Irish Tech News Audio Articles

Esri Ireland, the market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), has announced that Waterways Ireland has developed an interactive digital map exploring the rich heritage of the Grand Canal. The map, titled A Boatman's Journey, brings the public on an immersive storytelling experience across Ireland, from Dublin's docks in the east to Shannon Harbour in the west. It was built using Esri's ArcGIS technology.

Waterways Ireland is responsible for restoring, developing, and promoting over 1,100 kilometres of inland waterways across Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Grand Canal, completed in 1804, was a marvel of engineering and a crucial artery for trade and passengers.

The interactive map charts a boatman's virtual journey along the 130-kilometre-long waterway, travelling on a barge which was designed specifically for the Grand Canal in 1925. Beginning at Dublin's bustling docklands, the boatman navigates a variety of locks, bridges, and aqueducts, as well as landmarks such as the Guinness Brewery. Leaving the urban landscape behind, the barge travels over the Bog of Allen, and through towns including Edenderry and Tullamore, before reaching its final destination of Shannon Harbour.

Along the way, users can click on points to reveal information and links to fascinating historical documents, old photos, oral histories, amusing verbal anecdotes, 3D animations, and video clips relating specifically to each location. Presenting material mainly derived from the Waterways Ireland archive in an engaging format, the public can learn about how the canal was built, what life was like for workers on board the barges, and gain a new appreciation for the colourful history and vibrant present of the canal. It also helps people to develop stronger connections to the waterway in relation to their local communities and their own family histories.

As well as a cultural voyage through history, A Boatman's Journey is also serving as an invaluable educational resource and Waterways Ireland has created lesson plans for teachers that link the map to the school curriculum. The map can continue to be expanded with new and additional content into the future and Waterways Ireland plans to develop further digital stories using Esri's ArcGIS technology relating to the other waterways it manages.

Martina McCarthy, Heritage Officer, Waterways Ireland, said: "ArcGIS has undoubtedly enabled us to bring Ireland's Grand Canal heritage to a wider audience. People who might not otherwise engage with heritage information are really intrigued by the map and quickly become caught up in the narrative. The map enables people to visualise where events took place in their communities and improves their sense of connection with the local heritage on their doorstep. It immerses citizens in what it was like to work on the canal a hundred years ago and, in particular, it is amazing to see how the story draws young people in and gives them a new appreciation of their local waterways."

Patricia Cleary, Lifelong Learning Programme Lead, Esri Ireland, said: "Esri Ireland's collaboration with Waterways Ireland demonstrates the transformative potential of ArcGIS technology in bringing stories to life. Additionally, the initiative promotes continuous learning via a rich, map-based storytelling experience. The map presents the material in a new and engaging way, making it easier for audiences to explore and understand the rich data and unique heritage facilities of Waterways Ireland.

"As Waterways Ireland continues to boost public interest in the Grand Canal, the map will be pivotal in bridging the gap between past and future generations. As manager of the ArcGIS for Schools Programme, I highlight this StoryMap and other Waterways Ireland educational resources to the teachers I work with who find it easy to use and engage the students in. We look forward to continuing to build our relationship with Waterways Ireland into the future."

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OxygenCare, a leading Irish medical device distributor with over 54 years of experience supporting anaesthesia and critical care, has announced the Irish launch of the GE Carestation 850 Anaesthesia Delivery System at the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland (CAI) Annual Congress, held in O'Reilly Hall, UCD.

The launch marks a significant milestone in OxygenCare's long-standing partnership with Irish healthcare, reflecting more than five decades of innovation supporting clinicians, from early gas delivery systems to today's connected, data-driven care environments.

As the exclusive Irish distributor for GE HealthCare's anaesthesia portfolio, OxygenCare is introducing the GE Carestation 850 as a Digital for Care-ready platform, aligned with the HSE's evolving digital infrastructure, including the One Health Record (National EHR), NIMIS, and future integrated care systems.

"The theme of this year's CAI Congress, 'The Evolution of Anaesthesia and Critical Care', perfectly reflects our journey," said Maurice Moran, Managing Director, OxygenCare. "For over 50 years, we have enabled Irish clinicians to deliver safer, more effective care as technology has evolved. The GE Carestation 850 represents the next step: advanced clinical performance combined with seamless digital integration, fully aligned with HSE Digital for Care standards. We are proud to launch it here among the clinicians shaping the future of anaesthesia in Ireland."

Designed for Ireland's Digital Healthcare Ecosystem

The GE Carestation 850 is built as a fully connected medical device, supporting the transition from paper-based workflows to a data-driven, integrated perioperative environment.

Key Digital Features include:

Interoperability by Design: Simplifying connections to other medical devices and to hospital networks. Real-time data transmission can be configured to automatically send important physiological, machine and service data to various clients simultaneously.

