In this Issue:

Tourism News Travel News Recipe Poem Final Word

Tourism News

Controversy over Aer Lingus - Shannon - Heathrow Link
The controversy over Aer Lingus decision to transfer its Heathrow link from Shannon to Belfast as part of their establishment of a hub in Aldergrove Airport continues. While major shareholder and competitor Ryan Air, question business interests, opposition politicians and even cabinet members are publicly calling on the Government and Aer Lingus for the decision to be reversed, the Government remain silent on the issue although maintaining the route was given as one of the reasons why it was necessary for the State to maintain a share holding on Aer Lingus.

Shannon Airport Authority said that they are talking to 3 or 4 Airlines to take up the route which accounts for 10% of traffic (360,000 passengers). The new Aldergrove Hub is to provide 56 outward flights per week serving 8 destinations in 7 countries. And is to create 100 jobs at an investment cost of €:150m.

For further reading see the following links:
Aer Lingus and Shannon still an issue
Atlantic Connectivity Alliance
Ahern's Shannon group slammed as 'yes men'
Government efforts satisfy mid-west TDs
Aer Lingus Rebuffs Ryanair
Govt broke promise on Aer Lingus, says Kenny
McLaughlin welcomes Aer Lingus dialogue

Luxury revamp for Taoiseach's holiday haunt

The Taoiseach's annual summer retreat is to get a luxurious revamp over the next two years, it emerged today. Bertie Ahern has been holidaying with friends at the Parknasilla Hotel in south Co Kerry for the past 20 years. The four-star facility was the flagship in the famous Great Southern Hotel chain until it was sold by Dublin Airport Authority to developer Bernard McNamara a year ago.
more...

Published Study for Transport Service at the Aran Islands

The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., has announced that the results of the study carried out in regard to the feasibility of providing a roll-on roll-off transport service to the Aran Islands are now available.
more...

Giant's Causeway Row over visitor centre

Two DUP Ministers at Stormont are facing opposition following their indication of support for a private developer who wants to build a new visitor centre at the Giant's Causeway. If approved, this would replace a plan for a publicly-funded centre at the world heritage site. The Giant's Causeway attracts over 500,000 visitors a year. The need for a new tourist centre arose when a previous building was destroyed in a fire seven years ago.
more...

Travel and Tourism Statistics

The Central Statistics Office have released Travel and Tourism statistics for the second quarter of 2007.

There were 2,138,000 overseas visits to Ireland in the 2nd quarter of 2007, compared with 2,112,000 in the same period for 2006, an increase of 1%. The number of overseas visits by residents of other European countries grew by 4%. While the number of visits by residents of USA and Canada grew by 2%. Overseas visits by residents of Great Britain fell by 1% and those made by residents of other areas fell from 82,000 in Quarter 2 of 2006 to 81,000 in quarter 2 of 2007.

The following table shows where visitors came from and the type of accommodation they chose.
more... (.pdf)

Hurling and Football Finals:
Congratulations to Kilkenny and Kerry who won the All Ireland Hurling and Football finals this year.
GAA website

Tidy Towns:
The Overall National Award Winner was Aughrim, Co. Wicklow

Irelands tidiest village - Birdhill, Co. Tipperary

Irelands tidiest small town - Aughrim, Co. Wicklow

Irelands tidiest large town - Killarney, Co. Kerry

Irelands tidiest large urban centre - Letterkenny, Co. Donegal

The Tidy Towns Competition is run by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and has been sponsored by SuperValu since 1990.

To view all results click here Tidy Towns Web Page

Rose of Tralee:
Congratulations to Lisa Murtagh, the New York Rose who was the winner of the 2007 Rose of Tralee.
Rose of Tralee website

Travel News

Ryanair announces 2 Cork - UK routes
Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline today (19th Sept) announced two new routes from its Cork base to East Midlands and Glasgow. The new routes will start on 13th December and will operate daily, bringing the number of Ryanair destinations offered from Cork to 6.
more...

Knock airport launches first-ever UK TV campaign
Ireland West Airport Knock will today launch its first-ever TV advertising campaign in the UK in a bid to lure more tourists to the region this autumn and winter. The Co Mayo hub has joined forces with Tourism Ireland in the cross-channel initiative which will reach a potential 8.4 million viewers. Ireland West Airport already flies to and from UK destinations including Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, London Stansted, London Luton and Nottingham East Midlands.
more...

Ryanair Announces 6 New Routes From Dublin
Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline announced on 15 Aug, its intention to base two new aircraft at Dublin from November 2007 (making a total of 22 Dublin based aircraft), to launch 6 new European routes, to increase frequencies on a further 12 routes to the UK and Europe, all of which will deliver an extra 1 million passengers annually for tourism and the Irish economy.
more...

Irish Ferries Frequent Traveller Scheme
The ferry operator is offering a 20% pay-back to customers who take three return motorist trips in any 12-month period on Irish Ferries' Ireland to Britain services.
more...

Recipe

Cabbage and Potato Soup
This is a hearty soup in winter but can also be a cleansing detox after a hectic summer. It's also an Irish classic using the best of local ingredients

Serves 4-6 depending on the size of the bowl
Ingredients

Serve immediately with a spoon of creme fraiche or cream stirred into each bowl of soup

Poem

To Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run; To bend with apples the mossed cottage-trees, And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells With a sweet kernel; to set budding more, And still more, later flowers for the bees, Until they think warm days will never cease, For Summer has o'er-brimmed their clammy cell.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store? Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find Thee sitting careless on a granary floor, Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind; Or on a half-reaped furrow sound asleep, Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers; And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep Steady thy laden head across a brook; Or by a cider-press, with patient look, Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,-- While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue; Then in a wailful choir, the small gnats mourn Among the river sallows, borne aloft Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies; And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn; Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft, And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

John Keats

Final Word

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

Aesop, The Lion and the Mouse

Slán

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