Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Areas in Ireland doing well

Options
2456

Comments

  • Options
    #32
    johnnyskeleton
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 14,476 Mod ✭✭✭✭johnnyskeleton


    nice_guy80 wrote: »
    Not arguing any of your points, we know Mayo and Galway have all those.

    When there is so little promotion of Roscommon as a tourist destination in comparison to neighbouring counties, or signage to get off the motorway how as a county is it meant to develop its tourism

    And I don't think changing the agricultural nature of the county is the responsibility of the locals. I'm sure central government, IDA, Enterprise Ireland could do something if they bothered

    A lot of tourism is based on the advertising and promotion budgets

    Well Lough Key is well advertised. Sadly no matter how much the French government advertises Reims tourism, people will always go to Paris instead. Sorry!


  • Options
    #33
    Rogaine2
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 109 ✭✭Rogaine2


    Was in Portlaoise of all places recently - my goodness - thriving! Himself reckoned it was the legacy of Biffo.
    Onto New Ross - I had been there maybe 15 years ago - every shop was closed down! Awful to see.


  • Options
    #34
    Rogaine2
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 109 ✭✭Rogaine2


    nice_guy80 wrote: »
    eg, take Co Roscommon.
    What chance does it have to be prosperous.
    Mayo and Galway get €2-3 million a year spent on their tourism marketing, Roscommon gets less than €100,000

    It is a rural farming county with little heavy industry or services industry - no port, no airport, no third level college.

    Most of the traffic passes through it - there isn't even an exit off the motorway to Galway that is officially in Roscommon - no exit from Athlone to Ballinasloe

    The majority of traffic is pass through traffic on the way to Galway, Mayo or Sligo/Donegal.

    Why on God's green earth, would you want to stop in Roscommon?


  • Options
    #35
    colossus-x
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,202 ✭✭✭colossus-x


    Rogaine2 wrote: »
    Why on God's green earth, would you want to stop in Roscommon?

    Well, to see God's green earth, obviously :D


  • Options
    #36
    Rightwing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,101 ✭✭✭Rightwing


    johnnyskeleton wrote: »
    Im sorry but you are moving he goalposts here. You were suggesting that Galway and Mayo were getting better services (tourist investment) because of the Jackie Healy Rae types.

    Your general position on this thread is that places are only doing well because certain TDs are feathering their own nests to the detriment of other areas. Yet your example of why Galway is doing well is because of BMW (i assume from a quick google that they have some autoparts factory there)? I dont fully understand your logic.

    No, that's in Germany I believe. ;)

    This is the initiative I'm referring to:
    http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/the_eu_and_you/the_eu_in_your_county/county-reports-2013/galwaylow.pdf

    Now, if that was rolled out to area like Waterford, I somehow suspect it will do more for the region than tourism.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #37
    fricatus
    Registered Users Posts: 5,081 ✭✭✭fricatus


    gaius c wrote: »
    Waterford city?
    It's a complete ghost town!
    porsche959 wrote: »
    Always thought Waterford city and county was among the worst affected, possibly they have bounced back slightly but it's a long way back.
    mariaalice wrote: »
    Have you ever actually been to a small rural town in the north west? and compared it to Waterford. The museums are fantastic and were packed when I was there and they bring a big foot fall in to that part of the city and lots of them were having lunch coffee etc increasing the spend in Waterford.

    There's an element of truth in what all of you say. Certainly there's no doubt about which city was worst hit by the recession. The number of jobs lost in Waterford (which is heavily biased towards manufacturing) is startling. I don't have the figures to hand, but they were easily the worst in percentage terms in the country. This had a huge effect on the social life of the city, because there wasn't the level of public employment or services to cushion the blow that you see in other areas (that's another debate for you right there...)

    However there has been a realisation here that nobody else is going to pick us up, and it has led to huge efforts being made in tourism and business circles lately. Since 2007-8 the number and quality of festivals in the city has grown hugely (the Tall Ships in 2011 was the mother of all festivals that I've seen, but Spraoi, the Harvest Festival just gone, and Winterval have all brought large numbers of visitor to the city).

