Tánaiste opens Birr Technology Centre
Tánaiste Mary Harney T.D. has officially opened Birr Technology Centre, a 21,000 sq ft (1,950 sq m) fully-serviced technology building developed on the site of a derelict mill on the banks of the River Camcor, in the heart of Birr, Co Offaly.
The new centre, involving an investment of €3.8m in a public-private partnership, is one of five technology locations in the Shannon Development Knowledge Network.
Speaking at the launch, the Tánaiste said: "The rapid growth in technologies is altering the kind of jobs being created in our society and the type of facilities which influence industrialists, particularly foreign investors, when they come to make an investment decision in Ireland.
"Birr Technology Centre is one of the finest technology buildings I have seen in the country. It provides an entirely new environment for high-tech, knowledge-based businesses locating in this town steeped in scientific history.
"It is a credit to the developers, and to Shannon Development who, over the past five years, has invested over €25m in developing a network of outstanding technology locations throughout the Shannon Region."
Birr Technology Centre is housed in a redeveloped mill building, which dates back to the 1600s when it was a water-powered grain mill.
The building fell into disrepair and was purchased as a ruin by Shannon Development in the 1980s. Work on its transformation into a modern technology centre commenced in September 2001.
