Achill Island, Connaught job announcements 2016
Achill Island, off the coast of County Mayo. Image: Raymond Llewellyn/Shutterstock

More than 2,000 jobs announced in Connacht in 2016

12 Dec 2016

It was a good year for jobseekers in Connacht as more than 2,000 jobs were announced across the region. However, almost two-thirds of these jobs were specific to Galway.

60pc of job announcements in Connacht this year were based in Galway, with the rest scattered around Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Leitrim.

With 2,000 jobs in the western region, more than 1,200 of them were in Galway. However, one of the earliest job announcements of the year came to Mayo, with a boost of 300 thanks to environmental services company, Veolia.

The year saw a steady number of job announcements for the region throughout 2016, with a particular spike in September, which had four separate announcements for Galway, including a nationwide jobs announcement from KPMG, and two more for Mayo.

1. 300 jobs at environmental services company Veolia

French environmental services group Veolia is targeting significant growth in Ireland, announcing 300 jobs as we “transition to a low-carbon economy”.

2. Galway jobs boost as tech businesses merge, creating 100 new roles

A merger between two technology companies in Galway has seen a new entity, Intuity, announce plans for a 100-strong expansion to its workforce.

3. The west’s awake as Mayo software company CBE creates 40 new jobs

Claremorris-headquartered retail tech firm CBE Software is to create 40 new jobs in an R&D-led expansion that will see the company’s workforce expand to 150 people by the end of 2017.

4. Chanelle to create 175 pharma jobs in Galway in €70m investment

Ireland’s largest indigenous pharmaceuticals manufacturer Chanelle Group is to invest €70m in a major manufacturing expansion supported by Enterprise Ireland, which will result in the creation of 175 new jobs in Loughrea, Co Galway.

5. Galway-based medtech firm Alere creating 40 jobs

Alere, a Galway-based medtech firm specialising in medical diagnostics, has announced it is to create 40 jobs at its plant in Ballybrit.

6. New Ipswitch EMEA HQ in Galway to create 60 jobs

IT firm Ipswitch is opening up its EMEA HQ in Galway, with 60 jobs to be created over the next five years. This number represents a major chunk of its global workforce.

7. Roscommon-based MyITdepartment.ie to recruit 10 new staff

In good news for rural Ireland, MyITdepartment.ie has announced it is to hire 10 staff members for its new facility in Athleague, Co Roscommon.

8. Galway jobs boost with 160-strong expansion at Wayfair

Online home decor company Wayfair is dramatically expanding its Galway operations, with a new facility to up its employee count by 160.

9. LotusWorks bringing 100 jobs to Sligo by 2017

Engineering company LotusWorks is adding 100 staff to its 470-strong workforce in Sligo, with 50 to be in place by Christmas.

10. EY opening Galway and Dublin offices – creating 270 jobs

Professional services firm EY is expanding its presence in Ireland with new offices in Dublin and Galway, along with the creation of 270 jobs over the next 12 months.

11. Medical device maker Surmodics to bring 100 new jobs to Galway

Galway’s medical device cluster is to be given a boost with the news that US medical devices company Surmodics is to create 100 new jobs in the region, as part of a €10m investment in R&D.

12. Medtech boon for Galway as Zeltiq creates 60 jobs at new manufacturing facility

Medtech company Zeltiq Aesthetics has today announced the establishment of a European manufacturing facility in Galway, and the creation of 60 new jobs.

13. Mayo sports tech start-up Sportlomo to create 25 new jobs

Mayo-based sports software start-up Sportlomo is to create 25 new jobs, after raising a €270,000 investment round from western-focused angel syndicate WxNW and Enterprise Ireland.

14. DiaNia Technologies to create 20 jobs in Galway after €2m funding

DiaNia Technologies, a medical devices start-up based in Galway, is to create 20 jobs over the next two years, having raised €2m in funding to create catheter-based devices.

15. 60 jobs for Galway as Mota-Engil establishes UK and Ireland HQ

Some 60 jobs are to be created in Loughrea, Co Galway, by subsidiaries of Portuguese multinational Mota-Engil, which is establishing its UK and Ireland HQ in the town.

16. An Spidéal-based Proxy Biomedical adding 35 jobs, €3.5m investment

Medical device company Proxy Biomedical is putting €3.5m into an expansion at its facilities in Galway, with 35 jobs to follow.

17. 100 jobs for Galway as hotel cloud giant SiteMinder checks in

One of Australia’s top 20 tech pioneers, SiteMinder, the leading cloud platform for the hotel industry, is to create 100 new jobs in Galway.

18. Jazz bang on tune with €50m, 50-job expansion in Roscommon

Roscommon is the home of Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ latest Irish site, with a €50m facility to house 50 new employees over the next three years.

19. New Leitrim VistaMed facility to create 163 jobs by 2018

Leitrim has received a significant jobs boost with news that the medical devices manufacturer VistaMed is to create 163 jobs there, with the opening of its new facility in Carrick-on-Shannon.

20. Coca-Cola creates 25 Mayo jobs to put fizz into internet of things

Coca-Cola is to create 25 new jobs at its Ballina plant, which will become the first production site outside the US for the drinks company’s Freestyle technology.

21. KPMG to create 200 new permanent roles, plus 300 grad jobs, in Ireland

It has emerged that professional services firm KPMG is to create 200 new jobs over the next 12 months, and it will also recruit 300 graduates.

22. Numbers add up as Galway to get 50 new jobs in MathWorks investment

MathWorks, a mathematical computing software maker for engineers and scientists, is to create 50 jobs at a new location in Galway.

23. Medtech firm Fort Wayne Metals to create 40 jobs in Mayo

Fort Wayne Metals, a company that develops wiring and components for medical devices, has announced it is to expand its production facility in Castlebar, Co Mayo, with the creation of 40 jobs.

24. Medtech player SMT to create 50 jobs at Galway HQ

50 new roles at SMT in Galway headquarters will include a state-of-the-art R&D and innovation centre.

25. Oil and gas company Wood Group brings 10 data jobs to Galway

Wood Group, a company that services the oil and gas industry, has established a new data analytics centre of excellence at its Galway office.

26. Aviva opens new digital hub creating 50 jobs in Galway

Aviva is insuring itself against future change as it announces plans to create 50 jobs at its Galway office, as part of a new internal digital hub.

27. MetLife to open new global tech campus in Galway creating 200 jobs

Insurance giant MetLife has announced plans to expand its Irish operation with the opening of a new global technology campus in Galway, creating 200 jobs in the process.

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Jenny Darmody
By Jenny Darmody

Jenny Darmody became the editor of Silicon Republic in 2023, having worked as the deputy editor since February 2020. When she’s not writing about the science and tech industry, she’s writing short stories and attempting novels. She continuously buys more books than she can read in a lifetime and pretty stationery is her kryptonite. She also believes seagulls to be the root of all evil and her baking is the stuff of legends.

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