Information for

 

Information about

 

 

Contact: GMIT at Letterfrack,

Co. Galway, Ireland

00353 95 41660

letterfrack@gmit.ie

 

 

Connemara West (1971-2006)

Connemara West Plc is a community owned and managed rural Development Company in North West Connemara. It was established in 1971 and has over 500 shareholders from the local communities as well as shareholding from Galway County Council and the Western Regional Tourism Organisation. It is managed by an elected, voluntary Board of Directors and employs 14 full time and 16 part-time staff. It has offices in Tullycross and in the Connemara West Centre, Letterfrack.

The following is a summary of work initiated and current activities which are managed by Connemara West.

Renvyle Thatched Cottages – a holiday cottages scheme of nine traditional style cottages located in the village of Tullycross and managed as a commercial project.

Teach Ceoil – which was built in 1977 as a community arts centre with particular emphasis on the traditional arts, offer classes and courses in Irish traditional music, song and dance, art, drama, contemporary dance, classical music and one day seminars on a variety of arts topics. Public performances are held throughout the year but on a more regular basis during the summer months.

Connemara West Centre, Letterfrack – the location for a range of community and public service facilities which promote the development of the region and which are also part of the national infrastructure for the furniture industry.

Located in the Connemara West Centre are:

The Furniture College with 198 full-time students for 2006-2007, studying furniture design, technology, manufacture, restoration and conservation. Facilities include large workrooms, machine halls, drawing studios, computer suite, seminar rooms, library and laboratories. The Furniture College is an educational partnership between Connemara West and Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and employs 18 full-time and twenty part-time and visiting staff

Conservation|Letterfrack specialises in conservation of furniture, historic interiors and wooden artefacts in a well-equipped conservation workshop. The Centre provides technical advice for museums, heritage centres, public and private clients. Employs 4 full-time staff.
Resource office with computer-based community services and information
Library for students and the public with audio-visual facilities and Internet access.
Connemara Community Radio – a community radio station, broadcasting ten hours per day on 106.1FM & 87.8 FM. Run by 3 full-time staff and up to 70 volunteers.
Ellis Hall – a public hall with kitchen, sports and social facilities for the community.
Forum, a community/statutory managed community development project for the Connemara region funded by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
Foscadh Community Development Ltd. – jointly owned by Connemara West Plc., Forum Community Development Ltd. and Tullycross Credit Union Ltd.. Plans to develop a Social Housing Scheme of 30 units, Outdoor and Indoor Sports Facilities, Community Services Centre and Incubation/Training Units at an estimated cost of €7,000,000.
The Centre also includes a
Youthreach Programme run by Co. Galway

VEC/FÁS Ellis Workshops – independently owned
Monastery Youth Hostel
Letterfrack Farmer’s Co-Operative