorris, resident and chair of the Carnival on the Green committee.

“It’s very quiet coming up to it, then as soon as the marquee appears, all the bees come out and hover and do their job and make sure it works,” he says. “No matter how busy people are, they are there to help out when needed.”

Profits are divided between the 15 associations in the locality, from sporting organisations to Foroige to the Ladies Club. “We keep a pool of money to run next year’s carnival, then we divide what’s left,” Sean says. “Last year each organisation got a welcome €600.”

With this annual event and more, the people of Redhills have made a conscious decision to nurture a sense of community and make the most of what they have in the face of many closures over the years.

A mile from the border and eight miles from Clones and Cavan town, Redhills lost its train service in 1951, its post office in 2007 and the Garda station in 2014. The creamery, forge and the iron ore mines that led to the village’s name are long gone too.

In the place that has experienced the excitement of two films being made – local screenwriter and author Shane Connaughton’s The Playboys and The Run of the Country – the vibrant GAA club had the foresight to buy some land that contained the old railway track.

“We’ve a well-lit running/walking track on the railway line beside the pitch now, which is a great resource for everyone,” says committee member Pat Smith.

During the three-day carnival event each August, around 4,000 people descend on Redhills. “There’s something for everyone, from children’s events to afternoon ceilis to the nighttime dancing,” says Sean, who has been the village Garda for 30 years. “All generations get involved.”

The carnival coincides with the annual blessing of the graves. “A lot of people come back for that and stay for the festival,” Michael Reilly adds. “The Gathering in 2013 brought a lot of people back too.”

The resurrected carnival developed from a sports day and because hiring a marquee for one night for some music wasn’t feasible, a three-night run was decided on.

FIGHTING BACK

Not only was the carnival resurrected after a 40-year lapse, but the once-failed Group Water Scheme got going again after amalgamating successfully with nearby Butlersbridge and Ballyhaise. The lapsed Tidy Towns committee was restarted in 1990. “We’re still going, thankfully,” says Tidy Towns chair John Kelly.

“The wall behind the green was rebuilt first, with lots of local support, and that has greatly improved the total look of the village.” Tidy Towns work has also included laying footpaths and impressive floral decoration.

“The Tidy Towns work makes a difference to how you feel about your village,” John says. “When it’s looking well, you’re proud of it – children are as well – and want to do more to make it even better.”

CHALLENGES

Redhills currently has two pubs (one with shop attached) and a GAA pitch. The school and churches are further up the road, however.

“The village is a bit scattered because of that,” says Michael Reilly, “and it’s not feasible to transport children up and down to the pitch very often, but we’d have 30 kids here playing on a Saturday morning.

“The lack of a good phone signal and fast broadband can be issues in the area too but we hope that’ll improve in the future.”

While the village is much quieter than it was years ago, according to local resident Lena Costello, she says there was always a great sense of community in Redhills.

Lena, along with Vera Murphy and Angela Smith, remembers dancing in the marquee in the old days to the likes of the Melody Aces – but mum was the word on whether or not romances had begun there!

Demesne owner Eddie McElhinney tells of how the original carnival was started by then-priest Fr Traynor to help pay for repairs to the church in the late 1940s.

“It ran over three weeks then,” he says.

“Dancing wasn’t allowed on a Saturday night, and Fr Traynor was in charge of everything,” adds Sean Dorris. “Rumour has it that he had a big stick to keep everyone under control!”

Another annual tradition has started too, with the erection of a Christmas tree on the village green for the last 13 years. “We have a crib, Santa and a choral service too,” says Joe Smith, whose idea it was.

The border dimension is never far away in Redhills, and everyone is hopeful that the hard border won’t come back. Eddie McKiernan, who owns a nearby service station on the other side of the border, talked of the challenges for businesses related to currency and fuel tariff differences, and Lena Costello remembers the days when there was a customs hut right on the village green. “In the 1950s, there weren’t many cars, but they all had to stop there,” she says.

Carnival-wise, Sharon Fay, secretary of the committee, loves the buzz of it.

“It’s such a sight, seeing the marquee go up,” she says. “It brings life to the village, and it’s good to be able to come together as a community.”

And rest assured that plans are already underway for 2018 in this picturesque place. CL

Visit www.redhillscarnival.com

>> Town tips

  • • Keep your village as natural looking as possible.
  • • Retain distinctive features, like a pump on the green.
  • • Plan cross-community events that will involve all ages.
  • • Make use of historic features; for instance, an old railway line becoming a walking/running resource.
  • • Educate children about civic pride.
  • • Get all local clubs involved in your festival, for example, the gun club organising a pet farm attraction during the event.