Draft:Glenshane Community Development Limited

Glenshane Community Development Limited (GCD Ltd.) is a company in Dungiven, Northern Ireland that promotes rural regeneration in the Glenshane area and its environs, an area of social and economic deprivation. Their impact includes the creation of almost 500 jobs by GCDL and their tenant enterprises as at March 2023 in addition to indirect employment in a town with a population of 2,022 (2011)

History
The company was incorporated on 10 October 1989.

Economic development
Glenshane Community Development Limited provide affordable rentable workspace to encourage businesses to start up and create jobs. The Board of Directors and key staff of GCD Ltd. are regionally and nationally recognised for their work in economic rural development. This includes speaking at various conferences, including the Rural Development Conference for the Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales regions of the UK where they held the workshop on Enterprise and Employment. They have also contributed to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on “The All-Island Economy".

Social development
In Glenshane House, GCD Ltd. offers a free, confidential and independent advice service covering a variety of topics including welfare benefits, housing rights, discrimination, employment, immigration and consumer issues. It also offers a warm space for those who need it

The North West Regional College delivers a number of outreach courses within Glenshane Community Development Limited's premises. These cover vocational, hobby and academic interests.

GCD Ltd. rent Dungiven Castle to Gaelcholaiste Dhoire, only the second Irish language post primary school in NI. The Winding Roe magazine headquarters for the twenty years that it existed were located in the offices of Glenshane Community Development Limited

Environmental development
Dungiven Castle is a historic building located in Dungiven. When it fell into such a state of disrepair, Limavady Borough Council bought it with plans to demolish it. However, the local community initiated a campaign to save it from destruction and Glenshane Community Development Limited subsequently acquired the castle. They then set about restoring it. In addition to investing its own money, Glenshane Community Development Limited secured funding from various bodies including Heritage Lottery Fund, International Fund for Ireland, EU Leader Programme, Limavady Borough Council and DoE Historical Monuments to restore Dungiven Castle. The Castle has now been leased to Gaelcholaiste Dhoire since 2015.

Glenshane Community Development Limited developed Dungiven Castle Environmental Park from 1994-1997. The 22 acres of landscaped grounds are open to public and access is free. The park has a range of activities for visitors including a Victorian Garden, two urban walks, a duck pond and woodlands. The park is home to the "Rory Dall O’Cahan and the Lament of the O’Cahan Harp" sculpture by Eleanor Wheeler and Alan Cargo. This sculpture was commissioned by Limavady Borough Council and funded by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board in 2013.

It follows a previous sculpture series commissioned by GCD Ltd. Three sculptures depict the story of Finvola O'Cahan and were carved by renowned Irish artist Emily McCullagh from Dublin. It depicted Grainne Rua, the banshee of the O'Cahon clan, lamenting the death of Finvola; Finvola in the arms of her Scottish lover, Angus; and her three brothers going to search for their sister.