    Another factor was the loss of Waterford Crystal. There were 3,000 good jobs there in its heyday, and now there are maybe 50 or so? since its closure and takeover by a venture capital group. This was a traumatic blow, but the bit people don't ever seem to realise is that it's also one of the top 10 tourist attractions in the country, and the biggest in the south-east by quite a bit, with about 250,000 mainly American visitors IIRC. The loss to the economy if they went elsewhere was unthinkable, so the effort was made by the city council to have Waterford Crystal reopen as a small tourist attraction and shop in the city centre. Now the tourists, instead of being bussed to a factory on the outskirts, are encouraged to visit other historical attractions in the city centre, and they're reaping rewards now.

    Of course we still have headwinds - mainly political, like the incredibly short-sighted decision to abolish Waterford City Council (which was instrumental in both the move of Crystal to the city centre and the Tall Ships festival), but there is a lot of good news on the horizon, e.g. this.

    Brighter days ahead we hope!!! :D


  • Options
    #38
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    Rightwing wrote: »
    That's very low level analysis.

    Galway is doing particularly well because of the BMW initiative.

    Galway is doing particularly well because it's one of the biggest medtech hubs in the world, as well as having operations from some of the largest tech companies in the world (IBM, HP, Oracle & SAP).


  • Options
    #39
    Rightwing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,101 ✭✭✭Rightwing


    antoobrien wrote: »
    Galway is doing particularly well because it's one of the biggest medtech hubs in the world, as well as having operations from some of the largest tech companies in the world (IBM, HP, Oracle & SAP).

    Exactly. What a transformation for Galway. It just shows what can be done.

    As the saying goes, where's a will, there's a way.


  • Options
    #40
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,018 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Rightwing wrote: »
    Exactly. What a transformation for Galway. It just shows what can be done.

    As the saying goes, where's a will, there's a way.
    Those companies chose Galway because you can attract good staff to Galway because it's a nice place.


  • Options
    #41
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    Rightwing wrote: »
    Exactly. What a transformation for Galway. It just shows what can be done.

    That started well before an EU initiatives though, BMW is a relatively new thing.

    In fact it started with the closure of Digital's hardware section in 1993, which as it turns out was probably the best thing to happen to Galway.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #42
    Rightwing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,101 ✭✭✭Rightwing


    murphaph wrote: »
    Those companies chose Galway because you can attract good staff to Galway because it's a nice place.

    We'll simplify things here and let's just say the BMW initiative did Galway no harm. ;)
    antoobrien wrote: »
    That started well before an EU initiatives though, BMW is a relatively new thing.

    In fact it started with the closure of Digital's hardware section in 1993, which as it turns out was probably the best thing to happen to Galway.

    It was established in 1999 - the transformation since then has been sensational. I can't see why other initiatives shouldn't be rolled out to area like Waterford, Tralee etc. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there was a pick up in their fortunes.


  • Options
    #43
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    Rightwing wrote: »
    We'll simplify things here and let's just say the BMW initiative did Galway no harm. ;)

    It was established in 1999 - the transformation since then has been sensational. I can't see why other initiatives shouldn't be rolled out to area like Waterford, Tralee etc. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there was a pick up in their fortunes.

    BMW was the cherry on top for Galway, but we were cooking long before they got involved.

    You are either totally unaware aware of the scale of employment that was already in Galway before the BMW scheme, or you're intentionally choosing to ignore it. Companies such as Boston Scientific, Nortel (now Avaya), Covidien (formerly Tyco), Beckman Coulter, Medtronic, APC, Thermo King, Crown Control (since closed) were all in Galway since the mid 90s, most of them far earlier.

    The technology/buisiness park that among others Oracle, IBM and various indigenous businesses like Storm Technologies & Fintrax have offices was built in the 80s.

    In Galway closure of a factory, while it's initially bad news for the employees, is more often than not an opportunity for the community as a whole. The closure of the Digital hardware section is a prime example of this as the talent pool was now available for the likes of Boston Scientific & APC (which actually took over the Digital Hardware site). Well over 3,000 jobs replaced the 700 that were lost, not to mention the many startups that resulted.

    That has had much more to do with the success of Galway than the BMW initiative.

