There is a growing belief in the midlands that it may, at last, grab some of the riches that the rest of the State is enjoying.
It is hoped that the Central Statistics Office's May figures - showing that the midlands was the only region where the number of unemployed went up - will soon be a thing of the past.
Plans have been drawn up by the Industrial Development Authority to attract new jobs to the area and already there are signs of growth, according to its midlands regional manager, Ms Margaret Geaney. She said the target of seeking 50 per cent of new investment into the Objective One region over the next three years would be of great benefit to the area.
"In the midlands we have experienced a number of major factory closures over the past 18 months, because we cannot compete in the old traditional industries against Asian and former eastern bloc levels of pay," she said.
The closures of the Atlantic Mills factory in Tullamore, Avon Arlington in Portarlington and other plants were examples of this. "However, in future we will be looking for value-added plants and this is the way we will be travelling from now on," she said.
The area had a very good record in healthcare and the arrival in two of the major towns of companies operating in this area was very encouraging.
"Oxford Health Care has moved into Mullingar and that has been very successful as has been the new plant in Tullamore which is also operating in the same area," she said.
In addition, there were advance factories in Portaloise and in other towns in the region and Business Expansion Scheme factories were being built.
The most recent one of these has just been started in Tullamore, where the Flanagan Group started work on a 21,000 sq. ft factory.
According to Mr John Flanagan, the company set up for the BES scheme, Novoa, invited investors to get involved and the interest was so great from all over the State that double the allowed investment limit was offered.
Ms Geaney said people were prepared to invest in the region and she added it had the advantage that skilled labour was available.
"We have a lot of people here on the ground and there are a lot of people who would like to move from the cities to live here and to come home from abroad," she said.
"Our greatest problem is the infrastructure. If we can get the motorways extended to Portlaoise and to Athlone, then a great deal will be accomplished because we will then literally be one hour from the capital," she said.
She expressed confidence that the midlands would soon begin to experience a turnaround in employment fortunes and will catch up with the rest of the State.