Apple move great news for rural Ireland

Today, we have to congratulate IDA Ireland and the people of Athenry for their joint success in attracting a major investment from one of the biggest technology companies in the world. 

I am, of course, referring to the decision by Apple, maker of the iPhone, iPad, iMac, and many other iProducts to locate a new data centre in rural Galway.

The plant, which is planned to commence operations in 2017 and involves an investment of €850m, will power online services including iTunes, App Store, iMessage, Maps, and Siri for companies across Europe. A sister centre is planned for Viborg in Denmark, a city similar in size to Galway but also in a rural area, well away from the larger conurbations in Denmark. These projects are, according to Apple chief executive Tim Cook as “Apple’s biggest projects in Europe to date”.