Mayo people make the case for their county at the Dargan Forum

Mayo natives, Stephen Carolan (Connected Hubs) and Nicola Kennedy (Mayo Local Enterprise Office) will speak at the event.

The ‘Why Choose Mayo’ event will take place at 7.30pm on Wednesday 2nd of

July as part of the Dargan Forum, Dún Laoghaire

At a time when the capital has never been more congested and expensive to live in, Mayo native Seán Tobin will host a ‘Why Choose Mayo’ event discussing with a panel of speakers why there has never been a better time to move west to Mayo. With stunning natural scenery, highly rated for quality of life and, thanks to technology, ever increasing remote work opportunities, Mayo represents a great option for businesses considering a move.

Hosted in the picturesque Royal Marine Hotel, Dún Laoghaire, the event is targeted at businesses and people in the capital that are at a transition point in their lives, be it in their next expansion of their business, their next career move seeking a better work/life balance or with expanding families looking for a better quality of life or even those that with family connections to Mayo that are interested in returning to their hometown.

The Dargan Forum on Ireland’s Green & Digital Transition is in its third year of running and will feature 11 events over 2 days with 55 speakers. It brings together experts and practitioners to share their insights on how to accelerate the benefits of Ireland’s twin transitions—green and digital—for small businesses, social enterprises, and the local communities they support through jobs and services. Mayo’s Alan Dillon TD, Minister of State for Small Business, Retail and Circular Economy, will open the morning session of the Forum.

A representative of the Mayo Association Dublin (founded in 1905 with over 650 members), will talk about the work of the Mayo Association in strengthening ties with the county through initiatives such as the Mayo Association Dublin’s Business lunch each November, the Mayo person of the year award and the Mayo Schools’ Debating Competition when students from Mayo head to Trinity College, Dublin each year to compete.

The message from the Connected Hubs speaker, Stephen Carolan (Belmullet) will be that there has never been more or better options for remote work in Mayo than now with a wide range of high quality hubs provided by Mayo’s hub network of 45 hubs. Stephen will highlight to the audience that the remote work infrastructure is strengthened by Mayo’s strategic location, robust infrastructure, economic diversity, educational institutions, and vibrant community life.

Nicola Kennedy of Mayo Local Enterprise Office will outline the comprehensive supports available for entrepreneurs and SMEs considering a move to Mayo. She will highlight the LEO’s role in helping businesses start, grow, and scale in the region, with particular emphasis on grant support, mentoring, and networking opportunities. Nicola will also speak to the county’s strong culture of innovation, collaborative enterprise ecosystem, and how the LEO can assist Dublin-based businesses looking to make a smooth and supported transition west.

So this is a call for all those that want to promote your county Mayo, why not show up on the night or pass it to your contacts who are looking at their options.

The free event starts in the Mariner Room, the Royal Marine Hotel, Dún Laoghaire at

7.30pm on Wednesday, 2nd July. For more information and to register see -

https://www.darganinstitute.ie/dargan-forum-2025-programme#mayo