Rural ppl in my experience in Ireland and abroad are
1- more grounded
2- much more into family
3-more lawful
4-much more conservative
( Downfall at times)
5-Better quality of life
6-Stick together more( farmers unions/ local politics)
7- Better moral compass
Mother from a rural background and famiy was everything,
Same with my siblings until she passed on, what country folk have in spades is guidance and an expectation to do well
Negatives to rural living
1-Isolation
2- Lack of transportation
infrastructure
I’m not referring to country town’s at all for the amount of sniping/ backbiting/ one upmanship that goes in in these little hamlets is awful at times
As any of JB Keane’s books testify.( Claustrophobic)
Might be wrong but that’s my bitching done
PS I lived in a tiny village, one pub/shop/church , was heaven but my ex insisted on moving to Cork city after 2 years
Cloughduv- Paradise of peace
Rural people are way easier to get on with, that’s worldwide though not just in oireland.
Look at hit tv show normal people. Conall and his donegal roomie are laid back country folk, the dublin lad is a neurotic loser who can’t drink. A beatiful encapsulation of real life
Small as Limerick city is, there’s always been a townie v rural rivalry. I went to primary and secondary school in the city, and while I wasn’t from that far out in the country, I was treated like a foreigner sometimes.
McWilliams has a interesting theory on the success of the families of small farmers vs the urban working class.
Even small farmers were sort of middle class though in that they had a stake in society that the townie lad didn’t. The vast majority of the landless country folk were chased out of ireland on the emigration ships.