by Galwaywildgeese@gmail.com | Sep 1, 2025 | Community Digital Hub, Digital Transformation, Enterprise, Enterprise Development, Remote Work
Innovation doesn’t belong only to Silicon Valley or the big cities. In Ireland’s towns and villages, new ideas are quietly taking root — in cafés, co-working hubs, and even restored courthouses.
Building a culture of innovation locally isn’t about copying global tech giants; it’s about creating the conditions where creativity, resilience, and enterprise can flourish close to home.
Create Collision Spaces
When people collide, ideas spark. That’s why innovation thrives in spaces where different groups can meet and exchange perspectives.
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Co-working hubs like the newly reopened Portumna Courthouse, now part of the Connected Hubs network, where freelancers, remote workers, and entrepreneurs can collaborate.
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Community makerspaces that provide tools and equipment for prototyping.
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Third places — cafés, libraries, or even GAA clubhouses — that double as informal meeting grounds.
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Innovation hubs that combine workspace, mentorship, and resources under one roof.
Strengthen Local Education
Education is the soil in which innovation grows. By investing in learning at every age, towns can unlock talent that might otherwise remain hidden.
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Partner with local schools to promote STEAM education.
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Establish mentorship programmes linking students with professionals.
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Advocate for entrepreneurship modules at secondary schools and colleges.
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Host hackathons or innovation challenges to give young people the freedom to experiment.
Build Supportive Networks
Innovation isn’t a solo pursuit — it thrives in connected communities.
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Launch a monthly innovation meetup for like-minded individuals.
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Create a local angel investor circle to fund promising ideas.
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Develop mentorship pairings between experienced entrepreneurs and newcomers.
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Form industry-specific groups (for food, tech, arts, or tourism) to deepen collaboration.
Celebrate Local Success
Momentum builds when achievements are visible. Recognition inspires others to join in.
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Highlight local innovators in community newsletters or online platforms.
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Host an annual innovation award to showcase creativity.
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Share success stories through podcasts and social media.
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Create a “wall of fame” — even a digital one — to celebrate entrepreneurs, makers, and changemakers.
Secure Public Support
Local authorities can be powerful allies in building an innovation ecosystem.
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Advocate for innovation-friendly policies and regulations.
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Seek public funding through schemes like the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) or LEADER.
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Encourage public–private partnerships to scale projects.
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Streamline the process of starting and sustaining a business locally.
Embrace Diversity and Inclusion
True innovation comes from a mix of voices and perspectives.
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Ensure innovation spaces and programmes are accessible to all.
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Actively involve underrepresented groups.
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Create scholarships and supports for disadvantaged entrepreneurs.
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Host multilingual or intercultural events where appropriate.
Connect Globally, Stay Local
Innovation doesn’t mean turning your back on tradition — it means blending local roots with global reach.
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Partner with hubs and networks across Ireland and abroad.
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Invite guest speakers and experts to inspire new thinking.
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Help local entrepreneurs access international conferences and markets.
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Share local stories on global platforms to build reputation and pride.
Foster a Culture of Risk-Taking
Innovation requires courage. Not every idea will work — and that’s the point.
“Innovation isn’t about getting it right the first time. It’s about creating the freedom to try, to learn, and to adapt.”
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Celebrate “noble failures” as learning opportunities.
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Create safe spaces for experimentation.
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Share stories of persistence through setbacks.
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Recognise progress as much as breakthrough success.
Start Small, Think Big
Cultures of innovation grow step by step.
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Begin with pilot projects to show quick wins.
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Document and share the town’s innovation journey.
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Be patient with gradual culture change.
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Keep a long-term vision, while celebrating short-term successes.
Conclusion
Every town has the potential to become an innovation hub in its own unique way. By nurturing spaces, networks, education, diversity, and courage, rural communities can create opportunities, solve local problems, and position themselves for a vibrant future. In towns like Portumna, we can already see this shift underway — a reminder that innovation doesn’t have a postcode. It belongs to everyone, everywhere.
by Galwaywildgeese@gmail.com | Oct 23, 2023 | Community Digital Hub
This application was in support of StoryWell in early stages development in the mobile app lifecycle.
