TWICE THE SIZE - DIT Update - Dublin Institute of Technology

esearch centre to investigate a possibility to use peat for medical purposes. As Athlone is facing
increasing pressures, they try to develop complementary services and attract our population to
their towns. As I already said, people increasingly shop, socialise and recreate in Mullingar and
Tullamore. The strong community policing and change in people’s attitudes towards a more
socially responsible ones helped to eradicate some types of crimes.
TM: Athlone could set up similar initiatives…
SH: Of course it could, but it is more complex. Tullamore and Mullingar’s social structures are
more homogenised and the disparities between different classes are not as bluntly obvious. If
you walk in the city centre of Athlone and some of the disadvantaged areas, the poverty is
appalling. It’s not much better than Limerick’s worst areas.
Actually, we are discussing move to a village around Mullingar ourselves. My family lives near
Athlone West Corridor and the traffic becomes unbearable. Twice longer distance from the
Mullingar side would take me half less time to travel. Also, the development of new tourism and
leisure activities around the canals, lakes and forests has been very attractive to my family and
friends.
TM: Siobhan, it was a pleasure talking to you. Once again, congratulations on the success of the
Group and I wish AIT many successes in the future.
SH: Thank you.
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I have been speaking to
some of my colleagues, who
recently relocated to
Mullingar. They told me that
community links and spirit
are much stronger there
than in Athlone. Social
solidarity is on the rise
there. Athlone’s population
is more transient and more
ethnically diverse, which in
the present Ireland is not
always a good thing.