*Professor Vincent Cunnane , LIT President is pictured speaking at the opening. Photograph: Eamon Ward
Students attending LIT’s Ennis campus will give a boost to the local economy at day and night, the President of the third level institute has said.
Less than 100 students are currently studying at LIT’s Bindon St campus with the figure expected to grow as more courses are added to the offering in the Ennis facility. We’ve been in Ennis for over a decade running a number of programmes but we’ve never had a place where we could call our own,” Professor Vincent Cunnane commented at Monday’s official opening.
Cunnane confirmed that LIT will soon join Ennis Chamber and spoke of their desire to add to the activity within the town.“Investors want to see towns that have third level education, it is a really big plus and now right here in the town of Ennis, that is happening. This is an institute in the town centre that is going to respond to your needs, we need to plan to grow this campus but everyone gathered in this room are the influential people that can make a difference and we want to work with you.
“It is very much an Ennis campus, this is your campus, we want to add to the life of the town, there is footfall, there is students, there will be a night-life and other things happening. We want you to engage with us, tell us your needs, let’s see if we can put professional education and training in place, we will provide that night-time economy”.
He added, “Ennis is now on the CAO, there is a page on the CAO for Ennis. That has already been happening but now it is going to grow. Programmes will be offered in social care, business our new general business programme is being brought to Ennis in September, creative media, those courses are going to be ran here in this magnificent building. People are already training here by night to be local tour guides facilitated by Ennis Chamber of Commerce. We need to do more and we want to do more. We need to work with you to put on programmes that people want to do that will benefit Ennis and Clare”.
A former President of IT Sligo, Professor Cunnane highlighted that Liam McCarthy has been a visitor to LIT’s Moylish campus in September 2018, Thurles in September 2019 and turned to LIT’s marketing officer David Reidy as he said, “Maybe in 2020 I’ll be standing here to welcome Liam McCarthy to the Ennis campus”.