    The best think that the likes of Waterford & Tralee can do is what Loughrea & Claremorris are doing - invest in serious broadband capabilities to make their locations more attractive to multinationals and local companies alike.


  • Options
    #44
    Rightwing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,101 ✭✭✭Rightwing


    antoobrien wrote: »
    BMW was the cherry on top for Galway, but we were cooking long before they got involved.

    You are either totally unaware aware of the scale of employment that was already in Galway before the BMW scheme, or you're intentionally choosing to ignore it. Companies such as Boston Scientific, Nortel (now Avaya), Covidien (formerly Tyco), Beckman Coulter, Medtronic, APC, Thermo King, Crown Control (since closed) were all in Galway since the mid 90s, most of them far earlier.

    The technology/buisiness park that among others Oracle, IBM and various indigenous businesses like Storm Technologies & Fintrax have offices was built in the 80s.

    In Galway closure of a factory, while it's initially bad news for the employees, is more often than not an opportunity for the community as a whole. The closure of the Digital hardware section is a prime example of this as the talent pool was now available for the likes of Boston Scientific & APC (which actually took over the Digital Hardware site). Well over 3,000 jobs replaced the 700 that were lost, not to mention the many startups that resulted.

    That has had much more to do with the success of Galway than the BMW initiative.

    The best think that the likes of Waterford & Tralee can do is what Loughrea & Claremorris are doing - invest in serious broadband capabilities to make their locations more attractive to multinationals and local companies alike.

    I'm very aware of it. Galway city's population has all but doubled over the last 15-20 years. I don't credit this to tourism.

    If Galway can do it, Waterford can do it. But the politicians & IDA need to step up to mark. And 'we can't force the companies to move here' simply doesn't wash. Give them extra incentives FFS, a 6 year old in primary school would school most of them.


  • Options
    #45
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    Rightwing wrote: »
    I'm very aware of it. Galway city's population has all but doubled over the last 15-20 years. I don't credit this to tourism.

    It has doubled over the past 30. I don't credit it to tourism either, but the seeds were long since growing before the BMW initiative got all the credit.
    Rightwing wrote: »
    If Galway can do it, Waterford can do it. But the politicians & IDA need to step up to mark. And 'we can't force the companies to move here' simply doesn't wash. Give them extra incentives FFS, a 6 year old in primary school would school most of them.

    Like Galway did, Waterford have to prove they have the talent base. Without that, all the initiatives in the world will do no more good than it's doing Rosocmmon or Leitrim.


  • Options
    #46
    barneystinson
    Registered Users Posts: 4,683 ✭✭✭barneystinson


    antoobrien wrote: »
    Like Galway did, Waterford have to prove they have the talent base. Without that, all the initiatives in the world will do no more good than it's doing Rosocmmon or Leitrim.

    What talent base are you on about?

    Edit: I mean, how do you know the "talent" preceded the growth, rather than was attracted to it...


  • Options
    #47
    Rightwing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,101 ✭✭✭Rightwing


    antoobrien wrote: »
    It has doubled over the past 30. I don't credit it to tourism either, but the seeds were long since growing before the BMW initiative got all the credit.



    Like Galway did, Waterford have to prove they have the talent base. Without that, all the initiatives in the world will do no more good than it's doing Rosocmmon or Leitrim.

    Agreed, but if skilled people are prepared to emigrate for a job, I suspect they'd go to Waterford. For the benefit of the overall country I think these extra incentives should be rolled out at the expense of Dublin. People in Dublin foolishly like to see most of the jobs go there, all that does is put pressure on housing and infrastructure.


  • Options
    #48
    Silentcorner
    Registered Users Posts: 6,176 ✭✭✭Silentcorner


    What I do not understand about Galway is why it's success is not translating into higher disposable income for it's citizens, according to the latest report Galway is behind Waterford? I am obviously missing something because I would have perceived the case to be the opposite.

    http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/disposable-income-finally-rises-but-only-in-dublin-30213663.html


  • Options
    #49
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    barneystinson wrote: »
    What talent base are you on about?

    Edit: I mean, how do you know the "talent" preceded the growth, rather than was attracted to it...

