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15th Jun 2019

Arranmore writes open letter asking people to come live there

Carl Kinsella

Arranmore

Your new home?

The people of Arranmore are looking for people from abroad to come and live on their island to stem the decline of the population.

Currently, the population stands at 469, of which just 22% are currently employed. The island was recently equipped with high-speed broadband in order to tempt remote workers there.

Now, residents of the Gaeltacht island near Donegal have written open letters to the people of the United States and Australia in an appeal for them to consider relocating to Arranmore. A ferry travels between Arranmore and the mainland each day.

The letter addressed to Australia refers to several residents of the island by name: “We’ve a whole host of multi-talented people here, ready to collaborate. There’s Jessie, a graphic designer, Neil, a mobile games developer, Matt, an app developer and Elaine, a photographer.”

The letter also sells prospective newcomers on the short commute, noting that “no matter where you are, your commute will only be five minutes.” It is just 22km squared in size. The island is also home to three schools.

Secluded beaches and Guinness on tap are also part of the pitch for the island trying to rejuvenate itself.

Anyone interested in taking Arranmore up on the offer can contact them through Facebook.