TU ‘spin off’ potential for Mullingar

AIT’s new designation as a Technological University could have a major spin off for Mullingar, a local councillor has said.

At the recent meeting of the council’s Economic Development, Enterprise and Tourism SPC, Cllr John Shaw welcomed the news that AIT is to merge with its counterpart in Limerick to form the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).

The Fianna Fáil man, who chairs the SPC, said he hoped there would be some spin-off for the Mullingar area and hoped that representatives from the new university would address the SPC.

“We would love to hear their plans for the future and if it involves something of outside of Athlone as well up this side of the county, we’d love to see a spin and I couldn’t see how this isn’t a possibility.”

Sectoral representative John Geoghegan, the chair of Mullingar Chamber of Commerce, said it was fantastic for Athlone and that over the last 30 years, AIT has evolved into an “outstanding facility”.

He too felt that it would benefit Mullingar if there was some sort of “spillover synergy”. Mr Geoghegan previously proposed that a redeveloped Columb Barracks would be ideal for a national apprentice centre.

“There could be some sort of synergy there in a third level sense,” he said.

Director of services Barry Kehoe said AIT was interested in extending its reach and noted that it has already established a small outreach centre in Mullingar: “I expect they will be interested in expanding that. Unfortunately due to Covid, it hasn’t developed to its full potential, but I am sure it will.”