Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Hackathon 2025: Exploring how to encourage visitors to stay longer and bring more value in the rural parts of our county.
On 30 September 2025, the Interreg Atlantic Areas POST projects Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Hackathon was held at Airfields Estate, Dundrum, Dublin. This half day event brought together stakeholders from across the region to explore the key tourism challenges for the rural parts of the county.
Councilor Jim O’Leary elected Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, opened the proceedings that were hosted by the Atlantic Technological University and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Presentations were given by Dr James Hanrahan from ATU, on the concept of polycentric tourism, Colleen Savage shared top-line findings from a Dublin Mountains Alternative Accommodation value research - by M-CO, Fiona McKenna the Sustainable Destination Development Officer with Clare County Council presented on Clares experiences with polycentric tourism, and Louise McGauran, Senior Planner for DL,R talked about planning considerations in the region.
During the ideation sessions, attendees generated many valuable ideas, which were captured by visual practitioner Ruth Graham. Stakeholders highlighted key challenges, including the need for improved transport, stronger branding and networks, more diverse accommodation options, and streamlined bureaucracy to better support sustainability.