Month: March 2016

Cope Foundation are currently running an employment campaign called “Grand Job” which is asking businesses / employers around Cork city and county to consider giving someone supported by Cope Foundation a work opportunity.

They have an upcoming breakfast briefing for employers at the Radisson Hotel in Little Island on Friday 8^th April, which aims to give employers an opportunity to meet and hear from businesses who are already employing people with a disability and to get more information about our campaign.

I’m sure you would agree creating more inclusive workplaces is a very worthy cause that has many benefits both to the person who gets the job and the employer and their other employees. There are also financial incentives available from the Dept of Social Protection for employers who employ someone with a disability, such as the Wage Subsidy Scheme etc.

The Cork Business Association is pleased to launch Phase II of the "Get the Island Graffiti Free in 2016" project.

Having recently completed graffiti removal from the North Main Street area, the Plunkett quarter is the next part of the city to be targeted.  However it is important to point out that the responsibility for the removal of graffiti from a premises falls to the owner.

Lawrence Owens, Chief Executive of the CBA said "we are trying to give a graffiti free city centre back to the building owners but it will be up to them to maintain their premises going forward.  We are delighted with the support from Cork City Council and the expertise from the team at Reimagine Cork to help us get this task completed."

Pictured at Beasley St. and Crane Lane prior to the clean up work commencing are Paul McGuirk, City Centre Coordinator; Eoghan Ryan, Reimagine Cork; Noel Long, Litter Warden Supervisor, Cork City Council and Lawrence Owens, Chief Executive of CBA

The Lord Mayor of Cork and the Mayor of County Cork will join together on Easter Monday, March 28, to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Monument on Grand Parade, Cork City. The ceremony will be one of nine such synchronised ceremonies taking place at locations around the country at 1.15pm, the time that the first shots of the 1916 Rising were fired.

Cork Business Association would ask all its members to proudly support the State Ceremony by displaying the national flag wherever possible.

The head of the Dublin Airport Authority has welcomed US President Barack Obama’s backing for a transatlantic service from Cork Airport — but also expressed concern about any possible delays at the American side.

The DAA chief executive, Kevin Toland, made his comments after the issue of the proposed transatlantic service was raised in talks between Mr Obama and Taoiseach Enda Kenny during the annual St Patrick’s Day meeting in Washington, DC.

Mr Obama said there was no political impediment to the move.

Mr Toland said: “Norwegian International Airlines is fully committed to commencing new transatlantic flights from Cork this year, and I am now urging our politicians to continue to maintain pressure on US administration officials to take action to grant the foreign carrier permit to Norwegian to allow the airline progress plans for its Cork-Boston service without delay.

“While I am grateful for today’s advancement, I am deeply concerned that any further administrative delays on the US side could seriously damage this business.”

Meanwhile, the Cork Chamber of Commerce said there was now no reason why the transatlantic flights from Cork could not go ahead and urged all involved to speed up the process.

Speaking in Washington, DC, Conor Healy, the chief executive of Cork Chamber, said Mr Obama’s confirmation that there was no political opposition to approving the Cork-Boston route was “encouraging”.

“It is imperative that the granting of a foreign carrier permit is progressed without further delay with continued Irish political support,” said Mr Healy.

“Cork Chamber now calls on transport secretary [Anthony] Foxx to expedite the process, which has been ongoing for more than two years and is in conflict with the spirit of the EU-US Open Skies agreement.”

A pilot project to help make Cork a cash-free city has been hailed a success after new figures showed it encouraged more people to switch from cash to cards.

The use of cash-free payment options in Cork outstripped the national average between November and January.

The use of contactless payment options, and the overall value of those transactions, also surged way ahead of the national average in the same period.

The increases were credited last night to the Cork Cashes Out scheme, launched last November.

It has now been shortlisted for a prestigious international award run in association with Visa, in a category alongside wireless public transport payment projects in England and in the Czech Republic, and a mobile payment scheme in India.

The Cork Cashes Out campaign set out to promote and encourage cash-free payment options such as chip and PIN, contactless, and other electronic payment options.

An industry analysis of consumer e-payment options over that period, and released yesterday, shows that the number of contactless payments increased by 176% more in Cork City than in the rest of the country.

The value of contactless payments in the city rose by 157% more than the national average.

The city also recorded 2% more card transactions that the national average and there was a 17% year-on-year increase in the volume of card transactions in the city, compared to 15% across the country.

