Laragh

Background to Laragh IT

In 1998 the Glendalough District Development Association set up Laragh IT as part of a county-wide initiative set up by Wicklow Rural Partnership, a capital program funded by Wicklow Rural Partnership, a capital program funded by the Leader II program. The new centre received training and employment grants from Fas and Wicklow County Council.

The main aim behind the establishment of the centre by Wicklow Rural Partnership was to maximize the exciting new opportunities presented by information technology providing quick and easy access to IT and to create new job opportunities both within the Centre and through training offered at the Centre. The IT Centre also aimed to improve economic growth in the greater Laragh and Glendalough areas including Roundwood, Annamoe and Rathdrum.

The IT Centre was first housed in a portacabin in Lynhams car park. The centre consisted of six Dell computers and a volunteer group of five people from the community appointed by the GDDA. The group provided considerable man-hours to support the running of the Centre.

The centre formed alliances with other IT Centres and companies and was a founding member of the  Wicklow Information Network, which assists in co-ordinating promotional and marketing efforts and high levels of specialist training.

The centre has played and continues to play a unique and significant role in bringing the rural community into the fast changing world. It is ensuring that this community reaps the benefits of being computer literate and thereby availing of the job opportunities created in the field of Information Technology. It also ensures that those affected by geographic isolation, remoteness and disadvantage is not being further disadvantaged by missing out on the Information Age.

Laragh IT has always sought to be an integrated part of the local economy and community closely linked to the GDDA it seeks to complement and support local development initiatives and liases closely with Pobal and Wicklow Rural Partnership.