Month: June 2019

New Events Company Eventi Management Launches with a Full Eventi Effect!

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Cork’s newest events and marketing company, Eventi Management, launched in St. Peter’s on North Main to an excited audience on Thursday 27thJune. This new endeavour is the brainchild of two of Cork’s well-known go-getters, Sinéad Dunphy and Lawrence Owens and comes at a time when Cork, being a city on the rise, is in need of the creative expertise of this duo to serve numerous industries including the high octane cultural sector in Cork and beyond.

 

Eventi is a new Cork-based company, but one with a wealth of experience across numerous sectors. Both Dunphy and Owens bring a diverse level of knowledge to this venture, coupled with a refreshing passion to all work with which they are involved.

 

Eventi provides individual service or full end to end event planning and management services - be it a festival, arts event, conference, product launch, or special occasion; their expertise will deliver truly memorable experiences, and successful campaigns. Besides having a deep understanding of what’s involved in setting up and managing an event, they also have access to an extensive network of industry partners which enables them to bring in new services as required. Eventi is offering a wide array of services including Marketing, PR, Strategic Reviews, and Artistic Programming as well as a whole host of other services.  Although at home in an arts context, Eventi’s abilities transcend to envelop all corporates’ needs requiring creative results.

 

With their extensive network in Cork and Ireland, the duo have already secured several clients including Triskel Christchurch, Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival, Cork Community Art Link, Ballydehob Jazz Festival and the New Irish Jazz Orchestra with more in the pipeline already. Having secured this client base in their company’s infancy, it is clear that the duo are already in high demand, further proof of their credentials and knowledge of the business.

 

Lawrence Owens said of the new venture:

“I’m delighted to have this opportunity of working with Sinéad as our styles and experience complement each other and I look forward to bringing our innovative ideas to life through Eventi Management. Now that we are officially launched we can move forward and start delivering for our clients, both existing and new. ” 

 

“Eventi Management is and has been a dream of mine to bring to fruition and having Lawrence as a business partner is ensuring that this dream is fast becoming a reality and a new way of life! Our interest in working with the cultural and corporate sectors in a creative manner is exciting to us and allows us the opportunity to bring all facets of our skill sets to the fore.”Sinéad added.

 

About Sinéad Dunphy

Sinéad Dunphy  is well known for her involvement in the arts for over twenty years as a performer producer, director and event organiser of many prestigious arts Festivals, shows and events. Sinéad served as Festival Director of Guinness Cork Jazz Festival in 2018 and successfully rejuvenated this festival to international acclaim. Her work with the Festival received further recognition in winning the Cork Business Association Overall Business of the Year Award 2018.

 

Previously she was the Festival Manager of the Cork International Choral Festival, where she saw the Festival double in size while also increasing its international profile through its artistic programme. Sinéad was the recipient of further awards with her work with the Choral Festival, winning Best in Tourism and Arts, together with winning Cork Business Woman of the Year with Network Cork. Her commitment to both the arts, in all its forms, and tourism sectors has been apparent and acknowledged by several national and local bodies through various awards, both as an individual and for the companies she represents as well as receiving invitations to speak on an international level as a guest speaker and academic.

 

About Lawrence Owens

Lawrence Owens is a highly experienced business professional who has worked in many sectors but specialises in retail. During which time he has developed wide experience in all areas of the sector. Lawrence brings with him a track record of strong leadership and project management experience, coupled with strategic planning ability that has enabled him to bring some major rationalisation and organisational projects to successful conclusions.

 

As Chief Executive of the Cork Business Association Lawrence works regularly with all major stakeholders in Cork city. He has also worked extensively in business development and consultancy within the SME sector. Lawrence is passionate about consistently delivering a customer experience above his clients expectations and within budget.

 

For more information: visit www.eventi.ie

25-storey residential tower planned for Cork’s Sextant site

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Plans have been unveiled for the redevelopment of the former Sextant bar site into a high-quality, 25-storey residential scheme of more than 200 apartments.

 

The development will be a purpose-built apartment scheme on Carey’s Tool Hire site, which Cork company the JCD Group purchased earlier this year.

The site extends from Albert Road along Albert Street, fronting Albert Quay and includes the former Sextant Bar, as well as the former Terminus for the Cork-Blackrock & Passage Railway.