The value of these card transactions in Cork was also up against the national average.

The Cork Cashes Out initiative was led by the Cork City Centre Forum, a group of stakeholders including Cork Chamber of Commerce, Cork Business Association, Cork City Council, An Garda Síochána, and local business people, and was backed by the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland.

Campaign spokesman and publican Paul Montgomery said while they expected an uplift in the use of cash-free payment options in the run-up to Christmas, they were “blown away” by the success of the campaign.

“Cork has seen an increase in the number of people using cash-free payment options compared to the rest of the country and this is set to continue,” he said.

“But the real success story is the use of contactless payments in Cork. The number of contactless payments here far exceeded the rest of the country, which shows just how open people are to adopting new technologies when they see the benefits.”

The Taoiseach plans to discuss the stalled Cork transatlantic fights issue with US President Barack Obama in the White House this week.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney confirmed last night that Enda Kenny has added the flights issue to a list of priority topics he plans to raise with Mr Obama during the annual St Patrick’s Day festivities.

Mr Kenny is expected to express directly to Mr Obama his concerns at the unprecedented two-year delay by the US Department of Transportation (DoT) in making a decision on Norwegian Air International’s application for a licence to operate a Cork to Boston route as is provided for by the EU-US Open Skies agreement.

The discussion will mark the culmination of an intense round of diplomatic lobbying in both Boston and Washington in recent days involving Irish aviation figures, Cork Airport management, and Cork Chamber officials, all aimed at making the proposed Cork-US flights a key topic at a range of St Patrick’s Day events in the US capital.

It has fuelled hopes that a breakthrough is imminent.

The European Commission has ramped up diplomatic pressure on the US in a bid to break the impasse.

NAI, the Irish subsidiary of low-cost European aviation giant, Norwegian, has already been forced to postpone the proposed May launch of the Cork to Boston service because of the ongoing delay by the US authorities in granting it a foreign carrier permit.

The delay has also forced the postponement of NAI’s proposed Cork to Barcelona service, and is threatening its plans to launch a Cork to New York service next year.

POBLACHT CHORCAÍ!

CORK CITY COUNCIL

TO THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND

IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN! Cork City Council summons the people of Ireland and beyond to Cork on March 17 to celebrate our national holiday.

 In keeping with this year’s ‘1916 The Legacy’ theme for the Cork St Patrick’s Festival, Cork City Council has announced that the ‘seven signatories of the Irish Proclamation’ will lead this year’s parade in Cork city on March 17^th.

These ‘leaders of 1916’ will not only head-up the parade, but they will re-enact scenes from 1916 and perform extracts from the Proclamation along the way.

The re-enactment will be performed by actors from ‘Revolution’ from The Oliver Plunkett, a specially commissioned series of plays, written and directed by Eoin Hally, which bring the events of 1916 to life as part of the wider 1916 commemorative programme.

Welcoming the announcement, the Lord Mayor said “Given the year that is in it and after carefully considering an individual to lead the parade again this year, we decided to do something a little different.  The theme for this year’s parade is ‘1916 the legacy’ and there is nothing more appropriate than the representation of the 7 signatories of our Proclamation through pageantry and theatre. I think it will be a fitting tribute given this unique anniversary year, and hearing extracts from the Proclamation along the parade route should be a really special moment.”

“This year’s Cork’s St. Patrick’s Festival is going to bigger, better and greener than ever before.  We are looking forward to people coming from all over the world and are expecting over 80,000 people to descend on Cork to celebrate the St. Patrick’s Festival weekend with us in style.”

The parade will take place from 1pm to 2.45pm on Thursday March 17 at 1pm, through Cork City from the South Mall to the Grand Parade, along St. Patrick’s Street, finishing at Merchant’s Quay, featuring jaw dropping street theatre, pageantry, and up to 3000 people from community and voluntary groups.  They will be joined by five specially commissioned giant art pieces, created by renowned street theatre companies, who will bring the colour of carnival and mardi-gras feeling to Cork.

A wide range of nationalities will take place in the event this year, including the Smoky Hill High School "Hill Regiment" Marching Band, the Massachusetts State Police, The Ridgeview High School Band, Timmins Police Pipes & Drums (Canadian Police Band).

For those who cannot attend the parade, it will be streamed live on www.corkstpatricksfestival.ie.  Organisers are encouraging people all over Ireland and the world to send in their St Patrick’s Day message or selfie to be aired on this live broadcast on the day.

