Skibbereen has laid claim to the title of Ireland’s first 1GB town with those behind the digital Ludgate Hub declaring that the venture is a blueprint for the regeneration of rural Ireland.

The country’s chief digital expert has admitted that Government departments and bodies need to earn public trust, so that people can engage with public services online with the same ease as in the commercial world.

Enterprise Ireland says it could meet its target for the percentage of women-led start-up businesses a year early, however, it said that the country needs more women starting their own tech companies.

Thousands of technology enthusiasts will descend upon West Cork next month as part of the country’s first National Digital Week.

Ireland’s first rural digital hub could help create up to 500 jobs in West Cork over the next five years.