When Dubliner T.J. O'Connor bought the Coastguard Station at Keem Bay on Achill Island in 1950 as a summer home, he could not have imagined the effect his purchase would have on the island's computer literacy.
Last September his grandaughter Etain was appointed educational co-ordinator of Comhlacht Forbartha Áitiúil Acla. A keen surfer, Etain had spent all her childhood summers roaming the cliffs and beaches of Ireland's largest island and in latter years teaching at the outdoor pursuits centre throughout the tourist season.
Coiste Forbartha Áitiúil Acla was formed in 1991 as an umbrella group to represent the various committees run by the island's 3,500 inhabitants. The establishment of the Comhlacht in 1999 was a necessary bureaucratic development which was chaired up to his death last November by the former TD and Minister, the late Denis Gallagher.
"Survival in the teeth of the odds" has long been a catchcry of island communities, and Achill, despite its bridge to the mainland, is no exception. Both the tourism and fishing industries are not sufficient to sustain the delicate economic balance of a community which has a history peppered with famine - and with so much emigration that there are "Little Achills" in Cleveland, Chicago and New York.
The premises of the Comhlacht was formerly Crumpaun National School which is situated near the western village of Keel. This busy building is not only the administrative centre but also acts as a creche and one of two information technology centres run by the development company.
"The recent announcement that we are to receive a £½ million in grant aid to build a new state-of-the-art creche here in the grounds of the old school is very exciting," says Comhlacht manager, Terence Dever. Funding was accessed through the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform's childcare programme.
The running of the Comhlacht is largely subvented by the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme which is a sub-section of the National Development Plan 2000-2006. In 2001 the Comhlacht was awarded £57,500 (punts) which pays the manager's salary, a part-time secretary and grant-aid for small projects.
"We also use our facilities to provide support for grant applications that are outside our financial capabilities," explains Mr Dever. "As with the creche application, we were also a catalyst in sourcing £1.5 million for the proposed development of Purteen Harbour."
The development of a viable information technology-based industry on the island and adjacent penninsula of Curraun, where the second centre is situated, is a major priority for the company. Etain O'Connor's appointment is viewed as a positive step in realising this goal. She is currently training 20 people, with the aid of the VEC and FÁS in the Curraun centre, as well as running European Computer Driving Licence courses at Achill Sound.
"Unfortunately inadequate infrastructure is a basic stumbling block for us," states Etain. "How can we attract potential businesses when we don't even have an ISDN line to Curraun - because we are half of a mile outside the accepted radius from the nearest exchange?" Of course, there's always the possibility of the Comhlacht generating its own electricity. Its energy committee is already working with the Mayo Energy Agency, and, perhaps, harnessing the currents at Bullsmouth or Cloughmore harbours will become a 21st century project.