More To Life - Nathalie is living the best life in Mayo

LAST month the Western Development Commission launched a new campaign called ‘More to Life’ to showcase the growing number of career and lifestyle opportunities available in the west of Ireland. With more people working remotely because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the WDC believes now is the time for people to make a permanent and viable move to the west.

Today the Commission has released the second video in the campaign series, featuring Nathalie Moyano who moved to Foxford from Dublin in March and is now enjoying the fruits of working remotely with a more relaxed pace of life.

Born in France, Nathalie moved to Ireland in 2002 and spent years commuting from Wicklow to the city centre. She moved to Mayo on the first day of lockdown and found herself surrounded by woodlands, beautiful riverside walks and stunning gardens at a time when many people were confined to city apartments with no access to open spaces.

She now lives and works in the converted stables of Coolcronan House, formerly the home of the Earl of Limerick, on the banks of the river Moy.

Said Nathalie: “I quit my corporate job and decided to set up as a sole trader providing language services. I also work part-time as a contractor on the basis that going to Dublin for meetings is an exception, rather than a regular thing.

“I wasn’t set on any location but the west appealed to me as it isn’t too far from Dublin for airports. My first introduction to Ireland was through Galway so I had always thought I would move west at some point but I thought it would have to be after I retire.

“Remote working has offered so many opportunities,” says the founder of Moytilingual, a company that provides language and consulting services.

As well as the new More To Life campaign, the WDC has launched a new website https://westerndevelopment.ie/ to showcase the resources and supports available for those looking for a new role, to work remotely or those thinking of starting a new a business.

As part of the campaign, the WDC is launching a new platform to help attract talent for hard to fill roles across all sectors. This Talent Tool will allow job seekers to register for alerts on new roles and give companies information on talent looking to move west.

The WDC believes this will help attract more investment from companies and also showcase the range of roles available across the region.

Commenting on the campaign, Western Development Commission CEO Tomás Ó Síocháin, said: “The phrase ‘More to Life’ has never been more true and now is the time for the west of Ireland, one of Europe’s great regions, to write a bold new chapter. Out of adversity comes opportunity and the west of Ireland has a big opportunity to renew and reinvigorate itself. There are now an unprecedented number of career options in the west, some of them caused by the unexpected events of 2020 and the global pandemic.

“We also enjoy much more affordable living costs which means money goes further and people can enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle for themselves and their families. There is More to Life and we hope our campaign will clearly show people that to be the case.”

View video here: https://vimeo.com/458723171