Integrated Care Connectivity: Bi-directional data exchange with Shared Care Record and future Community Care Record.

Cybersecurity Framework: Future-ready: Extra computing power to accommodate smart tools and features.

AI-Ready Architecture: Supports future decision tools such as predictive alerts and ventilation optimisation.

Advanced Clinical Performance

The GE Carestation 850 is engineered to support the evolving demands of anaesthesia and critical care:

Advanced ventilation modes for both low-flow and high-flow anaesthetic techniques.

High-resolution touchscreen interface for intuitive operation and rapid clinical decision-making.

Efficient vapouriser and gas management systems.

Native integration with anaesthesia information systems and hospital PAS.

End-tidal control (Et Control) Automatically adjusts fresh gas flows to maintain EtO2 and EtAA targets.

The new GE Carestation 850 is a platform for today and for the future – engineered with digital architecture that supports ongoing software innovations while delivering advanced clinical performance combined with seamless digital integration.The system will be displayed at the CAI Congress, continuing OxygenCare's long-standing commitment to engage directly with Ireland's anaesthesia community.

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An Irish local gift card provider has achieved prestigious Guaranteed Irish accreditation, demonstrating its commitment to powering local communities.

Town & City Gift Cards was awarded the accreditation by Guaranteed Irish in recognition of its work supporting communities across Ireland through its growing network of 16 local gift card programs.

The local gift cards are branded to specific Irish towns and cities, and designed to amplify the local offering, drive in-person sales and lock spend into local communities. Town & City Gift Cards can be spent with a wide range of local businesses including shops, restaurants, hotels, attractions, salons and services, including big brands and independent businesses.

Delivered by fintech Miconex, over €17.4m in gift card sales was achieved across the Irish Town & City Gift Cards network in 2025, set to drive an estimated 335,000 visits to high streets this year.

Town & City Gift Cards are popular for consumer gifts and corporate rewards with an estimated 65% of 2025 sales from organisations purchasing local gift cards for employees. Miconex introduced digital and a dedicated corporate site in 2024 to enable organisations to easily reward their staff with local gift cards.

The Guaranteed Irish accreditation for Miconex follows the January 2026 announcement of the Town & City Gift Cards initiative as the recommended local gift card program for Chambers Ireland members.

In addition to supporting Irish chambers, local authorities and business improvement districts to deliver local spend for their business communities, the Guaranteed Irish accreditation recognises Miconex's position as a 'shop local' champion in the country.

Melissa Cowman, membership manager at Guaranteed Irish, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Miconex as one of the 2,500 businesses licensed as Guaranteed Irish members, recognising its commitment to jobs, community, provenance and sustainability."

Colin Munro, CEO of Miconex, said: "It is a proud moment for Miconex to receive this stamp of approval as a Guaranteed Irish business, reflecting the commitment of the Irish Town & City Gift Cards network to make local shopping the first choice, keeping money locked into Irish communities that would otherwise be spent online or outside of the country. Increasingly, organisations across Ireland are looking for a local option to reward their people where their reward spend also benefits the local economy. A Town & City Gift Card is the ultimate 'shop local' gift card, blending unbeatable local choice with unrivalled support for local."

Mark Cunningham, business development manager for Miconex Ireland, said: "Guaranteed Irish is the national symbol of trust that helps consumers and businesses choose products and services that are better for their community. Town & City Gift Cards is the leading local gift card provider in Ireland, and becoming a Guaranteed Irish member adds reassurance for our clients, customers and partners that they are choosing a gift card that powers Irish business communities."

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More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news

If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience.

You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

As Chartered Accountants Ireland surpasses 40,000 members, it has today published a new position paper on the future of AI and accountancy. The largest professional body on the island of Ireland is calling on Government to invest in AI-ready infrastructure, strengthen supports for SME adoption and embed AI skills and literacy across the education system.

The position paper was launched alongside Deputy Malcolm Byrne T.D., Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence.

Accountants as trusted advisors

The paper argues that in an AI-driven economy, accountants will play an increasingly important role as trusted business leaders providing governance, ethical oversight and assurance. While the paper acknowledges that AI will bring change to how the profession operates, it reinforces – rather than diminishes – the role accountants play in supporting robust, accountable decision-making.

The Institute also challenges the narrative that accountants are at risk of being replaced by AI, highlighting instead how the profession is evolving alongside the technology. It emphasises that accountants must take a leading role in implementing AI within finance functions, ensuring systems are deployed responsibly, controls are robust, and outputs can be trusted.

Rosemary Keogh, CEO, Chartered Accountants Ireland said

"There is a common belief that AI will replace accountants, but the evidence simply doesn't support that. It reflects a misunderstanding of what modern accountants actually do. AI is automating routine, rules-based work and most accountants welcome that. It frees them up to focus on higher-value roles like strategy, risk and decision making.

