Members of the Employment, Business and Enterprise subgroup of Drogheda Implementation Board were treated to a sneak preview of a new visitor accommodation offering that will open in the coming weeks at 52 The Merchant on Laurence Street.
The group – which is made up of representatives of organisations with a stake in the economy of Drogheda such as Louth and Meath County Councils, Drogheda Chamber, Enterprise Ireland, IDA, Fáilte Ireland, Boyne Valley Tourism, Love Drogheda Business Improvement District, Louth and Meath Local Enterprise Offices, Department of Social Protection and Louth Local Development’s Intreo Partner service – held their April meeting in The Cellars, a venue that will be familiar to many Drogheda residents and which has been completely renovated by owner Michael Brennan and his team to complement the food offering on the ground floor of the business. The group commended Michael on his investment in Drogheda and noted other accommodation venues that are due to come on stream in Drogheda in the coming months.
The work of this subgroup is focused on the delivery of Employment related actions within the Drogheda Report Implementation Plan and they were delighted to have Fionnuala Rogers – the new Louth County Council Drogheda Digital Hub manager – join them and highlight that Boyne Innovate, a new Pre-Start up training and support programme for prospective entrepreneurs is due to start in May. The Drogheda Digital Hub was named in the Drogheda Report Implementation Plan in response to an action about providing opportunities for commuters to work in the town and is focused on nurturing the next generation of tech pioneers and innovators. The Drogheda Digital Hub will be based in Narrow West Street bringing state of the art facilities, coworking spaces, meeting spaces and cutting edge technology infrastructure right into the heart of town. Members were informed that the building is in the process of being developed and should be ready to open its doors in late 2024.
The recent success of the Drogheda Comedy and St. Patrick’s Festivals were highlighted not least in terms of the positive message they sent out about Drogheda – Love Drogheda BIDs, the St. Patrick’s Festival Committee and Louth County Council’s Nightime Economy Advisor were all commended on the work they had put in to deliver these events. Members were also informed of many other upcoming developments for Drogheda, including the fact that the planning process has commenced for an Advanced Building Solution on the northside of Drogheda while Fáilte Ireland will soon commence a consultation process in relation to developing a Masterplan for Drogheda as Destination Town of Excellence.
Speaking at the meeting Robert Murray, Drogheda and District Chamber representative and Chair of the group said
Sometimes the narrative around Drogheda can highlight the negative but there is much to be positive about in our town. We are delighted to have had the opportunity to host our meeting out in a business location in Drogheda. Investments like the work that is being done here in 52 The Merchant should be celebrated and I hope that many other entrepreneurs will follow suit and leverage the commitment agencies such as Fáilte Ireland, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland in addition to our local authorities, have given to Drogheda.
Further information on the Boyne Innovate Programme is available at www.droghedadigitalhub.ie.
