IRD DUHALLOW COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

IRD Duhallow Company Limited By Guarantee is a community-based integrated rural development organisation founded in 1989. Drawing together the resources of State bodies, local authorities, community groups and individual entrepreneurs, it works to generate enterprise and improve the welfare of people living in the Duhallow area of County Cork. The company targets communities that face challenges such as rural depopulation, immigration pressures, limited training opportunities, economic deprivation and poor infrastructure.

Through a wide-ranging programme of support, IRD Duhallow has helped over 37 geographically-based communities and more than 60 issue-focused groups-including youth, women, lone parents, mental-health, sporting, educational, cultural and environmental organisations. Its services include business mentoring, language-empowerment courses, computer training, CPD modules in leadership and early-childhood education, pension auto-enrolment webinars and specialised workshops for children. To date the organisation has created 1,703 jobs, supported 2,045 businesses, trained nearly 20,000 people and insulated 4,740 homes, underscoring its pivotal role in sustaining rural Ireland.