January 2007

2006 has been a huge year for the Chamber, much has been achieved that for so long has eluded the town and its environs.

• We have engineered the formation of the Dundalk Economic Regeneration Group, 50/50 public private and chaired by Peter Malone for 3 years, which has brought focus and action to a number of facets, principally the determination to see Market Square remodeled into the attractive town centerpiece it needs to be.
• Perhaps the signally most important work that has gone on was with the lobby to the Department of Environment to recognise that Gateway expansion must have seed corn funding to service all the Western development fashioned. Dick Roche accepted the principle and Brian Cowen has highlighted that the February 2007 capital programme will include significant support for Dundalk Gateway.
• We have also been working at the coalface with Roche’s team on the BIDS legislation which we anticipate for Dundalk will help fund the proposed town centre management aspiration. The legislation puts much responsibility on Chambers to deliver and the time frame for implementation would be beginning of 2008.
• Two conferences, the first to address “Marine Tourism,” delivered success and recognition that Carlingford Lough had virtually untapped capacity for leisure and with the support of Loughs Agency, Marine Institute and Tourism Ireland, we expect to capitalize on the potential with a Stakeholders event in 2007. The October conference on “Growing Dundalk” attracted possibly the most vital recognition from all stakeholders that the Gateway dream was on the threshold of deliverance. Ed Walsh’s keynote was probably the only time we’ve witnessed a standing ovation for such a delivery.
• Chamber delivered two EU funded programmes, the last year of the Newry-Dundalk Forum and the 2^nd year of the Carlingford sailing events, the latter hosted 4 network TV and 3 morning radio programmes!

• We saw record support for the established Budget Breakfast, Sporting and Economic lunches. The business awards evening was remodeled to inject a real sense of occasion. Many other social events such as Dinner and sailing on a Tall Ship in Carlingford Lough and a Barbeque in Ghan House proved very successful. For the 2^nd year running a charity lunch was staged in December where €23,000 was raised from Dundalk business folk and €5,000 worth of toys distributed to local children in need.

Dundalk has still to claim its place at the Celtic Tiger’s table and we are grateful to the many individuals who gave up their time to ensure our voice was heard, as we are to the immensely generous sponsors and supporters who gave so willingly.

Bill Tosh

Executive Director Dundalk Chamber

Tel: 042 9336343 or email bill@dundalk.ie