County Cavan looks to Irish diaspora to stimulate job growth

County Cavan, situated smack in the middle of Ireland with close proximity to eastern and western points, is reaching out to Irish-born and Irish Americans throughout the U.S. to stimulate job growth in the county.

Cavan County Council is squarely behind an initiative started by the group ConnectIreland and supported by the Irish government which pays an individual who introduces or brings a company to Ireland €1,500 per new job created. Council officials are hoping that if people abroad look at Ireland to establish a business, they’ll zero in on Cavan and all its benefits.

“We have a great county in the Irish midlands and our population is growing. We’ve got 592 community-based groups throughout the county which shows how much people care and are involved,” Majella Tierney of Cavan County Council told the Irish Voice.

“Dublin is only 90 minutes away and Galway is two hours, and the roads are excellent. We’ve got 365 lakes, great towns and so much going on.”

Though Dublin is where many new businesses locate in Ireland, Cavan with its population of 73,000 has plenty to offer, Tierney points out. A new enterprise office space with 14,000 square feet recently opened in Cootehill and is ready for occupancy. American companies such as Liberty Insurance and Abbott Laboratories base their Irish operations in Cavan, and Tierney says the local workforce has proven to be exactly what companies are looking for.

Cavan County Council is keen to promote its business-friendly attributes too.

“We will bend over backwards to be accommodating and as helpful as possible,” Tierney said.

“There are lots of opportunities and lots of open spaces in Cavan, and for new businesses we will help with planning permission and other issues as much as we can.”

Cultural life is alive and thriving in the main Cavan Town and throughout the county, she says. Cavan hosted the Fleadh Cheoil, the annual gathering of traditional Irish musicians and dancers from around the world, from 2010-‘12, easily accommodating 250,000 visitors. The county is also forging a reputation for fine cuisine – 20 percent of Ireland’s pork products originate in Cavan, which is also noted for its poultry and mushrooms.

“What we want people to know is that we are welcoming and ready to help with whatever they need,” Tierney said.

For more on Cavan, visit www.thisiscavan.ie, and Connect Ireland, visit www.connectireland.com. Tierney and the Cavan County Council can be reached at 011-353-87-7802049.