Ballingeary's hub will help ‘remote' work

THE first of three digital hubs to be developed in the Cork Gaeltacht  has opened in Ballingeary – designed to encourage remote working. 

Cape Clear’s hub is set to be completed shortly while Ballyvourney’s is also progressing.  

What’s called gteic@Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh was completed as part of a network of 31 innovation and  digital hubs with high-speed broadband being developed by Údarás na Gaeltachta in locations throughout Ireland’s Gaeltacht areas.  

It is a state-of-the-art innovation and digital hub located on the Údarás na Gaeltachta business park in Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh, comprising 22 hot desk/co-working spaces, meeting and video conferencing facilities and gigabit-enabled broadband. The open and creative workspace offers endless possibilities to entrepreneurs, innovators, remote workers and concept developers in the tranquil surroundings of the West Cork hamlet.

This development will give the Gaeltacht community, both at home and abroad, an opportunity to return to or live in their home area by providing remote working opportunities at hot desks or co-working spaces. 

This, in turn, will support, bolster and assist these unique language communities and help them to face the challenges of rural depopulation.

There are currently seven people operating from the hub which represents a mixture of self-employed people and remote workers.

Eight hubs have been opened so far. 

It is hoped that works on a gteic hub on Oileán Chléire (Cape Clear) will be completed in the coming weeks. 

With the assistance of funding from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund a masterplan for the Coláiste Íosagáin campus in Baile Bhuirne is being progressed which will also include a gteic innovation and digital hub.