TWICE THE SIZE - DIT Update - Dublin Institute of Technology

The region’s economy has also been hit, as tourists are now shunning the area. From 2017
onwards Sligo faces an array of uncertainties. Sligo tourism remains the bread and butter of the
small business community in the North-west. Significant work is needed to protect the regions
heritage against future environmental disasters.
In the immediate aftermath, urban/rural tensions are exacerbated, as more and more people
are opting to move away from the urban core to adopt a more rural way of life. Sligo town
quickly becomes dull and lifeless – a city without a spine. Plans to make Sligo the cultural
gateway of Ireland are scrapped, as politicians and businesses begin the clean-up. Half
completed pedestrianised walkways that were to link the city and the river are destroyed and
massive flooding to the newly refurbished Model Art and Niland Gallery has forced the centre to
close for the foreseeable future. Social inequalities are exacerbated, as a high portion of the
population, are wiped out by the flooding. The centre of Sligo has become a no-go area, as the
risks of being assaulted or intimidated are too high. Drink and drug-fuelled violence are
reported on a daily basis. Murder, serious assault, rape, domestic abuse, suicide, injuries, and
deaths through drink driving have become so familiar as to almost taken for granted. Immigrants
and the elderly populate town houses, while young families have moved to the safe rural
settlement clusters in the Sligo countryside.
Broadband connectivity was the first to be restored as whole communities have become
dependent on virtual networks for income. Investment in technology is driven by the need to be
less dependent on resources outside of the region. The benefit for families is that they no longer
have to commute to the city to work. By 2020 clusters of vibrant, localised economies are
developed, giving greater scope for people to exercise ingenuity and skill. In this era of mass
market shopping, what makes Sligo consistently attractive and distinctive is the individualised
small business.
Cottage industries thrive as local entrepreneurs come up with new and innovative ways to live
the dream. Those who own land develop on-site wind energy farms, selling electricity back to
the National Grid. The growth of e-businesses as a source of income has replaced traditional
manufacturing, capable of trading goods and services at the flick of a button, broadband has
quickly become an economic and social necessity, rather than a luxury. E-terrorism is the new
cause of fear and trepidation among virtual surfers and although its likelihood is low, the
potential impact for families and communities in the region could be devastating.
In the midst of all this chaos a good relationship between Donegal, Leitrim and Roscommon is
fostered. Over the next 10 years the North-West, under the leadership of the Western Co Op, a
developmental framework was created to drive the economy forward at a regional level. With a
critical mass of highly skilled labour (over 250,000 within an 80 km radius) the region competes
for IDA investment and government funding to improve infrastructure and build on the strengths
of region. By 2030, the €70 million outer relief road is finally under way, which upon
completion will greatly improve the prospects for the future of Sligo.
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