Beara Info - 3 years old - Thank you to all my Readers and helpers

On June 3rd 2000, the BearaInfo website was launched by Cllr. Noel Harrington at Cametringane Hotel (then the Ford Ri) as a project undertaken by Development Officer with Beara Action Group - Mary Martin-Sullivan - me! This position was funded by Fás - as part of a 3 year scheme.  The site was originally designed by Terry Byrne and  following numerous visits to him and a crash course in Web Design - I was on my own - with tremendous support from Terry I must add - thank you Terry!  However, by December of that year - the funding for all the FAS Schemes similar to the one I was under -  was pulled (thanks to Mary Harney) - result - no job for me.  However, because the website was also publishing local weekly news - Beara people all around the world were already contacting me by email or messages in Guest Book saying how delighted they were to be able to keep in contact with the 'goings on' at home.  So, with  time on my hands - I continued to publish the news section as a hobby - with the help of John Murphy - the 103FM Correspondent and Beara Action Group who type up the announcements for me each week, Bernie & Pauline in Bere Island Project Office and the people who contribute news articles (too few still though).  Beyond all expectations - the number of 'hits' is currently at 99,257.  It was originally hoped for a monthly readership of approx. 1,000 - that was with on-going marketing.  Very little was spent on marketing - the main one being the sending out by local Beara People of business cards - supplied to them by Beara Action Group - giving the website address at Xmas 2000 - to be sent to their friends and family abroad in their Christmas Cards.  This worked - hence the no. of readers each week - anything from 600 - 800.  I try my utmost to update on a weekly basis - but it isn't possible at times - I have a life outside this website - even though some people may think differently - my family for instance - I am constantly in front of my computer or behind my camera.  The digital camera - a treasured gift - was given to me in late July 2000 and made my life much easier - and cheaper also.  I also did more Web Design Courses - making my life a little simpler.

Because of the tremendous interest and no. visitors to the website - this has a spin-off in that it is now very easily picked up by Search Engines - with the people advertising their businesses on site benefitting - especially the Accommodation Section.  A nominal fee is charged to host these web-pages (I must pay my phone-bills - which can be quite substantial at times) and those who are with me are very pleased with the traffic they receive as a result.  A very small fee is charged to those who have their own website for a link and even smaller if they have a reciprocal link.  With Beara Action Group - I am currently working on a business directory (a much bigger project that I expected) and it will be finished - sometime.  I am also redesigning the website at present - nothing major - from Frontpage to Dreamweaver, which should be easier on the eye for people with different computers and monitor resolutions. It takes time!

All that is left for me to say is THANK YOU ALL for tuning in each week, thanks again to John Murphy, Bernie and Pauline and to the committee and staff of Beara Action Group.  Please, please send me on news items - news@bearainfo.com - photos with text preferably or hand them into the Beara Action Group Office.  Photos can be collected when finished with.  Please continue to log on - should reach the 100,000 very soon - and bear with me when the news is not updated.  For the record - there will be no news published during the last 2 weeks of June - taking a break!!