Inspired by Cuimneamh An Chláir who capture oral histories, Storywell hope to build on the idea piloting in County Galway.
There is something beautiful in how knowledge and wisdom is held and carried by older generations.
Cuimhneamh an Chláir documents the memories, experiences, customs and traditions that characterise the place we live in and train volunteers known as ’Cuairteóirí’ (visitors), who visit people in their own communities to record their stories.
This is in homage to the old tradition of ‘going on cuaird’; a practice which centres on respectful listening and on conversation with the elders of a community.
Our elders often think their lives are too mundane or their experiences too ordinary to be worth recording. Until they start telling a tale and pure gold drips from their mouths.
In fact, their voices are extraordinary.
Even the most mundane stories can be entertaining when told with the right tone and perspective. Not only do recorded stories provide entertainment and laughter, they also serve as a valuable source of information for future generations.
By recording family’s stories, we can preserve important details about our family’s history and traditions, our town’s history and traditions that may otherwise be lost.
But perhaps the most important reason to record our family’s stories is to foster a sense of connection and belonging within families and within your community.
When we take the time to listen to and record the stories of our loved ones, of our neighbours we are showing them that their experiences and perspectives matter.
And when those stories are shared with future generations, they can serve as a reminder of the unique bond and history that our family shares.
Imagine what it would be like to listen to your great great grandparents voices as they were experiencing the Easter Rising or the 1,000,000 people who fled Ireland during the Great Famine in 1846!
circa 1885: An Irish tenant and his family are evicted from their smallholding in Derrybeg, County Donegal, for failure to pay the rent. Furniture has been removed and the thatched roof destroyed to prevent the property being re-tenanted. (Photo by Robert French/Sean Sexton/Getty Images)
The team behind StoryWell are based in Portumna and are ambitious.
They realise that meaningful impact can only be achieved at scale, using digital technology which will be designed to make the recording of future oral histories and stories intuitive, entertaining and rewarding.
StoryWell will give the gift of stories to our future generations in an interactive way and wants to help families to capture their best memories and to enjoy listening to their loved one’s voices forever.
Our experienced team who include a Digital Project Manager, Linda Quinn (Consultant) and experienced developers are ready to develop a prototype of Storywell, including proof of concept [MVP], a visual representation of the future app StoryWell.
by Galwaywildgeese@gmail.com | May 6, 2023 | Arts and Culture, Athenry, Circular Economy, Climate Action, Community Digital Hub, Digital Transformation
The team at Galway Wild Geese were delighted to learn that the Athenry xplore app has been shortlisted for the final of the prestigious .IE Awards 2023.
Led by The Galway Wild Geese, in partnership with Digital Agency, Upourside and a selection of local business owners, community groups, and volunteers the team are working together to ensure that the app meets the needs of the local citizens,
and that it is accessible to all citizens, regardless of their physical or intellectual abilities. The timeline for rollout of the project will be two months, with the app being launched in the third month.
The project seeks to make the local area more accessible to everyone, regardless of physical or intellectual disabilities and the app will provide an engaging user interface to facilitate navigation, and an intuitive design to provide a user friendly experience.
Galway Wild Geese have reached an agreement with developers Upourside to use Athenry as a test location for the initial rollout of their ground breaking suite of accessibility tools before rolling out the new features to the whole platform.
Incorporating these design and development best practices into the Xplore Athenry app for users with physical or intellectual disabilities will ensure an enjoyable and accessible experience, and will help to create an engaging and user-friendly app.
- interface designs with simple clear colours
- larger icons
- easy to understand language
- mapping tools that avoid steps/narrow paths and more.
- Audio cues that are considered, with clear and concise instructions.
- Navigation that is intuitive, easy access different features of the app.
- Fonts will be large and readable, and colours that are contrasting to ensure they are easily distinguishable.
The Xplore App for Athenry aims to have a positive impact on attitudes to digital change. It will provide the local community with a comprehensive, up to date and easily accessible source of information which they can access from any device.
