E-Towns Ireland.

Off at the weekend on a flight into Shannon Airport to visit to my favourite Irish county. Clare is a county of great variety and natural beauty with the west, dominated by the Atlantic, with the seaside resorts of Kilkee and Lahinch, the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren National Park. The east of the county is heavily influenced by the River Shannon and beautiful Lough Derg, with its ancient monastic sites.

Ennis is the county town, an Information Age Town and a thriving centre which, with its narrow streets and historic buildings, has a continental athmosphere with attractive pubs, cafes and restaurants and an eclectic selection of retailers. Shannon and its airport have been the focus of economic activity in the region for the past forty years. The creation of the Shannon Free Zone was a unique initiative which has been replicated throughout the world. The resulting cluster of multinational firms located at and around Shannon has boosted investment in the county's infrastructure over the years. Shannon was a purpose built new town but it also attracted a diverse cosmopolitan population of South Africans, English, Americans and Canadians which made it a unique catalyst for change in the otherwise homogeneous Ireland of the 60’s and 70’s. West Clare is particularly renowned as a centre for Irish culture - particularly music and dance - and hosts several music and literary festivals each year. Because of its dramatic natural beauty combined with the access to the cities of Limerick and Galway, Ennis and the connections afforded by Shannon Airport the county has always attracted an electric mix of “settlers” artists, writers, entrepreneurs and retirees attracted by the combination of a relaxed lifestyle in unspoilt natural surroundings and the good communication links and facilities. It has also become a major centre of tourism spurred on by Shannon Airport and the development of attractions such as Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Cliffs of Moher, King John’s Castle Limerick and thatched Irish holiday villages. It contains many fine hotels, such as Dromoland Castle and outstanding golf links.


However the overriding story of Clare has been one of emigration and depopulation. The population of 225,000 at the 1822 census had declined to 106,000 by 1996. In recent times with the economic boom in Ireland known as the “Celtic Tiger” this trend has reversed and Ireland for the first time in many generations is experiencing net immigration and population growth. Capitalising on this trend and as part of its efforts to regenerate the region the local development body, Shannon Development, has started to develop E-Villages as integral parts of local communities to attract professionals to ready made work / live developments which will reinforce local communities. Shannon Development is the Irish Government agency responsible for economic development in Ireland’s Shannon Region. The objective of the E-Towns initiative is to enable people to achieve a life/work balance in tailor-made accommodation and bring new economic activity back into local communities. Ireland’s first E-Town is Miltown Malbay, in picturesque West Clare close to the popular seaside resorts of Lahinch, Liscannor and Spanish Point.

E-Towns is a Shannon Development initiative to develop a "21st century model" for the ongoing and future development of smaller communities in the Shannon Region. Its primary aim is to help disperse economic activity and job creation to smaller population centres (by stimulating the development of a complimentary enterprise culture based on the attraction of established urban micro businesses).

Miltown Malbay is a beautiful coastal town situated in North-West Clare and is a popular loction for business people wishing to work and live in a countryside setting with access to the nearby amentiies of a City location. Its year round population stands at 1200, though in the summer months this swells considerably, as it plays host to the largest Irish music summer school in the world. The greater iBrickane area, which also incorporates Quilty, Mullagh and Spanish Point, has a permanent population of approximately 3000 people. The words music and culture have long been associated with the locality. But over 200 years ago, the area became a popular holiday destination thanks to its golden stretch of beach at Spanish Point and the beaches at Seafield and White Strand. Outdoor pursuits are well catered for locally with angling, surfing, swimming, boating, golfing, dolphin-watching, bird watching and pony trekking all available nearby.



Miltown Malbay is a 40 minutes drive from Ennis, the County town of Clare and a 60 minutes drive from Shannon International Airport. Hence, it has proved a popular location for business people wishing to work and live in a countryside setting. Today, the iBrickane area boasts almost 200 businesses including several information technology enabled businesses, which have established themselves locally over the last 10 years.

Branded the "Courtyard" or "Cuirt na dTonnta" (Courtyard of the waves) in Gaelic, the physical elements of the project are a small-integrated complex of workspace and residential accommodation, consisting of a combination of detached, three storey and semi-detached houses, with wired for broadband office space. The live-work accommodation is available for sale and targeted specifically at established micro-businesses within the traded services sector, e.g. graphic design, consultancy, web design, publishing and professional services. Up to 12 businesses can be accommodated in each E-Town location with the long term potential of generating significant employment and local added-value.



Walking around the development by Murray O’Laoire, Architects I was impressed at how well the E Village is integrated into the local community. The units echo the vernacular style of the area where houses on the exposed Atlantic coast are built solidly to withstand the elements and provide the essentials of shelter and warmth. Simplicity and authentic natural materials are emphasised with elevations of off white rough cast plaster under welsh blue slate roofs. Interest is added by use of natural timber planking and Nordic Pine window sections with sensible aluminium cill protectors to protect against the salt laden marine climate. For the same reason there are aluminium fascia and soffits. Inside, the planning is simple and intelligent with a high standard of finishes and plentiful sockets and good quality kitchens and bathrooms. The workspaces are finished to a shell and core specification and have accessible toilets and excellent natural lighting pointing to their attractiveness to artists, media and web specialists. The feeling is both of understated quality and solidity. The development is well integrated into Miltown Malbay so it will not be a incomers ghetto but a valued neighbour and part of the community.