On the 24th & 25th of June 2025, Donegal County Council welcomed the project partners from the EDIN project to County Donegal, Ireland. EDIN which is cofinanced through the Interreg Europe Programme is a pan European project with partners in Ireland (Donegal), Spain (Atlantic Axis of Peninsular Northwest & Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge), Italy (Agency for the development of the Empolese Valdelsa & Regional Government of Tuscany), Norway (Møre and Romsdal County Council), Finland (ELY Centre Kainuu), Lithuania (Lazdijai district municipality administration, Lithuania) and Bulgaria (Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities & Regional Administration Varna).
The project’s overall objective is to encourage the uptake of remote working and increase the presence of digital nomads in each of the partner territories by 30% by 2028.
This interregional event focused on showcasing the Digital Hubs based in the county and consisted of two study visits. The first of these took the project partners to gteic @ Gaoth Dobhair where they were welcomed to Donegal by Glenties Municipal District Cathaoirleach Cllr Michael Mc Clafferty.
Glenties MD Cathaoirleach Cllr Michael Mc Clafferty presenting EDIN lead Partner, Xoan Vázquez Mao, Secretary General of Eixo Atlántico
Speaking afterwards, Cllr Mc Clafferty said, “It was my honour to welcome delegates form the EDIN project to Donegal. This project provides us with a valuable opportunity to showcase the current digital hub infrastructure in the county and the event allowed us to provide learning exchanges and showcase good practices for many aspects that relate to the objectives of the project.”
The focus of this study visit then turned to the topic of
“community digital hubs and how to influence government policy”. Mícheál Ó Duibhir of Údarás na Gaeltachta spoke on the work of Údarás and also their work with the digital hubs across the Gaeltacht region. He specifically focused on gteic @ Gaoth Dobhair which all attendees got a tour of. This was followed by a presentation from Leah Fairman from Connected Hubs who talked the project partners through the Connected Hubs Network, what they do and how they “promote & support remote work in Ireland”.
All attendees travelled to Arranmore Island for the next study visit which was at MODAM (Mol Oifig Digiteach Árainn Mhór). Here, Adrian Begley presented to the group about how and why the MODAM project came to what it is today. They focus on attracting young people back to the area to ensure the island life continues for generations to come.
The final event of the day was held in Croithlí Distillery where Donegal County Council facilitated a workshop focused on highlighted the “
Most effective marketing strategies for attracting nomads”.
The event overall provided the project partners with valuable insights into how communities, national bodies and groups are working together to promote Donegal as a hub for Digital Nomads in the future.
Fáiltíonn Dhún na nGall chomhpháirtithe tionscadail EDIN
Ar an 24ú & 25ú Meitheamh 2025, chuir Comhairle Chontae Dhún na nGall fáilte roimh chomhpháirtithe don tionscadail EDIN go dtí Chontae Dhún na nGall, Éire. Is tionschadal Eorpach é EDIN, atá comhmhaoinithe trí Chlár Interreg na hEorpa, ina bhfuil comhpháirtithe in Éirinn (Dún na nGall), an Spáinn (Ais Atlantach Leithinis an Iarthuaiscirt & Aireacht an Aistrithe Éiceolaíoch agus an Dúshláin Dhéimeagrafaigh), an Iodáil (Gníomhaireacht um Fhorbairt Valdelsa Empolese & Rialtas Réigiúnach na Toscáine), an Iorua (Comhairle Contae Møre agus Romsdal), an Fhionlainn (Ionad ELY Kainuu), an Liotuáin (riarachán bardas ceantair Lazdijai, sa Liotuáin) agus an Bhulgáir (Aontas Údarás Áitiúil na Mara Duibhe sa Bhulgáir & Riarachán Réigiúnach Varna).
Is é príomh chuspóir an tionscadail nó le daoine a spreagadh chuig obair chianda agus le láithreacht na bhfánaithe digiteacha i ngach réigiún ag baint lena comhpháirtíochta a mhéadú 30% faoi 2028.
Dhírigh an imeacht idir-réigiúnach seo ar na Moil Dhigiteacha atá lonnaithe ar fud an chontae, le iad a chur i láthair trí dhá chuairt staidéir. Thug an chéad cuairt na comhpháirtithe don tionscadail chuig gteic@Gaoth Dobhair, áit ar chuir Cathaoirleach Cheantar Bardasach na nGleanntach, an Comhairleoir Michael Mc Clafferty, fáilte rompu. go dtí Dhún na nGall.
Tar éis an imeacht, dúirt an Chomhairleoir Mc Clafferty, “Ba mhór an onóir dom fáilte a chur roimh thoscairí ón thionscadal EDIN go Dhún na nGall. Tugann an tionscadal seo deis luachmhar dúinn bonneagar reatha an mhol dhigitigh sa chontae a chur i láthair, agus thug an ócáid deis dúinn malartuithe foghlama a chur ar fáil agus dea-chleachtais a thaispeáint i gcás go leor gnéithe a bhaineann le cuspóirí an tionscadail.”
Ansin dhírigh an chuairt staidéir seo isteach ar an ábhar “moil dhigiteacha pobail agus conas tionchar a dhéanamh ar bheartais rialtais”. Labhair Mícheál Ó Duibhir, ó Údarás na Gaeltacht, faoi obair an Údarás agus faoina gcuid oibre leis na moil dhigiteacha ar fud na réigiún Ghaeltachta. Dhírigh sé go sonrach ar gteic@Gaoth Dobhair agus tugadh turas do na freastalaithe go léir don fhoirgnimh. Ina dhiaidh sin, thug Leah Fairman ,ó Connected Hubs, cur i láthair a phléigh Líonra ‘Connected Hubs’ lena comhpháirtithe tionscadail, cad a dhéanann siad agus conas a “chuireann siad obair chianda chun cinn agus a thacaíonn siad léi in Éirinn”.
Thaistil na freastalaithe go léir go Oileán Árainn Mhór don chéad chuairt staidéir eile, a tharla i MODAM (Mol Oifig Digiteach Árainn Mhór). Anseo, thug Adrian Begley cur i láthair don ghrúpa faoi conas agus cén fáth ar tháinig an tionscadal MODAM go dtí an áit atá sé inniu. Díríonn siad ar tabhacht dhaoine óga a mhealladh ar ais chuig an cheantar le cinntiú go leanfaidh saol an oileáin ar aghaidh do na nglúnta atá le teacht.
Bhí an imeacht deireanach den lá i nDrioglann Chroithlí, áit ar reáchtáil Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall ceardlann a dhírigh ar na “Straitéisí margaíochta is éifeachtaí chun fáinaithe digiteach a mhealladh”.
Thug an imeacht iomlán léargas luachmhar do chomhpháirtithe an tionscadail ar an gcaoi a bhfuil pobail, comhlachtaí náisiúnta agus grúpaí ag obair le chéile chun Dún na nGall a chur chun cinn mar mhol do Fháinní Digiteacha sa todhchaí.