Finalists: Newcomer
Ardara – Using voice activated technology to open a new world to residents in sheltered housing
After broadband was installed in the sheltered housing complex in 2022, all 29 apartments and the public areas were provided with a smart screen/speaker Amazon Echo. This has opened a world of opportunity to residents, particularly as it uses voice activated technology which is easier for older residents than typing. Residents use it for viewing funerals, wedding and church services online; to set reminders from the mundane to the important – from watering flowers to medication times; creating shopping lists; and making video calls or participating in an online singing circle. Residents are delighted with the new world digital has opened up for them.
Athlone – Digital TV station for the Polish community
Polish TV has created a pioneering opportunity to use digital technology to tell the stories of the community in a modern way. It has over 50 recordings and live streams available on the internet channel which provides informative programmes for Polish migrants, consisting of interviews with experts who talk about various aspects of Irish civil society.
Boher – Let’s all code together
All things digital have been embraced in Boher by introducing inclusive, creative coding for children and their families in the community digital hub and in the primary school. It allows people learn new skills in a collaborative and fun way.
Drumcondra – Empowering the sight loss community through sport
This project created a fully featured website, with e-commerce, to encourage visually impaired to participate in sport. One of the main objectives is to promote accessible sports and provide access to sports, coaches, trainers and training plans. The website is mobile friendly, supports the use of assistive technology and is conforms to the highest website accessibility standards. It streamlines donations, facilitates e-commerce and payment processing. It has created ‘unnoticeable accessibility’.
Kilkenny city – Digital Engagement App for Ireland’s historic town centres
A digital mapping App showcases the layers of built and spatial data for Kilkenny. It combines the city’s fragmented geospatial data into an easy-to-use digital platform. #EngageKilkenny is a digital, public engagement platform which enables engagement with Kilkenny’s historic core. An inter-generational oral history component is planned, along with the ability for people to upload rich social history information.
Mountbellew – Mountbellew Smart Villages – digital transformation of a town
The aim of the project is to drive digital transformation of the village. It will build on existing local organisations and create new community supports using digital resources to promote inclusion and resilience. This includes use of social media to raise awareness and keep people informed; a new website; a 24/7 Digital Events Screen and a Grow Remote Chapter.
Portumna – Digital recording of family histories for future generations
An App named StoryWell is in development. It will give the gift of stories to future generations using an intuitive, interactive interface. It will help families capture their best memories, experiences, customs and traditions so they can be enjoyed by future generations. Some of the key features of the App are the ability to record; a transcription tool; the ability to upload photos and videos; social media integration; tagging files for easy retrieval; and the ability to create playlists and a mapping tool.
Truagh – Using digital tools to deliver a community services programme
Truagh Spirit is a community services programme based in rural Monaghan. Before Covid, services were delivered face-to-face. The impact of the pandemic meant they had to completely rethink their model and use digital options to reduce social isolation and loneliness. This included WhatsApp groups, Zoom or Teams for meetings and video chats, Facebook for sharing images and news, and a remote study hub for students who had poor broadband at home. Digital has opened a whole new range of possibilities which the community plans to build on.