The proposed scheme will comprise of 201 apartments; with 95 one bed, 102 two bed and 4 three bed apartments.

The company has begun a fast-track planning application to An Bord Pleanála under the Strategic Housing Development guidelines.

The JCD Group has been responsible for some of Cork's most significant developments in recent years, completing more than 1.65 million square feet of commercial buildings including The Capitol on Grand Parade, the City Gate complex in Mahon, 85 South Mall, One Albert Quay and the Penrose Dock development currently under construction.

More than 4,500 people are working in JCD developments.

Part of the proposed Carey's site scheme will include the relocation of the bar and restaurant use from the former Sextant premises to the protected Ticketing Office and Railway Terminus Building located on Albert Street, the creation of an internal public plaza and the refurbishment of the Station Offices for office use.

The development will include a 25th-floor residents’ lounge and dining area which will be available to all residents of the scheme; residents’ gym; public café; co-working space; games room; and a basement with car spaces, large area for bicycle parking, refuse and recycling as well as dedicated storage areas for the apartments.

The scheme has been designed by architects Henry J Lyons with input from London based Urban Initiatives Studio and tall buildings specialist Richard Coleman from CityDesigner, as well as conservation architects JCA.

 

Richard Coleman of CityDesigner said:

“Our vision for city-based living is to provide Cork with its first ‘build to rent’ high-quality residential scheme at a key axial location between the city and the docklands, whilst enhancing and respecting the architectural heritage of the area.”

 

John Cleary, CEO of JCD said the development of residential apartments was in response to constant feedback from multinational clients in relation to their concerns at the lack of suitable accommodation for their employees in the city centre.

"It's been almost 12 years since the last new city centre apartment scheme of scale was completed in Cork City and given the ongoing momentum we are witnessing in the office sector, should the residential schemes not be brought forward, the ongoing development of the City Centre will be compromised," he said.

 

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney said:

“Cork is set to be the fastest growing city in Ireland for the next 20-years and, as well as quality jobs, we are going to need to see ambitious and quality residential developments. This development is amongst the most exciting on a prime site in the heart of the city."

 

 

Source: Gráinne McGuinness writing for EchoLive.ie

Flying high: Cork Airport wins ACI EUROPE Best Airport Award

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Cork Airport has won the top award for European airports in its class from the Airport Council International (ACI) in Limassol, Cyprus last night (Wednesday, 26 June).

 

Cork Airport, Ireland's fastest growing and most punctual airport, was named Best Airport in Europe serving under five million at the 29th ACI EUROPE Annual Assembly & Congress. The event was attended by over 400 aviation chief executives and industry leaders.

This is the second win for Cork Airport at the ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards, having also won its category in 2017. The Awards recognise excellence and achievement across a variety of airport disciplines relating to airport operations.

Speaking after the ceremony, Managing Director Niall MacCarthy said:

‘‘I am really thrilled that Cork Airport has been named ACI EUROPE Best Airport of 2019 in front of an audience of hundreds of our airport peers here at our annual industry event in Cyprus.

Anyone who uses our Airport at Cork knows we pride ourselves on the smoothness and friendliness of the passenger journey. This is all down to the staff based at Cork who work round the clock 365 days of the year, through good weather and bad, to make that journey friendly and easy. This year we are Ireland’s most punctual and fastest growing Airport with eight new routes and 10% passenger growth year to date.

Our excellent team at Cork will continue to work really hard to deliver a great Airport experience and grow connectivity further for the benefit of business and tourism in the South of Ireland.”

The shortlisted Airports (Torino Airport, Aberdeen International, Tallinn Airport, Limak Kosovo and London City Airport) were assessed by a panel of aviation expert judges and key institutional stakeholders. Cork Airport was announced as part of the proceedings of the Gala Dinner which was held at the Park Lane Resort & Spa, Limassol, Cyprus.

Cork Airport’s win was accredited to its support to passengers with disabilities, and its strong community engagement and safety and security indicators, including its drone awareness campaign. The judges also highlighted the Airport’s €4 million investment in Food and Beverage offerings, promoting local products; its recent route network expansion; and its status of the most punctual airport in Ireland last year.