This will allow users to make informed decisions about what to do, whether it is attending an event, supporting a local business or joining a club or community group.
The app will also make it easier for disabled users to access the information they need, promoting inclusivity and equality.
The objective of this project is to create a digital app that would provide citizens with all the information they need to enjoy the town of Athenry, regardless of their physical or intellectual capabilities.
This app will feature all local businesses, community groups, restaurants, bars, clubs and trails, as well as notification and alert tools, and tours that highlight local history and culture.
A strong focus will be placed on engaging users with physical or intellectual disabilities.
Creating innovative app features for users with intellectual or physical disabilities is an important and often overlooked component of app design and development.
What is Accessible Design
Accessible design, also known as inclusive design or universal design, is the practice of designing products, services, environments, and technologies that can be used by people with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. The goal of accessible design is to create a world that is accessible and usable by all, regardless of age, size, ability, or disability.
Accessible design involves considering the needs and limitations of a diverse group of people when designing a product or environment. This includes designing for people with mobility impairments, visual or hearing impairments, cognitive or learning disabilities, and other types of disabilities.
Accessible design can involve a range of design strategies, such as providing alternative formats for information, designing for easy navigation, providing clear and simple instructions, using appropriate colors and contrasts, and ensuring that products and environments are physically accessible.
By designing with accessibility in mind, we can create products and environments that are more usable, more comfortable, and more convenient for everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.
What is Inclusive Design
Inclusive design, also known as universal design or accessible design, is an approach to design that aims to create products, services, and environments that are accessible and usable by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or disability. The goal of inclusive design is to create products and environments that are inclusive and equitable, and that can be used by the widest possible range of people.
Inclusive design involves considering the diversity of people’s needs and experiences, and designing products and environments that are flexible, adaptable, and responsive to those needs. This includes designing for people with physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments, as well as people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Inclusive design can involve a range of design strategies, such as providing multiple ways to access information, designing for easy navigation and use, using clear and simple language, providing adequate lighting and contrast, and ensuring that products and environments are physically accessible.
By designing with inclusivity in mind, we can create products and environments that are more usable, more comfortable, and more convenient for everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, and promote a more equitable and inclusive society.
by Galwaywildgeese@gmail.com | Jan 11, 2023 | Circular Economy, Climate Action, Community Digital Hub, Digital Transformation, Enterprise, Enterprise Development, Heritage, Remote Work, Tourism, Waste Action Plan
Portumna has been shortlisted as a finalist in Digital Changemakers category for the .IE Digital Town for the work of the Wild Geese. Winners will be announced on 10 June 2021 at a virtual awards ceremony.
The .IE Digital Town Awards 2021 are the first pillar of activity under .IE Digital Town which has been developed to address digital enhancement and adoption in Ireland and the Awards promote awareness, knowledge, use and understanding of digital in Ireland by its citizens, businesses and communities.
They also highlight the benefits and possibilities of digital and celebrate the digital achievements of local towns, big and small.
The Wild Geese is a community group, conceived, nurtured and headquartered in Portumna, actively trying to solve the challenges faced by the rural towns, villages, and communities in East Galway, on their knees long before the pandemic.
The group is made up of a strong team of community activists with a diverse and impactful skill set in communications, networking, business, arts and culture and social enterprise with a passionate interest in the renewal of the main towns and villages of East Galway.
They have a healthy collaborative relationship with Irish Rural Link, Galway County Council, Waterways Ireland, Failte Ireland and Discover Lough Derg collaborating on strategic programs for rural repair, restoration and rejuvenation.
Remote working, co-working spaces, digital threads are emerging connecting our towns and villages like never before.
New ways of working are now opening up to local communities, people are actively searching for sustainable towns to live, work and participate locally.
The team work closely with digital agency Ourside for the past three years – our mission to onboard the towns of East Galway to their unique digital infrastructure Xplore local. Together we provide training and facilitation sessions with students and volunteers onboarding business, services, sports clubs and community societies onto the platform.
