Digital boost for Bailieboro firms

Initiative in conjunction with Dublin City University.

Four Bailieboro businesses are set to benefit from the development of top-class websites through a local initiative.

Fox’s Bar and Restaurant, Bailieboro Courthouse, the Bailie Bookkeeper and Niall McCaul Drapers will each receive state-of-the-art websites through the Town Centre First Initiative in conjunction with Dublin City University.

Delighted to be chosen for the project, Eugene and Edel Fox of Fox’s Bar and Restaurant said: “Hopefully it will help promote the business and what we do every day.”

Fox’s is an award winning gastro bar, offering delicious food, home cooked by Edel, and a friendly bar, run by Eugene. The couple have enjoyed great success through the years, catering for parties and events and offering take away options.

They are hoping the new website will launch them to a new level, making customer experience more seamless with online order options and more. “We don’t really advertise, we’ve never advertised. We have a Facebook page and I’d have to get my daughters to put up something for me every now and then just to let people know that we’re still here. Hopefully it goes out to a bigger audience out there and that they know what we do,” said Ms Fox of her aspirations for the new website.

General Manager of Bailieboro Courthouse, Gabriele Varauskaite, is also delighted to have a website designed free of charge.

“It will just be brilliant. At the moment, the only social media that we have is Facebook, which can only reach a certain amount of people and it’s very limited. I’d love for the website to be able to take bookings.”

Varauskaite believes the new website will let visitors view services online, make bookings and generate publicity and boost tourism in the town.

“It will be a great asset so it will really boost us as a business and then, in turn, it will be great for the town. So, the more people come, the more we will be able to get our name out there, even abroad, the tourism will build up in Bailieboro Town,” detailed Varauskaite of her vision.

The four companies were chosen by Bailieboro Town Regeneration Officer, Caroline Brady, who believes each business will benefit greatly from the opportunity.

“It’s all part of the Town Centre First Initiative and promoting all things digital within Bailieborough,” she explained.

“Currently none of them have an online presence so we’re working with them, in conjunction with DCU, to help them develop a new website and I suppose it’s really to raise the profile of their business, to get them online so that people can come online and buy their goods, services and products online,” detailed Ms Brady of the initiative.

“Some of them use other social media like Facebook and Instagram but this particular initiative with DCU is to set up a new website with each of the businesses. An individual student has been assigned to each business to work with them over the next six months to develop a new website.”

She revealed how feedback from each business has been “really positive” so far.

“They were the first four businesses we approached and they were all really keen to come on board. We have spoken to some others, there’s a bit of reluctance because most people see it as a lot of time to be invested in it, but I suppose they need to look long term and see the benefits that it will reap for them.

“We will use these first four businesses as a pilot for the town and hopefully then they’ll be able to spread the word and more businesses in the town will be interested in coming on board,” concluded Ms Brady.

Daniel Peters, digital lead in Cavan County Council, believes an active website is vital for all businesses.

“We’re busy setting up the digital suite in Cavan to bring it into schools and businesses around Cavan and to get people involved and to get things started”.

He advised all businesses interested in creating a website to get in touch with Cavan County Council and avail of the resources available.