The Irish Post
ADVERTISING FEATURE
October 27, 2012 | 21
AN IRISH POST EIGHT-PAGE SPECIAL ON WESTPORT AND CO. MAYO
Wonderful WESTPORT
Winner of… 1 Best Place to live in Ireland 2 Tidiest Large Town 2012 And just this week voted… 3 Best Town in Ireland
Peter Hynes, Mayo County Manager.
I
N a way it’s entirely fitting that a Mayo man should have appeared on the front cover of prestigious US magazine Time above the strapline which read: “what the rest of Europe can learn from him”. Although Ireland is a long way from being out of the financial woods, the economy is much further along the road to recovery than say that of Greece or Spain. And the man from the west, Enda Kenny, is getting much of the credit. Appropriate, because the county of Mayo itself is leading the way back to prosperity, in particular the town of Westport. Peter Hynes, Mayo County Manager, is quite clear about the reasons for the surge in Westport’s fortunes, and the increasing confidence in its business sector. “It’s a special town, it’s exceptionally well-managed, and it has become a very attractive proposition for investment.” Well, he would say that, one might be tempted to say, but Peter has the figures to back up his optimism. “We have over 90 community groups working in the
town who are not only very active, but who co-operate fully with each other and with the county council.” Groups such as Comhairle na nÓg Mhaigheo, which, supported by Mayo County Development Board, has developed into a vibrant working group for young people in the county. It’s seen as an important forum for all issues effecting young people in Mayo and beyond. At the other end of the age spectrum Active Retirement in Westport ensures that a valuable facility — the town’s older people — can contribute to the rich culture of the town. There are sports clubs, a branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, drama clubs, folk clubs, and of course the backbone of any Irish town, the GAA. On the economic front, Peter Hynes points out that Westport has managed to attract many high profile businesses to the town including the likes of Allergan Pharmaceuticals. A subsidiary of the Californian company of the same name, its current facility has grown to over 500,000 sq/ft on a 30 acre campus and
includes state-of-the-art chemistry, microbiology and stability laboratories. Westport was chosen as the centre for many reasons: first of all the quality of life is excellent, communications are very advanced, and there is a very skilled workforce who can speak English, the latter almost a must in high quality technology. The above are also the reasons that the Lafferty Group, a London-based banking education, research and publishing company, is to locate key educational and publishing activities for the global banking industry in the town. Some 40 jobs will be created over the next three years, with the support of IDA Ireland. The main thrust of the company in Westport will centre round the research and content division of the International Academy of Retail Banking (IARB). This is a new Lafferty enterprise that began its international activities in 2011 and now has highprofile clients in over 20 countries. The Lafferty Group was founded over 30 years ago by Roscommon man, Michael Lafferty, so he is familiar with
Connacht and knows it’s a good place to do business in. Charles Hughes Ltd, Portwest, is another Irish business. Starting out in 1904, it is now under the stewardship of the third generation of the Hughes family. The firm is a manufacturer and retailer of all manner of outdoors, sporting and work clothing and associated needs. The company caters for everyone from complete beginners to sports professionals. There are currently two stores in Westport, one in High Street, Galway and one in Suffolk Street, Dublin and a franchise shop has opened in Dundalk, Co. Louth. Portwest also open a specialist surf Shop in Lahinch during the Easter holidays and summer. The plan is to open many more in the next couple of years, all over the country. Brands stocked include Berghaus, Roxy, Billabong, Rip Curl, Animal, O’Neills, Gelert, Gill, Trespass, Didriksons, Ice Peak, Trespass, Hi Tech Skins and Protest. The company naturally stocks its own brand as well. In addition to this varied collection of
companies ranging from banking to sportswear, Westport has long had one more powerful string to its bow — the tourist industry. For centuries this has been a destination for visitors; in the early days from Britain and the US; latterly from all over the world. William Thackeray said of Clew Bay: “The islands in the bay, which was of a gold colour, look like so many dolphins and whales basking there.” Clew Bay, Croagh Patrick, Westport House, and of course the town itself are all huge draws for tourists. There is a theory that another early visitor a French architect, who arrived with General Humbert in 1798, designed the town giving its distinctly continental air, its je ne sais quoi if you will. It certainly is one of the most attractive towns in the country, with fine architecture, beautiful surrounding countryside, restaurants, bars and traditional sessions going full throttle most days of the week. Whether its business of pleasure you’re after it seems that the advice “head west” was never more appropriate.