Former rugby international player Ronan O'Gara, Norah Casey from Dragon's Den, abuse survivor Marie Collins, and Tyrone manager Mickey Harte among the speakers at Pastoral Congress for WMOF18.

The head of pastoral studies in Mary Immaculate College was speaking to the local media after the recent ‘Building Rural Communities – Lessons from the World of Sport’ conference in Thurles.

While the theme of the conference is around taking lessons from sport, which currently plays a huge role in rural Ireland, the conversation on the night will embrace broad issues affecting rural areas and trying to re-imagine ways to revitalise them.