 

Cork Airport is in its fourth consecutive year of growth and has an expanding route network of over 50 direct routes to the UK and Continental Europe along with daily long-haul connectivity through major European hub airports for passengers from the South of Ireland. In total, 2.6 million will use Cork Airport this year.

The ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards are presented to Airports for excellence and achievement across a whole range of disciplines including:

  • Retail
  • Community Relations
  • Facilities
  • Customer Service/Passenger & Airlines
  • Security
  • Environmental Awareness
  • Operations

FOOD for THOUGHT at the CORNSTORE

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Eating for digestive health evening to coincide with World Microbiome Day this June, so why not catch up on the latest research and ensure your diet is feeding your microbes and protecting your health!

The Cornstore have teamed up with APC Microbiome Ireland, the world leading SFI Research Centre, University College Cork and Teagase to shed light on how we can manipulate our diet for the benefit of our health.

On Wednesday next 26th June, Cornstore in Cork will host a mindful 4 course dinner where eating for digestive health is on the menu with guest speakers from APC Microbiome Ireland.

  • Dr Paul Cotter, Head of Food Bioscience at Teagasc will talk about the microbiomes of fermented foods (kefir, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut) which contain living microbes that can have beneficial effects. Dr Cotter’s research aims to definitively establish the benefits of fermented foods and how they differ from one food to another.
  • Dr Sabrina Mörkl, Psychiatrist from University of Graz, Austria will talk about nutrition and mental wellbeing. A growing body of evidence suggests that the bacteria which colonise our guts can have a profound impact on our health and even our mental health where they may play an important role in conditions such as anxiety and depression.
  • Dr David Keohane, GP and clinical research in sports & exercise medicine, will ask whether we can train our microbiome by increasing our fitness through exercise. Researchers at APC have previously shown that some athletes have very high levels of gut microbial diversity (desirable) and that this correlated with their diets and levels of exercise. David will speak about his research on a number of different sports. World Microbiome Day was initiated by APC Microbiome Ireland, a world-leading SFI Research Centre at University College Cork, http://apc.ucc.ie , in 2018 to showcase the diverse worlds of microbiomes and to encourage public dialogue on their crucial importance to human, animal and environmental health. APC Microbiome Ireland explores the role of microbes (microbiome) in health and disease. The microbiome is a target for treatment and prevention of disease, and a source of new drugs, functional food ingredients and disease biomarkers.

A limited number of tickets for this event which includes a 4 course menu (costing €50) are available.

Reservations 021 4274777.

Cork City Businesses Complete Customer Service Training

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Following from the launch of the Cork City Customer Service Charter in February, a group of twenty businesses recently completed the training programme in a bid to see Cork become a city of excellent customer service!
The Customer Service Charter, which is the first of its kind in Europe, was developed by Cork City Centre Forum – a collaboration between various business and public sector groups in the city – with the aim of establishing Cork as a city of superior customer service and assisting the city’s journey in becoming one of the friendliest, most liveable and sustainable cities globally.

 

 
The training programme, run by the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Cork City, took place over the last two months, culminating in a presentation of certificates to participating businesses by Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Mary Rose Desmond.
The programme comprised a Briefing Session for owners/managers with leading retail consultant James Burke of James Burke & Associates, and a Train the Trainer Workshop for key senior staff who then delivered the training to other staff/teams in the business.  Participants were also taken on an ‘Inspire’ tour of The Crawford Art Gallery. Following on from the workshop there were a number of mystery shopper visits to assist in assessing the impact of the workshop and training. Each business was then provided with its own feedback as a guide to identify best practice and areas for improvement.

Seen not Heard

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Large Scale exhibition & an immersive experimental playspace ensure children are seen and heard this summer at Crawford Art Gallery

28 June – 28 October 2019

“All grown-ups were children ...but only a few of them remember it.” The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Seen not Heard at Crawford Art Gallery, a large-scale group exhibition seeks to spark conversations about how children are made visible in Ireland today.

Conceived over two years ago this innovative exhibition and playspace gives visitors a glimpse into how children have long been an important subject matter in art. Seen not Heard encourages the audience to reflect on their own ideas of childhood and on the place of children in society today.

Presenting a multi-faceted selection of artworks spanning across the centuries from the 18th century right up to the present day, the exhibition will feature selected works from private collections, museums and contemporary Irish artists.

