20 August 1997
By Deirdre Kelly
Castlebar can expect a huge property boom if its bid to become an Information Age Town is successful.
Already local auctioneers are inundated with enquiries from communications companies about the availability of commercial units and housing. According to local auctioneer, Mr. Frank Durcan, "various communications related companies are making ongoing enquiries into the availability of commercial units and rental prices.
"Enquires are also being made from all over the country, and one or two from England, regarding the availability of housing and prices.
"This is a great show of confidence in Castlebar and the Information Age project."
Castlebar is one of four centres which have been short-listed to become Ireland's first Information Age Town which would result in an investment of £15m by Telecom Eireann in bringing every house and business into the computer age.
Mr. Durcan predicted that growth in the property market would be "far in excess of what was gained with the establishment of the RTC."
The panel of adjudicators selected by Telecom will visit Castlebar on Monday for their final assessment. Later they will visit the other three centres, Killarney, Kilkenny and Ennis. He added a big influx of people would drive up property prices by some degree.
Our golden opportunity for high-tech
investment
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A warm welcome is extended to the adjudicators of the Informational Age Town Project who arrive in Castlebar on Monday next, one of the most important days ever in the history of the town.
They will, I am sure, find Castlebar to be a town full of people with pride, enthusiasm, ambition and initiative.
Castlebar has always been a go-ahead and pioneering town, thanks to the tremendous sense of community spirit which exists here.
This unique spirit was nurtured back in the forties, fifties and sixties through the staging of events like the Great Western Fair, the Patrician Pageant, the famous outdoor chess game on the Mall, the Song Contest, and the International Four Days Walks.
Castlebar was one of the first regional towns in the country to establish its own airport, and Castlebar was the first town in the Irish Republic to establish links with a town in the Six Counties, Ballymena.
Castlebar people have never been afraid to break new barriers and pursue new ideas for the overall benefit of the community.
It is simply part of our nature.
The town's penchant for enterprise and imagination is also reflected in the fact that it has produced many people whose talents have been acclaimed worldwide.
The name of Louis Brennan immediately springs to mind. As does that of Margaret Burke Sheridan.
Brennan, who was born at Main Street on January 28th, 1852, was the inventor of the dirigible torpedo, while Margaret Burke Sheridan, the world famous soprano, was born at the Mall where her father was the local post master at the turn of the century.
Another outstanding pioneer was photographer Thomas J. Wynne who, incidentally, was great grandfather of Richard Wynne, the chairman of the Castlebar Information Age Town Committee.
The Information Age Town Project has brought the community together more than any other initiative. But one last big effort is required to help ensure Castlebar become outright winners.
Every man, woman and child should make a point of assembling on the Mall at 5 pm on Monday next, August 25th, to show their support of the project.
It could be the clinching stroke in bringing Castlebar, and indeed Mayo, into the 21st century.
Final adjudication on
Monday
By Tom Gillespie
Monday is Decision Day in determining if Castlebar will become Ireland's first Information Age Town.
Five independent adjudicators will be in the town and their decision, if positive, will result in attracting information technology investors to the region as well as a £15 million package from Telecom Eireann which will transform Castlebar into an international communications hub.
Four locations in all, the others are Ennis, Killarney and Kilkenny, have been shortlisted for the technological coup of the century.
If selected Telecom will instal a phone, personal computer and voice-mail facility in every home in Castlebar town and all businesses will get ISDN data line and public services will be available electronically.
But there is still one step further to go before the final announcement is made in the middle of September.
The judges consisting of Mr. Alfie Keane, Chief executive of Telecom Eireann, Sean Scanlon, Professor of Electronic Engineering UCD, Mr. Dan Flinter, Chief Executive Forbairt; Mr. Dan O'Hare, president of the Dublin City University and Mr. Gerry O'Sullivan, Head of Corporate Relations, Telecom Eireann, will visit each of the four towns, commencing with Castlebar on Monday. The impression they come away with will certainly determine the outcome of the competition.
Now Castlebar Chamber of Commerce, who acted as the umbrella organisation to co-ordinate the local submission is urging every man, woman and child to be present to greet the adjudicators on Monday.
They are invited to assembly on the town's Mall at 4.45p.m. on Monday in a massive show of solidarity for the Information Age Town Project.
There will be a carnival-type atmosphere on the Mall, according to Castlebar Chamber of Commerce president, Frank Greene and he appealed to the entire community to turn out for the occasion.
"People should bring along banners, flags, bunting or posters indicating their support for this project. We expect that the towns people will turn out in large numbers to demonstrate their support for the project."
Mr. Richard Wynne the chairman of the Castlebar Information Age Town (CIAT) steering committee said they would be making an hour long presentation as well as bringing them to various selected sites in the town
"We are now just a shade away from winning the project and the support of the entire community will help us in this regard."
The remaining towns, Killarney and Ennis will be visited on September 8 and 9 respectively.
