RRDF 2019 - Abbeyshrule 'The Yard Hub'

Longford County Council Regeneration Department are delighted today to announce the signing of the contracts on 2 July 2020 for the appointment of architects de Blacam and Meagher to ‘The Yard Hub’ project in Abbeyshrule. De Blacam and Meagher are a highly qualified architectural firm with a high quality portfolio of projects, including redevelopment of Abbeyleix library and Newbridge Town Hall.

The Yard Hub project involves the redevelopment of a derelict site within the village of Abbeyshrule to create a new village hub, creating space for economic and enterprise development and enhancing the first impression of visitors along the Royal Canal Greenway to the village of Abbeyshrule and the county of Longford. The Yard Hub will provide an opportunity for local people currently commuting to Dublin and other large urban centres to work remotely and bring activity to the village centre.

Longford County Council have been working closely with our elected members and the local community, along with Waterways Ireland, in the development of this project. A new community group ‘The Yard Hub’ has been established to deliver this project and have carried out a lot of research into the needs and assessment of people in the area.

The Yard Hub will form an important part of the network of hubs that are in development and proposed around County Longford currently. These hubs offer the opportunity for people to work locally rather than facing long commutes on a daily basis, which contributes towards the achievement of a low carbon economy and also enhances the work/life balance of our citizens.

Paddy Mahon, Chief Executive of Longford County Council welcomes the appointment of the consultants to progress the project to the next stage, stating that “Longford County Council is committed to supporting our local communities and towns and villages develop their infrastructure to make our communities more self sustainable, to stimulate growth of the region and support the transition to a greener economy. The appointment of consultants to progress The Yard Hub in Abbeyshrule is a significant milestone in the achievement of this aim.”

The new Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Cllr. Paul Ross, also welcomed the appointment of consultants to progress the delivery of this exciting project, noting that it builds on the offering in the area already, including the Royal Canal Greenway, Center Parcs and the River Inny and increases the attractiveness of Longford as a destination of choice for visitors and people to live.

The local community group that are driving forward the implementation of this project noted that: “The Yard Hub Directors and the Abbeyshrule community are delighted to see the next phase of this exciting project begin. The development of this facility has been the aim of the local community and the Abbeyshrule Tidy Towns group for a number of years.  With the help of the dedicated Longford County Council Regeneration team we are soon going to have a dedicated remote working hub in the county open and ready for members.  The facility which will be called The Yard Hub will have remote working spaces, a meeting room/education centre and a small number of enterprise units available.”

The project is also welcomed by local entrepreneur Garret Flower, CEO of ParkOffice stating that:

“The Yard Hub is an excellent local initiative that will inspire the next wave of world class talent from an award winning village. Many people across the country are now embracing remote working post Covid 19, including my own company ParkOffice, which provides the World’s first parking software for smart offices to companies such as Colliers, Indeed and CBRE globally. The Yard Hub will foster a creative community of collaboration and self-improvement focusing on IT learning. Longford is in the heart of the country with a safe and supportive community, a perfect springboard for any inspiring entrepreneur, I’m proud to call it home.”

Longford County Council Regeneration Team would like to thank the hard working community group, who had the vision for this project and our elected members and executive who have supported the project and we look forward to progressing this exciting project.

The Yard Hub in Abbeyshrule is co-funded under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) under Project Ireland 2040 and Longford County Council.