Stuff going on in Ireland today

Here’s just a few of the pages I’ve bookmarked while browsing this morning:

Unemployment rises

Brian Lenihan is gone to hospital

10 ways to save on your home heating oil

Damien Mulley’s Daily Links of course

Pity Stephen Ireland wouldn’t help apply his obvious knowledge to the international field

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myguideIreland – create Ireland Vacations where you pick your destination & are your own tour guide

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Apprentice Ireland 2009 won by Steve Rayner

30 year old Steve Rayner saw off the challenge of Stephen Higgin to be crowned the winner of TV3’s Apprentice 2009. Steve overcame the considerable challenge from Stephen in a marketing oriented task to organise the launch of the new Ford Fiesta.

Steve came to Ireland in 2005 to look after his ailing grandparents in Cork. Having left the music industry in the UK, he found himself in sales; an area he’d never worked in before. He quickly found his feet and soon began to outpace his colleagues and prove himself to be an exceptional salesman. Within four months of joining Eircom he was promoted to Regional Sales Manager, and eventually moved up to being a consultant.

In 2008 Steve left the comfort of Eircom to join fledging telecoms company Imagine, as their senior business development manager.   He felt that he never had any real business mentor. Both his parents are school teachers so he doesn’t come from a business background.

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn named Ireland’s new EU commissioner

Former Galway TD, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn has been named as the Irish Government’s nominee for appointment to the next European Commission.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen said ‘Ms. Geoghegan-Quinn “has been an exemplary Member of the European Court of Auditors for the past nine years and, prior to that, held a number of key Ministerial positions in the Irish Government.”

The announcement ends months of speculation on how Mr Cowen would avoid weakening his Dáil majority while still appointing a high calibre candidate to the EU post.

Voting for JEdward on XFactor from Ireland

Firstly to avoid any wild accusations, I’m not a fan of John & Edward and I may regret this. But let it not be that they go out of the competition just because people think they can’t get votes from Ireland.

While it pops up during the show that viewers from ROI can’t vote, there is a way!!

The way is VOIP! Voice over internet protocol routes the call over the internet to the destination country. If you want to vote for or against John&Edward, then it’s easy.

sign up to a UK VOIP provider like voiptalk.org
The call is carried by VOIP to the UK and ‘enters’ the conventional phone system from the UK so is registered as a UK originating call. I have tested this and it works!

Try it! See the rates here: http://www.voiptalk.org/products/view-tariff.php#standard

It probably also works with ‘Skype Out’ if you register a UK number but I haven’t tested it

Irish Hotel Industry – A Major study

A very interesting and comprehensive study of  hotels in Ireland with focus on over capacity was launched yesterday. The study was undertaken by Peter bacon on behalf of the Irish Hotel foundation. The following is the headline that the IHF put on their press release:

Major and chaotic shakeout predicted – 25% of Hotel Rooms need to be closed down – The Sector taken in its entirety is Insolvent”

 The study was summarised as follows in the statement:

Tourism is a major industry in Ireland generating considerable value in terms of exports, employment and tax revenues.

Crosshaven – Ireland’s busiest Lifeboat

The Crosshaven Lifeboat was the busiest RNLI Inshore lifeboat in the Republic of Ireland this summer with 15 calls for help.

Statistics released for the summer period of June, July and August showed Crosshaven Lifeboat as the busiest RNLI in the Republic of Ireland.
In the island of Ireland, Bangor was the busiest station with 31 call-outs. The large population of leisure boats in and around Crosshaven kept the statistics high with mechanical failure being one of the main causes of lifeboat launches. In total, launches were up 12% on last year (424 times in summer period). The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations with 43 in Ireland. It is independent of the Coast Guard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 137,000 lives. The RNLI is a charity registered in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.

More info on The Southern Star: http://www.southernstar.ie/article.php?id=1624

Ryanair issue profit warning amid profit increases

Ryanair PLC said today that falling fuel prices had boosted profits over the past 6 months but added that cut-price fares would result in losses for the remainder of their financial year.

The budget airline said pre-tax profits were €419.4m in the six months to September 30, from €105.2m last year, but said the results were “heavily distorted” by a 42% drop in fuel costs. Ryanair said this masked a 17% decline in average fares and warned that prices would fall 20% over the rest of the year, resulting in losses for the last two quarters. Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said the group would be “substantially profitable at a time when many of our competitors are losing money, consolidating or going bust”. He said traffic growth is strong “but at the expense of declining average fares”, while the weakness of sterling and tourist taxes in the UK and Ireland had also hit takings.

