The opening of Brookpark Business Centre will ‘herald a bright new dawn for Dunmanway,' according to the committee that fundraised over the past 10 years to ensure the town can provide a high-tech facility
THE opening of Brookpark Business Centre will ‘herald a bright new dawn for Dunmanway,’ according to the committee that fundraised over the past 10 years to ensure the town can provide a high-tech facility to attract businesses and start-ups.
Boasting 1 gigabyte broadband and conference, training, office and hotdesk facilities, as well as three start-up industrial units, the Brookpark Business Centre, located on the Clonakilty Road, will allow the town to follow in the steps of Skibbereen and become a second digital hub in the heart of West Cork.
County mayor and Dunmanway native Declan Hurley and Minister of State for Trade Pat Breen officially opened the facility.
Speaking at the opening, chairman Peter Walsh said the development of Brookpark Business Centre came to fruition as a response to the many economic setbacks and challenges that Dunmanway has faced over the last decade.
‘We hope our endeavours will herald a bright new dawn for Dunmanway. The real work is only now beginning and, with this in mind, I call on everyone here today and friends of Dunmanway, at home and around the globe, to get behind our new enterprise centre and build on these foundations to make it the success that the committee have worked so hard to achieve, and which the town of Dunmanway deserves,’ said Mr Walsh. He thanked Cork County Council, Enterprise Ireland, Clann Credo, Eir and the business and wider community of Dunmanway, for ensuring that the project came to fruition.
Committee member Orela Kingston said that to build this enterprise centre, they first had to build confidence with both Cork County Council and Enterprise Ireland.
‘Through the vehicle of Dunmanway Enterprise Network, we made an appeal to local businesses to get on board. We also launched the ‘Brick for Brookpark’ appeal as the construction commenced and the physical building began to rise,’ she pointed out.
‘To date we have raised €70,0000 and our target is to reach €100,000 by the end of the summer. The committee of Brookpark Enterprise Centre sincerely thanks all the local businesses and the local community for their support,’ said Orela.
County mayor Declan Hurley said it was a ‘fantastic and amazing milestone’ for Dunmanway.
‘This is an example of what communities can do when they are given the support and finances to deliver a fantastic state-of-the-art facility like here in Brookpark Business Centre. This puts Dunmanway at the centre of business in West Cork, and will be a turning point for the town,’ said Cllr Hurley.
For more details on Brookpark Business Centre see www.brookpark.ie.
