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The recent report to the minister for transport, on a second independent terminal at Dublin airport, states that passenger numbers at Dublin airport showed a 5.3% increase in 2002 and was one of only four major European airports to show an increase in traffic for 2001. The number of passengers from the UK, although still the most important in terms of overall passenger numbers has fallen by 10% since 1997 from 62% to 52%, European visitors have increased from 28% to 37% in the same period while transatlantic traffic remained relatively unchanged. The report also stated that Aer Rianta would be profoundly impacted and would require "a quantum shift in company culture" to react to a new competitive environment.
Dublin Airport Independent Terminal Panel Report
Shannon Frankfurt
In a press release on Thursday 13-02-03 Ryanair claim "Aer Rianta monopoly are losing Shannon passengers and routes, as well as damaging Irish tourism and Irish jobs." Ryanair announced that it will reduce capacity on its Shannon - Frankfurt route, from a daily service to a weekly one operating on Saturdays. It will instead operate a daily service from Kerry international airport. Ryanair cited Aer Riantas €6 per passenger cost increase as the reason for the reduction. Ryanair also expressed concerns that Aer Rianta may increase charges on their Shannon - Brussels & Shannon - Paris routes. These concerns should be allayed by the minister for transports announcement on Friday14-03-03 of his intention to transform Aer Rianta and to give Cork and Shannon airports more autonomy.
Ryanair press release
Transport ministers press release
We are without our colleague Michael who is out sick at present, and we all wish him a speedy recovery. This along with a change of web server, and a denial of service attack have combined to make things here in the office quite hectic for the past couple of months.
Change of Server
We have recently changed our web server, that is, the service that hosts the directory online. Our original web server is based in Texas U.S.A., and preferring to support Irish industry, we have moved to a web server based in Dublin. Also, the convenience of having a home based server enables us to provide the best possible service to our customers.
Denial of Service
We recently suffered a denial of service attack which bombarded our site with unwanted and unauthorised traffic, overloading our servers capacity and causing it to stop responding. The problem was dealt with quickly and the service is now operating as normal.
If any of our customers experienced any inconvenience during this time, we do apologise.
Just a Coincidence
Travel Directories Ireland customers may be interested to note the similarities between, the promotional photograph taken by Bryan O'Brien, and shown in an article by Alison Healy, in The Irish Times 10/12/02.
The photograph, as you can see, bears a striking similarity to that of our own logo, and was used as a prop by Bord Fáilte and Tourism Ireland in their launch of tourism marketing plans for 2003.
In response to our enquiries on the matter, Brian Twomey, head of marketing communications for Tourism Ireland, assures us that, and I quote, "Theglobe was used purely as a means to add interest to the photograph and not to create a new logo for Tourism Ireland as we already have invented heavily in creating our own brand identity".
Bord Fáilte's acting chief executive. Niall Reddy, tells us the prop was used to give some "Impact" to the photograph, and the similarity between the photograph and our logo was "Entirely coincidental" Which begs thequestion, If such bodies have invented so heavily in creating their own logos, Why did they not use one of their own? Could it be possible that, our logo,like our business, carries more "Impact" and more "Interest"?.
Naw, sure wasn't it just a "coincidence".
Some People are of the opinion that there were two St Patricks, and this is not exactly untrue.
St Patrick the Elder.
St Patrick the elder is often identified with St Palladius, a missionary Bishop to Ireland. St Palladius did establish some monastaries here, but in general his ministry was not very successful, which cannot be said for the celebrated St Patrick the younger, who suceeded him.
St Patrick The Younger.
St Patrick lived with his family on a farm near the village of Banavem Taberniae, near the mouth of the severn in Wales. His Father was Calpurnius, a Roman decurion, that is, a collector of imperial taxes, and a member of the council ruling a Roman settlement. When he was about sixteen, StPatrick, with hundreds of others, was captured by pirates, and sold as a slave in Ireland where he tended swine on the slopes of Sliabh Mish. After about six years he planned his escape, and walked about two hundred miles to the southeast coast, where he came upon a ship about to sail. He had many adventures with the heathen crew before returning to his homeland. After a time he travelled to Gaul where he studied for the priesthood.
Patrick had always carried a love and concern in his heart for the people of Ireland, and after overcoming many obstacles, attained his goal of returning to Ireland as Bishop, where he ministered for the rest of his life. He was unwilling to leave the Irish people even for a short time, although he missed his friends at home and in Gaul.
St Patrick touched nearly all corners of the country, and the Irish have come to love their Patron, who was so instrumental in establishing this Island as the land of Saints and Scholars.
World-wide, the cult of St Patrick is probably more revered than that of any other fifteenth century Saint.
Chocolate Fudge Pudding.
Ingredients:
50 g (1¾ oz ) vegetable margarine, plus extra forgreasing.
75 g (2¾ oz) soft light brown sugar.
2 eggs (beaten).
350mls (12 fl.ozs) milk.
50 g (1¾ oz) chopped walnuts.
40 g (1½ oz )plain flour.
2 tbs. cocoa powder.
Icing sugar and cocoa powder todust.
Method.
(1) Lightly grease a 1 litre (1¾ pt) oven dish.
(2) Cream the margarine and sugar until fluffy and beat in the eggs.
(3)Gradually stir in the milk and add the walnuts.
(4) Sieve the flour and cocoa powder into the mixture and fold in gently until well mixed.
(5) Spoon themixture into the dish and cook in a preheated oven at 180 degrees c. or degrees350 degrees F. gas mark 4 for 35-40 mins. or until sponge is cooked.
(6)Dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder and serve.
This pudding separates naturally while cooking, to give a richchocolate sauce at the bottom of the dish.
Cooks Variation
Add 1-2 tbs. brandy or rum to the mixture for thegrown ups, or 1-2 tbs. orange juice for a childrens pudding.
On Life
The greatest contribution of each human being,
To Gods Kingdom, and to this planet,
Is to strive for Peace in our time.
Marty O'Brien.
Beannacht Dé dhibh go léir ar lá Fhéile Phádraig.
Travel Directories Ireland
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