History

Bárd na nGleann Teo (Bárd) is a leading provider of information management and Irish language services that specialises in outsourcing. Bárd was established in 1999 by Tom Fitzgerald, and was launched in March 2002 by Brian Crowley, MEP. Bárd’s main office is in Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh in the Cork Gaeltacht, with satellite offices in Corca Dhuibhne in the Kerry Gaeltacht and Ballincollig, County Cork.

Bárd’s President, Tom Fitzgerald, has performed consultancy in the US, Canada, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and Ireland. He managed a worldwide data communications-training department for BT with training carried out on four continents using both instructor-based and distance-learning methodologies. He designed an IT network for Bord na Gaeilge. Tom also had a business in partnership with the National University of Ireland, and is currently working with a university in Nova Scotia to set up an online language-training course. He has had teleworking employees as far back as 1990 and has extensive experience with output management. Tom has an MSc from the University of London in International Marketing and Management and is a Sloan Fellow of London Business School. He is also an active member of Toastmasters International.

Bárd was named Cork SME Company of the Year by Cork Chamber of Commerce in 2004, was ranked as the 5th fastest growing technology company in Ireland in the Deloitte Fast 50 in 2005 and ranked as the 80th fastest growing technology company in the Deloitte Fast 500 EMEA. The company was also named as Cork Leading employer in 2006 and the leading employer in Munster in 2007. Litriocht.com, one of Bárd Gaelic language business units won a Golden Spider Award in November of this year for the best e-commerce site in Ireland.