Read more about this on breakingnews.ie: http://www.breakingnews.ie/business/ryanair-reports-80-surge-in-profits-432577.html

Can Tom Parlon predict the future?

The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) Director General and former PD Junior Minister, Tom Parlon, has stated that house prices in Ireland will not fall beyond current levels. While this statement has got headline status on today’s radio news bulletins it should also be remembered that Mr Parlon was part of a government that predicted a “soft landing” for Ireland’s property bubble. It would be great for the economy if he as right this time but I suspect that economics will play a larger role than parlonomics

According to a CIF & Irish House Builders Assoc (IHBA) report, house prices across the country have fallen by an average of more than 40% from their 2006/7 peak.

A new report from the Construction Industry Federation and the Irish Home Builders Association also claims the level of unsold housing stock is being exaggerated. The report says the number of unsold dwellings in the Dublin area represents less than eight months supply in normal market conditions – and an average of one year’s supply elsewhere.
For more on this story see:  http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/house-prices-down-40-432640.html

Lonely Planet names Cork as top vacation destination

The world’s top tourist guide, Lonely Planet, has named the hot places to visit in 2010 as Singapore, Vancouver, Sarajevo …… and Cork.

The Lonely Planet has included Cork in its list of the ‘Best in Travel 2010′.

The listing of Cork inthe influential guide will come as a massive boost for tourism in the region.
El Salvador, Germany and Greece are among the best countries in the world to features, but there is no place for Ireland on the list.

The Irish representation comes in the category of top cities – where Cork is listed alongside Abu Dhabi, Istanbul and Singapore.

The guide says visitors should be able to find inspiration in each city.

Cork Airport is the perfect access point to include Cork in your Ireland vacation.

“News” from Ireland

Some things you are unlikely to have seen prominently in the conventional media this week

 Xtravision in Clonakilty are looking for an assistant Store manager

X Factor’s diplomatic row

The Church Restaurant got a new website

Damien Mulley has taken a break

Get a great deal from The Heritage Portlaoise through Pigsback

Denis Barrett has lots of apartments to let in Cork

And one story that will get more and more prominent:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/home/chaos-looms-as-unions-ballot-for-day-of-strikes-104430.html

Cork Airport gets new air traffic control tower

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) today officially opened the new control tower at Cork Airport.

 Construction of the tower began in August 2007 and took 10 months to complete at a cost of €7.5million ( $11.25m).

A spokesperson for the Airport said today that “notwithstanding the current decline in traffic figures, this move positions the IAA to deal with anticipated traffic levels at the airport for the next 15 – 20 years”

Cork Airport is located 5 miles to the south of Cork City and is very conveniently located for visiting destinations in the South West of Ireland.

Cork & Kerry to meet in Munster Football Semi final following 2010 draw

The football draw for 2010 sees Cork and Kerry on the same side of the draw meaning only one of the traditioanl Munster rivals will be seen in the 2010 Munster Football Final:

1st Quarter Final: Clare v Waterford

2nd Quarter: Kerry v Tipperary

1st SemiFinal: Limerick v winners of 1st Quarter Final

2nd SemiFinal: Cork v winners of 2nd Quarter Final

Munster Hurling Championship 2010 Cork V Tipperary in First Round

The draw took place this evening for the 2010 Munster Hurling championship

Quarter Final:  Cork v Tipperary

1st semifinal: Clare v Waterford

2nd semifinal: Limerick v Winners of quarter final

Happy Arthurs Day

Today is ‘Arthur’s Day’.  Right across the world, celebrations for the GUINNESS 250 anniversary will reach their peak, marking the birthday of one of Ireland’s most famous and enduring brands.  These celebrations are helping to focus the spotlight on this island’s history, culture and heritage and encourage more visitors to come here.

In Dublin, festivities will begin today at 17:59, with a star-studded line-up, and they’ll carry on around the world from Lagos, to Kuala Lumpur and New York.  In addition, the celebrations in Ireland and other countries will be beamed to global audiences through SKY, ITV2 and DirecTV.

Tourism Ireland has been doing its bit, throughout the year, promoting ‘Arthur’s Day’ and the GUINNESS 250 as an additional, and very special, reason to visit the island of Ireland this autumn.

Imaginative programmes have run throughout the world in partnership with the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Tourism and others.

AIB Shares rise by 33% following NAMA details

Shares in AIB rose by as much as 33% today following the announcement that NAMA will pay at least 70% for it’s toxic loans.

Shares in AIB peaked at €3.50 shortly after 4pm as more detail on the NAMA plan became clear. This price is 1300% above the low point of €0.27 that the shares reached in March of this year.