Former Cork boarding school set to become digital hub

A CORK town is set to become a new digital hub for the Gaeltacht region.

Work is currently underway to transform the former boarding school, Coláiste Íosagáin in Ballyvourney, into a multi-million euro digital hub in the Múscraí Gaeltacht.

The project is being developed by Gaeltacht development agency, Údarás na Gaeltachta, who expect the hub to be opened later this year.

The transformation of the former secondary school into a new regional Gaeltacht centre will create 75 jobs directly, with a possible 45 jobs to be created in indirect positions.

The hub is expected to generate and house up to 45 start-up companies on the premises.

Through both the start up companies and the direct employment in the digital hub, the Ballyvourney centre is expected to create up to 320 full time jobs in the coming years.

The new centre will cost over €5 million upon completion.

Údarás na Gaeltachta secured €2.7m from the Regional Enterprise Fund for the project, in addition to more than €1m from the Irish enterprise agency’s own funds.

This work also involved agencies such as Fáilte Ireland, Skillsnet, Cork Education and Training Board, Cork County Council, local co-op Comharchumann Forbartha Mhuscraí, CIT and UCC.

Planning for the project was initially sought by the Gaeltacht enterprise agency to convert the former school in 2019.

The application was given the green light by Cork County Council.

The first phase of the development includes the creation of an exhibition hall. This will be located where the former dining hall used to be. Flexible workspaces are also to developed in the former classrooms, with a training room on the first floor.

These offices will house local community groups, Gaeltacht start-up enterprises and Údarás na Gaeltachta itself.

Other works include the installation of an elevator and new stairs to ensure accessibility, as well as new gates, boundary walls and car parking spaces.

The building, located on the N22 between Cork and Kerry, acted as a boarding school for a half a century, before the De La Salle order announced it would be leaving the school in 1989.

Despite plans to convert the premises into a luxury hotel or nursing home, Údarás na Gaeltachta bought the property for £215,000.