After 20 years of campaigning, Tipperary is finally able to boast a third-level institution which incorporates new technologies with the county's rural aspect.
The Tipperary Rural Business Development Institute (TRBDI) is an unwieldy acronym, but the name represents the college's mission to stimulate economic growth outside the cities by fostering a decentralised Small to Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) culture.
Physically, the college has managed to represent both ends of the county. There is a 4,000 sq. m campus in Thurles in North Riding, officially opened by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, yesterday, and a 2,000 sq. m campus in Clonmel in South Riding, which was opened by Minister of State, Mr Noel Davern. "What we have experienced in rural areas for a long time is a movement of population to the bigger centres, and population retention is vital for the survival of rural communities," the TRBDI's chief executive, Mr Padraig Culbert, said.
He wants Tipperary to be an information-age county, creating jobs for graduates in their own communities. He said 90 per cent of Irish businesses were SMEs.
"The overall thrust of TRBDI is to contribute to rural development, to enhance the quality of life of people in rural areas by contributing to economic, social and cultural development."
The college, which is in the middle of its first academic year, has about 200 students. This number will increase to about 800 as courses in computing, business studies and sustainable rural development develop.
Mr Culbert said the option of a software development course aimed at rural development would bring the information superhighway to Tipperary. "That is something that does not need a four-lane highway. It is something that is relatively independent of physical infrastructure," he said.
The campuses were established at a cost of £22 million and are run by a limited company with the Minister for Education the sole shareholder.
"It was intended from the beginning to be something different. It is a one-off. The Government's hope is that it would be a model that could be implemented throughout Europe for the integration of third-level education with business and rural development."