    Because I grew up watching it.

    Digital had a reputation for hovering up all the best graduates and engineers in the area, whether they had projects for them nor not. This was at a time when the west was basically exporting its youth to England, USA, Canada & Australia.

    Kicking that pool of talent loose in the early 90s created a dozen or more startups. The jobs growth started inn earnest in the mid 90s, when instead of factories replacing other factories (e.g. APC replacing Digital, Nellcor replacing Crown Control), new factories started coming in e.g. Boston Scientific, Merit Medical, new buildings for Medtronic etc.
    Rightwing wrote: »
    Agreed, but if skilled people are prepared to emigrate for a job, I suspect they'd go to Waterford.

    No they won't, they'll leave the country. Why would you move somewhere that describes itself as having an air of despair and despondency?
    Rightwing wrote: »
    For the benefit of the overall country I think these extra incentives should be rolled out at the expense of Dublin. People in Dublin foolishly like to see most of the jobs go there, all that does is put pressure on housing and infrastructure.

    First thing you've said that make sense.


  • Options
    #50
    Rightwing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,101 ✭✭✭Rightwing


    antoobrien wrote: »
    Because I grew up watching it.

    Digital had a reputation for hovering up all the best graduates and engineers in the area, whether they had projects for them nor not. This was at a time when the west was basically exporting its youth to England, USA, Canada & Australia.

    Kicking that pool of talent loose in the early 90s created a dozen or more startups. The jobs growth started inn earnest in the mid 90s, when instead of factories replacing other factories (e.g. APC replacing Digital, Nellcor replacing Crown Control), new factories started coming in e.g. Boston Scientific, Merit Medical, new buildings for Medtronic etc.



    No they won't, they'll leave the country. Why would you move somewhere that describes itself as having an air of despair and despondency?



    First thing you've said that make sense.

    Cash. Cash is King. If there's 1 thing to learn today, that's it.


  • Options
    #51
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    Silentcorner wrote: »
    What I do not understand about Galway is why it's success is not translating into higher disposable income for it's citizens, according to the latest report Galway is behind Waterford? I am obviously missing something because I would have perceived the case to be the opposite.

    http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/disposable-income-finally-rises-but-only-in-dublin-30213663.html

    If you look at the figures behind that report you'll find that employee pay & self employed earnings in Galway are over twice what they are in Waterford, so the effect of averaging over a larger population probably has something do do with it.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #52
    barneystinson
    Registered Users Posts: 4,683 ✭✭✭barneystinson


    antoobrien wrote: »
    Because I grew up watching it.

    Digital had a reputation for hovering up all the best graduates and engineers in the area, whether they had projects for them nor not. This was at a time when the west was basically exporting its youth to England, USA, Canada & Australia.

    Kicking that pool of talent loose in the early 90s created a dozen or more startups. The jobs growth started inn earnest in the mid 90s, when instead of factories replacing other factories (e.g. APC replacing Digital, Nellcor replacing Crown Control), new factories started coming in e.g. Boston Scientific, Merit Medical, new buildings for Medtronic etc.



    No they won't, they'll leave the country. Why would you move somewhere that describes itself as having an air of despair and despondency?



    First thing you've said that make sense.

    Ahhhh, so you're from Galway. Riiiiiight.

    Completely unbiased, do carry on!


  • Options
    #53
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    Rightwing wrote: »
    Cash. Cash is King. If there's 1 thing to learn today, that's it.

    No, it's not, it's really not. Look at the cash being thrown at soccer players by Russian clubs, it's not enough to keep them there.

    No there has to be something to keep them there, and you're not showing any reason to. Galway has a reputation of being a nice places to live, great nightlife and relatively easy access to some of the best landscape in the country.

    Try concentrating on what Waterford has and sell that.


  • Options
    #54
    Rightwing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,101 ✭✭✭Rightwing


    antoobrien wrote: »
    No, it's not, it's really not. Look at the cash being thrown at soccer players by Russian clubs, it's not enough to keep them there.

    No there has to be something to keep them there, and you're not showing any reason to. Galway has a reputation of being a nice places to live, great nightlife and relatively easy access to some of the best landscape in the country.