Children have long been an important subject matter in art, often as passive subjects.  Seen not Heard encourages the audience to reflect on their representation.

 

Based on the three core themes of Power, Perception and Play, the exhibition will examine how representation of childhood has evolved historically in Ireland, featuring commissioned aristocratic portraits, depictions of children in various socio economic settings and works capturing glimpsed moments of everyday life.

 

The visitor  sees  works by Vik Muniz, channelling the child as investigative collector in Portrait of Alice Liddell, after Lewis Carroll Collection: IMMA.  Children will also be represented by Walter Osborne, fully immersed in a world of their own (Boy Blowing Bubbles Collection: National Gallery of Ireland) and the Goldfish Bowl (Collection: Crawford Art Gallery)

 

 

The outdated expression that ‘a child should be seen and not heard’ is one that the Gallery admonishes, recognising that young people drive great change in society. The importance of play in a child’s development is now widely recognised and the significance of Play between generations is to be encouraged. To make this happen an entire Gallery is dedicated to play for a period of four months.

 

On the first floor, the experimental Seen and Heard Playspace provides a place for children and adults alike to play, make, read, dream and even draw on the wall.

The Playspace will feature Will Sliney well known comic books artist. (Marvel's Fearless Defenders & best selling graphic novel Celtic Warrior), Dowtcha Puppets, Danielle Sheehy, stop-motion  animations with Julie Forrester, Cork Printmakers and Eamon O’Kane’s Fröbel Studio: Institute for Creativity .

 

As an extension of the exhibition a series of key talks and essays will expand the conversation and respond to the concepts from Seen not Heard over the duration of the exhibition.

 

 

Seen not Heard is co-curated by Anne Boddaert of Crawford Art Gallery and Victoria Evans.

The Project has been made possible with the support of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Cork City Council.

Sea Change: Ireland’s largest free maritime festival to raise awareness of plastic pollution

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An interactive hut made up of 60kg of household plastics, the average amount used by an adult in Ireland each year, will be unveiled at SeaFest this weekend, highlighting the problem of plastics in our oceans. Ireland’s largest free family-friendly maritime festival takes place at the Port of Cork, Cork City from Friday, 7 June to Sunday, 9 June, with over 100 free events celebrating our oceans. More than 100,000 visitors are expected to attend SeaFest, which is presented by Cork City Council and the Inter-Departmental Marine Coordination Group (MCG). See www.seafest.ie for full event details.

Raising awareness of the need to protect our marine environment against plastic pollution, Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s centrepiece at SeaFest is the Clean Oceans Experience. Funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, the installation includes a 60kg plastic hut sculpture, representing the total plastic packaging waste produced per person in a year. This installation will be accompanied by a specially commissioned artistic performance Fantastic Fishermen go Fishing for Litter on how the fishing sector is reducing plastics in our seas. Members of the fishing sector taking part in BIM’s Fishing for Litter scheme, which encourages fishermen to take ashore waste they encounter at sea, have collected over 330 tonnes of marine litter since it began in 2015.

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Mick Finn said:

“Environmental stewardship of our oceans is something we need to instil in our children. This will ensure the problems facing our oceans are addressed, and hopefully, reversed. I’m delighted to welcome SeaFest to Cork for the next three years, as it serves an important role in this education. SeaFest is a brilliant illustration of our unique and unrivalled maritime history. In a fun and interactive way, this national annual festival is helping those of all ages to think about their connection with the water and how the actions they make today can make a difference tomorrow.”

Engaging exhibitions and workshops to turn plastic into art also feature at SeaFest, open daily from 10am to 6pm. A Flock of Sea Gulls will see 1000 young visitors transform 1000 plastic cartons into an installation of sea gulls while the Port of Cork and MaREI’s 3D exhibition Maintaining a Healthy Harbour is also on display, with marine litter artworks from local school children.

 

Showing how our oceans and climate are linked, the Marine Institute’s Wild Atlantic Theatre features talks from Met Éireann Head of Forecasting Evelyn Cusack and wildlife cameraman Doug Allan, who has worked alongside Sir David Attenborough on BBC’s Blue Planet and Frozen Planet.

