Reasons to Work and Live in Mayo
4 Reasons to Work and Live in Mayo
- Opportunities for employment are growing
- Property Market is Buoyant
- Beautiful landscape and scenery
- A sense of community
1. Opportunities for employment are growing
Mayo has a lot to offer in the way of employment opportunities. The Western Development Commission has recently launched a new campaign called ‘More to Life’. It is set up to advertise the numerous career and lifestyle opportunities available in Mayo and the West. The website shows information on stories relating to the €72 millions Western Investment Fund (WIF). This investment fund ‘provides loans and equity to business and local communities in the West’. The site features unique local content and information on housing, childcare, education and more across the region.
There are E-centres and digital hubs available. These places are great for residents to go to work and use the good broadband provided. These are usually a short commute away. The Regional Co-Working Analysis showed that More than 1 in 4 private sector workers are capable of operating remotely.
There are numerous International firms operating in Mayo. Some of these are Allergan in Westport and Baxter in Castlebar, Hollister in Ballina and Meissner, also in Castlebar. An article in the Sun from 2018 showed a case study of a woman who moved back from Dublin to Westport, working in Allergan. Her decision has made her happier and she feels there is a ‘great energy and pride in the town’.
2. Property Market is Buoyant
House prices in Mayo have increased by 4.2 percent. This shows an increase in the interest of people moving to Mayo. The Irish Independent/Real Estate Alliance Average House Price Index showed that a lot of people who live in cities are choosing to buy properties in more rural and scenic areas. It is shown that in Mayo, the people moving there are returning. They had moved away to bigger towns and cities for work and education. During the pandemic, working from home has become the norm and so aids in the decision of this move, provided there is good broadband.
According to Real Estate Alliance, people are ‘looking for three things – more space, gardens and a guarantee of better broadband, where transport was previously the highest priority’. There is definitely more space in Mayo, as it is a part of the west region, which is the least crowded in Ireland. It accounts for 11.6% of the state’s population and 21% of the landmass.
3. There are plenty of beautiful scenery and events
Mayo is a scenically beautiful County, with lots of existing events and festivals every year, when things are normal. Attractions in Mayo include the Great Western Greenway, Achill Island, the coastal townland of Doolough, Killary Harbour, Ballycroy National Park and the extensive Stone Age Monument at Ceide Fields, the town of Westport, and of course Croagh Patrick. Westport also holds the Street Music Festival in July and Arts Festival in September. Recently there has been a €5.1 million boost to extend the two Mayo Greenway routes. This is a great recreational resource and will help to improve people’s physical and mental health.
4. A sense of community
The sense of community reaches far and wide in Mayo. This is seen in the recent news of Joe Biden becoming next President of the United States. Ballina celebrated the president’s victory on Saturday. A future visit by the President-elect would have a great boost for Mayo tourism. In 2011, Obama visited Moneygall in County Offaly, and 3 years later the Barack Obama Plaza, the multimillion-dollar complex, opened on the outskirts of the town. A similar fate could fall upon Ballina in the future.
A survey in 2018 found that 91% of people who relocated to Galway or Mayo are satisfied or very satisfied with their decision to relocate to the West.
The West has a special culture that still maintains its sense of community.
The pandemic has normalised remote work, and what that might mean. We all know that work will never be the same, even if we don’t yet know all the ways in which it will be different. From the employee perspective, the shift is massive and very consequential: people are making new choices about where they want to live and creating new expectations about flexibility, working conditions and life balance that can’t be undone.
We know that 1 in 4 Irish private sector workers have the capability to relocate. Mayo has all the characteristics of a place set to benefit from this ‘new work pattern’ – digitally enabled; nature based and thriving local communities.
David Minton , Director at Northern & Western Regional Assembly
