LONGFORD COUNTY COUNCIL Whinfell Forest in the Lake District is one of five Center Parcs Villages in the UK. LONGFORD PLAYS MAJOR ROLE IN RURAL ACTION PLAN The €230m Center Parcs holiday resort, due to open in Newcastle Wood in the south of County Longford later this summer, forms a major part of the overall Action Plan for Rural Ireland. Launched in January 2017 in Ballymahon, Co. Longford, the plan has put the spotlight firmly on the midlands county, placing it on the national stage. Report by Grace Heneghan. espite being damaged by and private sectors to achieve our be there. We are well positioned to the recession and somewhat goals, and are well positioned to work deliver on the plan for many years slow to recover, compared with central government, now having to come,” Mahon told delegates at a Dto neighbouring counties a renewed focus on rural Ireland,” he recent conference in Longford, hosted in the midlands and along the east noted. by the Association of Irish Local coast, Longford is very resilient The launch of the Action Plan Government (AILG). with a tradition of skill, pride and for Rural Ireland in January 2017 in an excellent workforce, according Ballymahon, attended by four cabinet MAXIMISING RURAL TOURISM to Paddy Mahon, Chief Executive of ministers, generated great media One major development in the heart Longford County Council. coverage, putting Longford on the of rural Ireland, certainly set to “We are very happy to collaborate national stage. place Longford on the national and with our neighbouring counties, in “It made us part of a national international stage, is the Center Parcs addition to agencies in both the public conversation when we needed to holiday resort, which is due to open 58 LONGFORD COUNTY COUNCIL FACTFILE – PADDY MAHON From Tuam in County Galway, Paddy Mahon graduated from UCG in 1984 with a Bachelor of Engineering – BE in Civil Engineering. He also has a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from DCU. He worked in the construction industry in London and Sydney in the 1980s, before returning to Ireland to work with Mayo County Council in 1991 and progressed to the position of Director of Services with Mayo County Council. Paddy was appointed Chief Executive of Longford County Council in July 2017. Pictured in Newcastle Wood in early 2018 to mark the granting of planning permission for Center Parcs Longford Forest were Longford County Council’s Cathaoirleach Cllr Mick Cahill and Chief Executive Paddy Mahon with council officials. for business this summer. Mahon 100 activities on site, indoor shops said it has created a challenge for and restaurants. With two main Irish Longford County Council to put in contractors on board, plus local sub- place good quality tourism products contractors, local builders and local and to enhance and develop features suppliers, this has given a huge boost and amenities to attract people to the to Longford. county. “We’re delighted to have Center Center Parcs first started work on Parcs in Longford and we have built up the 375-acre site acquired from Coillte a great relationship with them. Their in May 2017, and it will be a significant chief executive is regularly in Longford €230m investment in Newcastle to oversee the development and, with Wood, located just 5km from his management team, he regularly Ballymahon in the south of the county. hosts community forums in the local Once completed the development will hotel in Ballymahon to discuss issues round and enjoy an occupancy rate of create 1,000 permanent jobs under an local people may have about the 97% “They’re very confident that the extensive recruitment programme this development. There will be one more same occupancy rates can be achieved summer. forum before they open for business in Ireland. It will form a significant “The design of the main building this summer.” part of the tourism element here in – called the Sub-Tropical Paradise – is Although ‘Center Parcs’ is not Longford,” noted Paddy Mahon. a spectacular swimming pool like no instantly recognisable in Ireland, other, and looks somewhat similar within the UK it is well known as a ENTERPRISE & EMPLOYMENT to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The quality short-break destination leisure The Town and Village Scheme was development consists of 66 holiday provider. Indeed, the five Centre Parcs launched in October 2017 by Michael homes, 30 apartments with over villages in the UK are open all year Ring TD, Minister for Rural and 59 LONGFORD COUNTY COUNCIL Community Development, in Granard of supporting enterprise and an excellent quality amenity that is Butter Market. “This was a significant employment we have very clear now regularly used by the locals and launch because under the Town evidence of interagency groups we expect it will attract visitors from and Village Scheme, as part of the working together with a very clear outside the county in time, when the 2017 Allocation of Grants, Longford vision and clear focus to readjust their Royal Canal is fully up and running, received significant funding for very sights and abilities. just outside Ballymahon, which links important