Shuttered windows, faded ‘To Let’ signs and main streets that go silent after 6pm: it is a picture familiar to anyone who lives in or drives through small-town Ireland. Now the Government says it wants to do something about it, with a plan to turn empty shopfronts in 26 towns into new local businesses.
The proposal comes from Alan Dillon, the Minister of State with responsibility for retail. Under the plan, known as ‘Vacant to Vibrant’ according to Highland Radio, local authorities, town regeneration officers and Local Enterprise Offices would work together to pair vacant premises with the kinds of businesses each community is missing.
Anyone who takes on one of those units would be offered practical help, including business advice, financial mentoring and marketing support, RTÉ reported. The stated goals are more footfall on main streets and jobs that last.
“Empty shopfronts do not create jobs, attract visitors, or support local communities,” Mr Dillon said, according to RTÉ.
The full list: is your town in?
The scheme will initially focus on 26 designated towns. They are: Tullow, Bailieborough, Sixmilebridge, Skibbereen, Milford, Lusk, Gort, Milltown (Co Kerry), Clane, Urlingford, Rathdowney, Carrick-on-Shannon, Abbeyfeale, Longford, Dunleer, Killala, Enfield, Carrickmacross, Clara, Strokestown, Tubbercurry, Roscrea, Portlaw, Moate, New Ross and Blessington.
Look closely and a pattern emerges: the list appears to include one town from each of the 26 counties in the Republic, from Milford in Donegal to Skibbereen in west Cork. Most are smaller market towns rather than big regional centres, the kind of places that have felt the squeeze from online shopping, out-of-town retail parks and rising costs.
What it could mean for Gort and the west
For our readers, the headline name is Gort, the only Co Galway town on the list. The south Galway town sits on the main route between Galway city and Limerick, and its inclusion means it will be among the first places to test whether the approach works.
The west is well represented more broadly. Killala in Co Mayo, Tubbercurry in Co Sligo, Strokestown in Co Roscommon and Carrick-on-Shannon in Co Leitrim are all included, as is Sixmilebridge in Co Clare.
For local people, the practical upside could be new shops, cafés or services opening in buildings that have sat idle, and more reasons to spend money locally rather than drive to the nearest city. For would-be business owners, the promise of mentoring and marketing help could lower the risk of taking on a premises for the first time.
The big unanswered questions
There is plenty we do not yet know. Neither RTÉ nor Highland Radio reported any funding figure for the scheme, a start date, or how long it will run. It is also described as a proposal, so details could change before anything is rolled out.
Key questions for the towns involved include whether there will be grants or rent supports for new tenants, how property owners will be persuaded to bring units back into use, and how success will be measured. Those answers will decide whether ‘Vacant to Vibrant’ becomes a genuine lifeline or another well-meaning pilot.
What happens next
Local authorities and Local Enterprise Offices in the 26 towns are expected to play the lead role in identifying empty premises and what each community needs. If you run a business, are thinking of starting one, or own an empty unit in one of the listed towns, your Local Enterprise Office is the obvious first port of call once the scheme opens.
Connemara Journal will follow up on what the plan means for Gort, and whether more towns in Galway could be added if the first phase goes well.
Sources
- RTÉ News: Plan to turn empty shopfronts into new local businesses (2 November 2026)
- Highland Radio: Milford to be included in new ‘Vacant to Vibrant’ scheme (2 November 2026)
Featured image: Gort – Bridge Street by Jonathan Billinger, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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