Out in the windy bogs of the "Irish national technology park", CityWest, building continues at a furious pace (way) off the Naas Road. The area now promises to become as attractive architecturally as Silicon Valley, as tech company after tech company throws up variations on the basic, San Jose-style concrete box punctuated by green or bluetinted windows.

And one of those nearly-completed boxes, says a source, is none other than the State's first "telehouse". Translated from techie jargon, it's the site where all that fat, "broadband" highspeed Internet connectivity will roar in from the Global Crossing transatlantic cable, then be sent back out to the happy e-businesses of the Republic by a range of other network operators. Now all we need are earthquakes, a surfboard manufacturer and a decent source of latte to become true West Coast wannabes.