Xplore was designed with community sustainability in mind and aims to support the tenets of a circular economy. Xplore believe that our towns have so much to offer, from their rich, buried histories to the shops that line their streets. They are committed to shining a light on the things that make these places so unique, and are devoted to making the path to their discovery that bit shorter.
The Wild Geese hope to be appointed Climate Change Ambassadors with the European Union partnering on Climate Crisis stewardship, education and awareness campaigns. This will mean they will be supported with digital assets to promote climate action in more practical ways within the community responding to the crisis from the ground up.
Elina Visnar Malinovska (European Commission) speaks about the ‘climate dispairers’ who say ‘I admit it happens, but I can’t do much about it“. She is emphatic, we need to go to the local level, talking the language of the local, we need to empower the local patriots, as Elena likes to call them. In every community you will find true friends of the earth. We are no different here in Portumna, with the groundbreaking work of An Gairdin Ecology.
In 1994, a small group of came together awakened to the vision of Earth as a living organism, a great web of interconnectedness and interdependent life. They shared the desire to rediscover together who we humans are as a strand of this magnificent web. You could say we shared the desire to ‘come home’ to Earth after a long absence. And so An Gáirdín came into being!
At that time the site of the Rural Domestic School here in Portumna, which had taught agriculture and traditional crafts and skills for a hundred years, became available to us. “To make again a garden of this place” (Elisabeth Roberts) became their motto as they set out to learn to live in communion with one another and with the great diversity of life around us.
The garden needed some rest and healing following its years of generous production. It had time to lie fallow and renew itself before they began to do some organic growing. Over time they welcomed back the hens and ducks. Their house was built on the site of the old dairy and they carefully sourced natural, renewable and recycled material, installing the geo-thermal ground source heating system, a very new technology at the time.
A small group of those who share An Gáirdín’s vision meet regularly for support, study and reflection. Our most recent undertaking has been the provision of a building, adequate to meet the needs of our expanding range of courses and events. This has been a work of collaboration and every aspect of the building is a demonstration of sustainable practice.
by Galwaywildgeese@gmail.com | May 25, 2021 | Community Digital Hub
The highly-anticipated Xplore Gort App was launched on the 10th May 2021 at Kilmacduagh, Irelands largest round tower in the presence of Minister of State Anne Rabbitte, Laura Tannian, Enterprise Development Manager of The Forge Works, Elodie Golden CEO of Wild Geese, Jonathan Madden, COMWORKS and Maevita De Barros representing the Xplore Local team.
Xplore is a digital infrastructure for towns developed by Galway based company, Booniverse Limited. The platform’s simplistic design allows users to interact with a variety of towns without having to download multiple apps or visit multiple websites. Users enable location services or select a region to simply stay local.
Gort has now become part of Xplore’s growing network of towns that extends from Galway to Kerry, from Cork to Carlow. The launch is indicative of a wider movement in towns across the country, where enterprising locals are seeking out new and efficient ways to boost their local economies, attract tourists and promote their towns’ amenities.
Laura Tannian and her team have been working tirelessly over the past number of months to get the app ready for release.
‘Quote.’
Speaking on how the app will be of benefit to the local economy, Minister Rabbitte:
Even before the pandemic, small businesses based in rural areas were already having to change the way they marketed their products and services and appeal to new clientele.
For some small businesses and start-ups — such as artisan food-makers who may be working from their home kitchens — Rabbitte says the app allows them to harness ‘alternative ways of marketing with the app giving you directions to the middle of nowhere, giving you the business telephone number, bringing you to their webpage, their social profiles. One feature I find fantastic myself is the share button which allows the user to share a profile page to friends and family.
Anne continued:
That’s the wonderful thing about the app: there’s something in it for everyone…from the local news, to the business profile, from the hikes and trails, to the local history brought to life – there’s something for all ages — and it’s simple to use.
Xplore Gort aims to better serve the needs of locals and tourists alike — especially in times like these when shopping and exploring locally has never been more important.
With retailers reopened for Click and Collect since May 4th, local businesses are sure to be delighted with the e-commerce features of the app. Hospitality won’t be forgotten either when they reopen, with access to features that highlight their services, people and community impact.