    Try concentrating on what Waterford has and sell that.

    It is. Teachers from Ireland are going to Dubai/Libya etc in the hundreds...why ?

    Ireland is a fantastic country to live and work in. All of Ireland.

    Get a high paying job, and not alone will Irish people move to Waterford, people from abroad will move there. That to me is as clear as can be.


  • Options
    #55
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    barneystinson wrote: »
    Ahhhh, so you're from Galway. Riiiiiight.

    Completely unbiased, do carry on!

    Yes, I'm from Galway barney, says so in my post information and has done since I joined boards.

    If you want to actually check out anything I'm saying about the timelines, then you're free to, facts don't lie.


  • Options
    #56
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    Rightwing wrote: »
    Get a high paying job, and not alone will Irish people move to Waterford, people from abroad will move there. That to me is as clear as can be.

    Right, so I'd move from Galway to Waterford if somebody threw enough cash at me.

    I lived in Dublin for years for various reasons. I had opportunities to go to both Waterford and Limerick among others. Cash was on offer.

    I'm back in Galway.

    Cash isn't everything.


  • Options
    #57
    Rightwing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,101 ✭✭✭Rightwing


    antoobrien wrote: »
    Right, so I'd move from Galway to Waterford if somebody threw enough cash at me.

    I lived in Dublin for years for various reasons. I had opportunities to go to both Waterford and Limerick among others. Cash was on offer.

    I'm back in Galway.

    Cash isn't everything.

    No one is talking about you here. I'm talking about people in general. Why would someone sell their house and move their kids out of a school? :rolleyes:

    Young graduates. That's the target market.


  • Options
    #58
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    Rightwing wrote: »
    No one is talking about you here. I'm talking about people in general. Why would someone sell their house and move their kids out of a school? :rolleyes:

    Actually you are, directly. No kids, so no school and selling a house in Galway isn't exactly a problem right now and I've a job in hi tech company.

    So give me a reason why, besides enough cash to make Yaya Toure jealous (and a birthday cake, mustn't forget that), that I would move to Waterford?


  • Options
    #59
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    Rightwing wrote: »
    If Galway can do it, Waterford can do it. But the politicians & IDA need to step up to mark. And 'we can't force the companies to move here' simply doesn't wash. Give them extra incentives FFS, a 6 year old in primary school would school most of them.


    The IDA is already attempting to do in Waterford what it did very successfully in Galway, creating the facilities to attract jobs.

    I suggest you get your hands on the export associations top 250 exporters report, you might find more reasons to be cheerful. A quick glance has 8 of the companies based in Waterford, with exports valued at over €3.6bn. Galway has 13 of the companies with exports valued at 7.125 bn

    The difference in both job numbers & export value is entirely down to Boston Scientific.

    Maybe you should start praising Waterford for punching above its weight and start encouraging it to kick on.


  • Options
    #60
    Rightwing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,101 ✭✭✭Rightwing


    antoobrien wrote: »
    Actually you are, directly. No kids, so no school and selling a house in Galway isn't exactly a problem right now and I've a job in hi tech company.

    So give me a reason why, besides enough cash to make Yaya Toure jealous (and a birthday cake, mustn't forget that), that I would move to Waterford?

    I think if we offered you €1m p.a you would move quickly to Waterford.
    Cash is King.

    Case closed.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #61
    Silentcorner
    Registered Users Posts: 6,176 ✭✭✭Silentcorner


    antoobrien wrote: »
    If you look at the figures behind that report you'll find that employee pay & self employed earnings in Galway are over twice what they are in Waterford, so the effect of averaging over a larger population probably has something do do with it.

    Does that make sense, the table I linked to gave the average disposable income. If the average Galway person was earning over twice that of the average Waterford person then the average disposable income would twice that of Waterford.

    By your logic Cork and Dublin should be lagging also by virtue of their populations, would they not?

    You are probably better at finding and interpreting CSO figures than I am, but I know in the case of Limerick for instance, where the ADI is higher than that of Galway, does not include the population overspill in to South East Clare, which imo would increase the ADI figure for the city. It would also be around the same population of Galway City and county (220,000)


Advertisement