29 (40) The West Lives On On our way back from the Western Counties we passed through a landscape where former abandoned houses were repopulated. In the seventies, Ireland still was a poverty-stricken country where the youth had to emigrate if they wanted a brighter future. Only the old people stayed at the West Coast villages. Now, a quarter of a century later, Ireland and its western territories experience a renaissance. Now people are moving back. Ireland is no longer an unhappy and destitute emigration country. The development mostly takes place in the cities and towns. The villages are still fighting for their survival. The West lives on, but is transformed as time goes by. 28 30 First published: Friday 20th December, 2002 Send a to the author! You may also use this form