Sustainably sourced Irish seafood plays a starring role at SeaFest with demos from top chefs Nevin Maguire, Rory O’Connell and Martin Shanahan. The Bord Bia and BIM Seafood Experience also features fishmongers Pat O’Connell and Hal Dawson on seafood preparation. Encouraging responsible activity on the water, SeaFest will hold free sailing, kayaking, and currach boats sessions; along with interactive displays exploring the marine world.

 

 

Speaking ahead of SeaFest 2019, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed stated:

“SeaFest is part of Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth, the Government’s integrated plan for the marine sector. A key aspect of this plan is to significantly increase our level of engagement with the sea. As we welcome the festival back to Cork from Galway where it has been thriving over the past three years, once again, SeaFest has delivered a fantastic line-up of free, educational and fun events to engage both the public and policy makers alike and emphasise the importance of Ireland’s marine economy."

 

Providing education on our oceans, the Marine Institute RV Celtic Explorer is open to the public, following its oceanographic data collection voyage from Galway to Cork. There will also be vessel tours of Commissioners of Irish Lights’ ILV Granuaile and tall ship The Phoenix. MFV Allanah Riley, a white fish trawler that fishes out of the port of Castletownbere, will  be open to visitors throughout SeaFest. Its crew will be on hand to explain the sustainable fishing practices of the Irish fishing fleet.

As part of Cork City Council’s commitment to green initiatives, Cork City Council Environmental Awareness Officer, Mary Walsh highlighted that market traders will be using compostable packaging across the weekend.

“There will also be pirates on-site, keeping SeaFest free from single use plastics. If someone has brought a plastic bottle with them, the pirate will show them how, and where, to dispose of it,” she said.

SeaFest 2019 is a culmination of a weeklong celebration of Ireland’s rich maritime heritage, as the annual Cork Harbour Festival runs until 9 June. The Our Ocean Wealth Summit takes place in Cork on Sunday, 9 June and Monday, 10 June. The Summit will hear from global leaders including environmental activist and former US Secretary of State John Kerry.

SeaFest is proudly supported by Cork City Council, BIM, Marine Institute, Port of Cork, Cork Harbour Festival, Commissioners of Irish Lights, Defence Forces, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Bord Bia, Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and Pure Cork.

SeaFest is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union under Ireland’s European Maritime & Fisheries Fund Operational Programme for the seafood sector.

To view the full festival programme visit seafest.ie. Follow SeaFest on Facebook, Twitter and  Instagram and use the hashtag #SeaFest19.

Road Closures for SeaFest in Cork City

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A number of road closures will be in place during SeaFest, Ireland’s largest free family-friendly maritime celebration. An estimated 100,000 visitors are expected at the Port of Cork in Cork City from 7 – 9 June, with over 100 free events planned for SeaFest 2019.

SeaFest will largely be based on Kennedy and Albert Quays, with extensive activity commencing in the area from today (Tuesday, 4 June) at 6pm until Tuesday, June 11.

The road closures and diversions in place during SeaFest include:

  • Albert Quay East from its junction with the N27 Albert Street (by Eamon De Valera Bridge) to its junction with Marina Walk/Victoria Road, will be closed Saturday, 8 June and Sunday, 9 June from 10am to 7pm.
  • A contra flow system will be in place on Albert Road to allow access to the Marina / Victoria Road on Saturday, 8 June and Sunday, 9 June from 10am to 7pm.
  • Albert Quay from its junction with Eglinton Street to its junction with N27 Albert Street, will be closed Sunday, 9 June to facilitate a tightrope performance. Local diversions will be in place.

Cork City Council apologises for any inconvenience caused due to these road closures.

It is also advised that Saturday, 8 June will be particularly busy for traffic in Cork city, as Cork will play Waterford in the 2019 Munster Senior Hurling Championship at 7pm in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Aslan and Damien Dempsey will also perform at Live at the Marquee at 8pm.

Patrons are advised to plan their route in advance and take public transport where possible. For those travelling from outside of Cork city, Cork City Bus Station and Kent Train Station are a short walk from SeaFest. The Black Ash Park & Ride, Kinsale Rd will have buses departing every 10/15 minutes to St. Patrick’s Street and will close at 8.30pm.

Large numbers are anticipated to attend SeaFest across the three days, with queues anticipated during peak times. Those wishing to attend the festival are advised to arrive early.