Skibbereen seems the exception to the rule in rural Ireland when it comes to broadband coverage.

While the west Cork town, which boasts 1 gigabit per second broadband, hosted Ireland’s second National Digital Week, a survey by Switcher.ie this week revealed that only 25 per cent of rural homes can access 30 megabits or more. The survey highlighted the challenges ahead for the government’s National Broadband plan.

In Skibbereen, the Ludgate Hub is aiming at showing what could be possible for rural Ireland if connectivity can be achieved. Grainne Dwyer, Ludgate Hub’s chief executive officer said: “We have been contacted by more than 20 other similar [sized] rural Irish towns and communities who want to know how they can do the same for their community. They are looking at old garda stations, disused post offices and asking how they can build something similar for their area too”.

John Fields, a local businessman who donated the building used to house the Ludgate Hub, explained his motivation for supporting the initiative. “We want to create a reason for young people to be able to stay home, to provide the digital infrastructure to ensure they don’t all have to leave after college.”

Henry Joseph Grant, co-founder of Just Eat, the online food order and delivery business, explained the importance of supporting business initiatives in rural Ireland. “I was born in Draperstown in Co Derry, a rural village with a similar population to Skibbereen. It is important to create employment and opportunities. The great thing about digital industries is that it is no longer a prerequisite of success to be based in a capital city such as Dublin, Belfast or London.”

Film producer David Puttnam, Ireland’s National Digital Champion and a Skibbereen resident for the past 26 years said: “It is important to level the playing field, just because you’re from somewhere like west Cork should not mean that you are driven overseas to find work ... that seems to me wrong.”