Although the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be a highlight the Cork St Patrick’s Festival, the event runs until 20 March and promises to be a visual feast with a kaleidoscope of colour and pageantry in celebration of the National holiday.

The streets of Cork will be awash with talented mime artists, jugglers and magicians from around the world, and there will be a local food market on Grand Parade from 10am-6pm on 17, 19 & 20 of March.

Of course, it wouldn't be St Patrick's weekend in Cork without lots of live entertainment and this year won’t disappoint. The city will rock with a live music stage on Grand Parade over the weekend, and free trad sessions with take place in bars throughout the city with The Lee Sessions.

There will also be free creative workshops for kids in Bishop Lucey Park on Saturday 19^th and Sunday 20^th from 12 noon to 5pm.  On Saturday Wobbly Circus will teach them the tricks of the circus trade, including tightwire walking, juggling, diabolo and devilstick techniques, plate spinning, poi spinning, and more.  Meanwhile on Sunday Chapeau Magique, all the way from France, will wow with his spectacular magic folding paper hats workshops.

In addition to free family events, there will also be many 1916 commemoration events happening in venues throughout Cork over the weekend so make sure you look through the festival programme.  One such event is AISEIRI 1916, a special evening of music and commemorations on St. Patrick’s Night at Cork Opera House.  The show will poignantly remember and honour Cork’s finest raconteurs - The Men of Ireland, Mná na hÉireann and the Irish children who lost their lives in the 1916 Rising, in Rebel Song and Verse. Presented by Cork ETB, Cork City Council and Cork County Council, doors open at 8pm and tickets cost €20.

The Cork St. Patrick’s Festival is organised by Cork City Council and proudly supported by Cork Airport, the Evening Echo and Cork’s RedFM.

Cork City Council is inviting Cork’s centenarian citizens, who are celebrating their 100^th birthday this year, to take part in the Cork St Patrick’s Day parade on March 17^th.

The theme for the parade is ‘1916 the legacy’ and these citizens, who were born when the history of our modern nation was being forged, are our legacy.

Anyone aged 100 or over that is interested in participating can contact Robbie Crowley at Cork City Council (021) 496 6222.

The Cork St Patrick’s Festival runs from 17-20 March, and will be filled with free family fun and lots of 1916 commemoration events.  Festivities will kick off with the Parade on St. Patrick’s Day, which will feature jaw dropping street theatre, pageantry, and up to 3000 people from community and voluntary groups.   If you can’t make it into the parade, fear not as it will be streamed live on www.corkcity.ie/tv and www.corkstpatricksfestival.ie.

Over the 4 days the streets of Cork will be awash with talented mime artists, jugglers and magicians from around the world, and there will be a fantastic line-up of free live music for families on the stage at Grand Parade and trad music in bars throughout the city with The Lee Sessions.

There will also be free creative workshops for kids in Bishop Lucey Park on Saturday and Sunday and a local food and crafts market on the Grand Parade from 10am-6pm on 17, 19 & 20 of March.

The Cork St. Patrick’s Festival is organised by Cork City Council and proudly supported by Cork Airport, The Evening Echo and Cork’s RedFM.

For further information see www.corkstpatricksfestival.ie, Facebook @corkstpatricksfestival, or Twitter @corkpaddysfest.

Cork City Council has announced their exciting line-up for the annual Cork St. Patrick’s Festival 2016.

The 4 day family event, which runs from 17-20 March, will be a visual feast with a kaleidoscope of colour and pageantry in celebration of the National holiday.

It is expected to attract over 80,000 people to the City over the weekend. 

Each day will be bursting with family fun, kicking off with the carnival-like Parade itself on St. Patrick’s Day, which will feature jaw dropping street theatre, pageantry, and up to 3000 community and voluntary groups.   Celebrating this special centenary year, the theme of this year’s parade is 1916-The Legacy and there will be many 1916 commemoration events happening in venues throughout Cork over the weekend.  
The streets of Cork will be awash with talented mime artists, jugglers and magicians from around the world, and there will be a fantastic line-up of live music on the stage at Grand Parade over the 4 days.
There will also be creative workshops in Bishop Lucey Park, a local food and crafts market on Grand Parade, and a traditional commemorative music concert on St. Patrick’s night AISEIRI 1916.
The Cork St. Patrick’s Festival is organised by Cork City Council and proudly supported by Cork Airport, the Evening Echo and Cork’s RedFM.