"The AI economy will run on trust. While AI can process extraordinary volumes of data, automate complex tasks, and generate insights at unprecedented speed, trust in those outputs depends on human oversight, ethical judgement and professional accountability. As AI systems become more widely used, the need for trusted financial information will only grow – and this is where accountants add real value."

Accountants are already using AI across audit, reporting and advisory services, with recent research by Chartered Accountants Worldwide pointing to strong enthusiasm across the profession. 85% of respondents indicated a willingness to use AI tools in their work, with the younger generation overwhelmingly open to using these tools at 91%. The new position paper aims to provide leadership and clarity on how accountants can use the technology responsibly and effectively.

Government policy needed to support AI adoption

Chartered Accountants Ireland is calling for Government to support responsible AI adoption in several ways, noting that AI matters not just for accountants, but for Ireland.

The paper sets out several recommendations, including:

SMEs need to be supported on their AI journey – Supports from Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices, and others need to be more accessible, and SMEs and their workforces given the opportunity to become AI literate cost-effectively.

Investment in AI-ready infrastructure – For AI to work effectively, Ireland requires an underlying infrastructure that is strong, sustainable, and resilient. From data centres to electricity generation and investments in the national grid, the rightfoundations are needed to optimise the use of AI.

Leading on EU simplification and AI regulation – During its upcoming EU Presidency, Ireland has a unique opportunity to lead on the EU's digital simplification package. Ireland should focus on ensuring regulations are proportionate for businesses and promoting the development of guidance and tools that enable businesses to apply AI productively and responsibly.

Embedding AI literacy in education – courses in secondary schools and in further and higher education need to be adapted so that all young people are AI literate and aware of the technology's benefits, opportunities, and dangers.

ACA syllabus world-leading in tec...

Applications are now open for the September 2026 cohort of the Digital4Business Joint Professional Master's Degree in Advanced Digital Technologies for Business.

For this intake, successful applicants will pay no tuition or registration fees, thanks to co-funding from the European Union and the Digital4Business consortium. The programme gives learners the opportunity to complete a fully online, internationally accredited Master's designed around the digital skills businesses need most, including artificial intelligence, data science, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and digital transformation.

Digital4Business has a strong Irish connection. National College of Ireland is one of the four higher education institutions delivering the programme, alongside Linköping University in Sweden, NOVA IMS in Portugal, and the University of Bologna in Italy. NCI is also overseeing the validation and accreditation of programmes, while Professor Horacio González-Vélez of NCI is the overall Digital4Business coordinator. Irish organisations Skillnet Ireland and Digital Technology Skills are also members of the consortium.

Apply now for Digital4Business online master's

The project was originally launched at National College of Ireland, with Irish Government representatives welcoming the initiative and its role in developing advanced digital skills for Europe's workforce. At the launch, then Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, addressed the event by video message, welcoming the collaboration of higher education institutions, research centres, training providers and industry partners.

"We are always stronger together, especially when we harness pan-European cooperation," he said.

Dara Calleary, then Minister of State for Trade Promotion and Digital Transformation, also attended the launch at NCI and highlighted the importance of digital technologies for Ireland's economic progress and talent development.

Study built around real life

Digital4Business has been designed for recent graduates, managers, and ambitious professionals who want to build advanced digital skills without stepping away from work.

While the programme follows a full-time structure, classes take place in the evening, making it a realistic option for people balancing full-time jobs, family life, and other commitments. Learners complete a 60 ECTS Master's over two semesters in one academic year, fully online.

Career support built into the programme

Alongside academic delivery, Digital4Business places a strong focus on community, career progression, and practical support.

Students have access to employability webinars, one-to-one coaching, mentoring, peer exchange, and career-focused sessions covering CV development, networking, interview performance, communication, and leading through digital change.

Wider support also includes industry engagement, work-based learning, and networking opportunities, helping students feel connected to both peers and the professional world.

Student experience

Current student Grace Rubinger said:

"Balancing the programme with work and family life takes structure and consistency. I usually watch lectures twice a week and set aside additional time for readings and assignments. That steady rhythm helps me stay engaged without becoming overwhelmed."

Current student Luis Pereira said:

"Between the introductions and discussions, you quickly realise everyone comes from different backgrounds but is dealing with the same challenge of balancing work, life, and study. That shared experience makes it feel more like a group than studying alone."

Supporting strategic digital careers

The combination of academic learning, practical application, and career support is central to Digital4Business. The programme was developed to help learners build technical knowledge, confidence, and the strategic perspective needed to apply digital technologies in real business contexts.

For graduates, professionals, and managers lo...