Commenting on the launch, Xplore COO James Finan said:
We are delighted to be in partnership with Gort, the response has been amazing and it shows how valuable and needed something like the Xplore Gort App is. We are now working with the communities in Galway, Fermoy, Tralee, Clonakilty, Portumna & Youghal to keep them up to date and are currently preparing Killarney and Bagenalstown for rollout. We want Xplore to matter — to our clients, to our people, and in our communities — both here in Ireland and other communities around the world, wherever we do business. I would be very happy to speak with any group who wants this for their town.
You can download the app here: http://onelink.to/tjwkz8 (this link will take readers to the IOS or android stores depending on their phone type.
by Galwaywildgeese@gmail.com | May 25, 2021 | Community Digital Hub
Friday 23 April 2021
- Public encouraged to report breeding Curlew sightings to NPWS between April and June
- Citizen science records will inform 2021 National Breeding Curlew Survey
- Nine areas in key Curlew hotspots across the country are prioritised
- Contact NPWS with any sightings
Citizen scientists can help bring one of Ireland’s most iconic birds back from the brink by reporting sightings to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
The Curlew Conservation Programme is encouraging members of the public to record locations of Curlew sightings between April and June and report the information to the NPWS’s team. Breeding Curlew are currently nesting in bogs, pastures, meadows and other open and wet habitats in Curlew hotspots around the country. By submitting records of sightings, the public can help build up a national picture of the number of breeding birds.
Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, said:
This is a fantastic way for people across the country to get to know the wild places in their county and, at the same time, to contribute to the conservation of one of our most iconic and best-loved birds. I’d like to encourage all budding citizen scientists young and old to get involved and help our Curlew Conservation Programme team to gather this important data, which will support the ongoing protection of the Curlew.
How to submit records:
– By email: nationalcurlewsurvey@gmail.com
– By phone to the survey coordinator on 083 104 8000
– Online at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QRLHR7B here
The Curlew Conservation Programme – jointly funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine – has been collaborating with landowners in nine key areas (listed below) since 2017 in an effort to halt the decline of a bird whose numbers decreased by 96% in a 30 year period. Curlew occur in flocks around many of our coasts in winter, but the vast majority are migrants, with only around 1 in 30 birds actually breeding here in the Spring.
Dr Seán Kelly, NPWS waterbird ecologist managing the 2021 breeding Curlew survey, said
Breeding Curlew populations in Ireland are amongst the country’s most pressing conservation priorities, of great concern to conservationists and the wider public alike. This enigmatic species has inspired generations of art and folklore, including the great William Butler Yeats – and much like the great works of Yeats, Curlew deserve to be cherished, celebrated and protected in Ireland. The 2021 National Breeding Curlew Survey will provide an update on the previous survey from 2015, letting us know how successful our efforts to date have been and what we need to do in the immediate future. There is huge positive momentum around the country for Curlew conservation, particularly in the farming community, and we need to build upon this.
The call of the Curlew is synonymous with the Irish countryside – from lowland grassland and raised bogs to our mountains and hills their distinctive ‘coorlew’ call is a sign of Spring. Like a growing number of our bird species, Curlew populations have declined dramatically – so much so that fewer than 200 breeding pairs now occur across Ireland.
In recognition of the seriousness of the threat to Irish breeding Curlew, Minsters Noonan and Hackett jointly increased funding to enhance conservation efforts earlier this year. At the launch of the enhanced financial support for the Curlew Conservation Programme, Minister Noonan described the situation for Curlew as “one of the most difficult and pressing conservation concerns of our time” and the funding allowing a strengthening of work between communities and conservationists, “working together to protect this iconic and much-loved bird”.
The nine key Curlew hotspots for the Curlew Conservation Programme are:
- Stack’s Mountains, Kerry
- Lough Corrib
- Lough Ree
- North Roscommon/Mayo
- Mid-Leitrim
- North Monaghan
- Donegal
- Slieve Aughty Mountains
- Laois/Kildare
For more information on the Curlew Conservation Programme, including reports, see: https://www.npws.ie/farmers-and-landowners/schemes/curlew-conservation-programme
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