projects in supporting “This will ensure economic the Shannon with Dublin.” sustainable communities throughout recovery and development in a rural Between 2013 and 2018 a 45km Longford Town, Edgeworthstown, county like Longford, working in stretch of greenway was completed Drumlish, Ballymahon and Granard. harmony with the local authority. It in the county, and this year it will The Action Plan is bringing some was a challenge for the local authority form part of the 100km Royal Canal confidence back to the communities, to take the lead on this from day one Greenway, linking Dublin along the and has enabled our elected but the Cathaoirleach Cllr Mick Cahill,” Royal Canal with the River Shannon. representatives on the council to was on hand to make it happen. Mahon said it will be the longest develop other towns and projects in canal greenway anywhere on the the county.” ICONIC TOURISM FACILITIES island of Ireland. “The council received The launch of the Center Parcs Over the last number of years, the much support for this initiative from project in Ballymahon in mid-October council has done significant work our elected members, our own 2016 came around the same time as on some key iconic tourism facilities resources, from the Department of the closure of a significant IDA-backed in the county, signalling a new era. Transport, Tourism and Sport and the company in Longford Town. Led by Longford County Council and with the support of Longford Chamber of Commerce, elected members, the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, Educational Training Board, Regional Skills Forum, Department of Social Protection and Longford’s Local Enterprise Office, an interagency group was established with four key objectives. These included the provision of support services to the 200 people who had lost their jobs, the retention of the 50 or so ordinary jobs in jeopardy, finding a new client for the former site, and the promotion of Longford for FDI and indigenous investment. “It was a significant challenge for the economic development of the The design of the main building – called ‘Sub-Tropical Paradise’ – looks county. Due to a series of actions and somewhat similar to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, according to Mahon. events, the job losses have not had a significant impact on the live register. This indicated to us through the For example, it launched the Corlea Department of Rural & Community Department of Social Protection that Trackway (a 5km walkway around a Development. This is a fantastic people were finding work elsewhere, disused Bord na Mona bog and on amenity in a beautiful part of the other opportunities and investments the perimeter of the Corlea Visitor country.” were happening, people were Centre). There’s also an interpretative retraining and upskilling, so there was centre located a few miles south of ‘HIDDEN HEARTLANDS’ BRAND no major drop in employment figures. Longford Town. And last year Fáilte Ireland also “A new client is now on site “Supported by the Town and launched the ‘Ireland’s Hidden providing up to 150 jobs, with a Village Scheme, the project is a Heartlands’ brand – the final part of significant investment attraction partnership between the council, the the branding profile being developed and job creation to Longford in the local community and Bord na Mona, over a number of years. “The intervening two years. In terms and is linked to the Royal Canal. It’s Hidden Heartlands, which follows 60 LONGFORD COUNTY COUNCIL a regeneration team to deal primarily deal with unfinished estates. Mahon said that project is effectively being addressed, and only a small number of housing estates now need attention. Meanwhile, the Longford Innovation and Digital Hub (LIADH) will be developed with the support of the Dept of Rural and Community Development and Enterprise Ireland. Just before Christmas 2018 it was announced that €1m would be made available under the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF) for the Longford Connected The Royal Canal Greenway between Ballymahon and Killashee was officially Project, to improve the opened by Michael Ring TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development, on connectivity throughout the 22 February 2018. towns. “We’re now beginning in the footsteps of the successful and Failte Ireland, because the to see the signs of regeneration in Wild Atlantic Way, incorporates Shannon, the Royal Canal, Center Longford Town; €2.8m for Granard counties such as Longford, Leitrim, Parcs and other projects underway Motte and €1.2m for Edgeworthstown Roscommon, parts of Westmeath, in the county have the potential to has been made available under the Galway and Offaly, and it’s centred attract a new type of tourist to the Rural Regeneration Development Fund round the River Shannon.” county.” (RRDF) to enable local communities When he was first appointed Chief He said that the council is a;sp in both towns to become more Executive to Longford in July 2017, working very hard in developing sustainable, confident and grow Paddy Mahon said the one thing Longford’s Rebel and Literary Trails, economically.