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Doyle seeks pre-flight testing

Sean Doyle, who last week swapped the CEO seat at Aer Lingus for the top job at British Airways, has urged the UK and US to back pre-flight Covid-19 testing with quarantine- sdoyle1020 free transatlantic travel corridors.“We need to work together on a testing pilot so flights can start between London and New York, traditionally one of the busiest airline routes in the world,” Mr Doyle said in his first public appearance since becoming British Airways boss.

He was addressing the Airlines 2050 online conference.

The former Aer Lingus chief also echoed industry calls for a global framework of virus testing to replace quarantines blamed by the industry for exacerbating its slump.

Concern deepens for missing 'Fungie'

Concern is deepening for Dingle's famous dolphin 'Fungie' who has not been seen for five days. fungie

Kerry fishermen fear celebrated the dolphin may either be sick or has died after three days of intensive searching off Dingle failed to locate him.

Despite a reported sighting last Thursday morning, there has been no trace of Fungie in Dingle Bay on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Concern over his fate has even reached the Government as Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said he hoped Ireland's favourite dolphin would be found safe and well to offer "some good news" to the nation.

Eight boats conducted a search for a third day yesterday of extended waters around the west Kerry port where Fungie normally patrols his traditional patch of water.

One million Italians meet 'Leprechaun Whisperer'

Images of Ireland were beamed into the homes of around one million people across Italy when a special Ireland episode of a popular TV show will air during prime time on Italia italtv

1, a major national Italian TV channel.

Roberto Giacobbo, the presenter of a documentary series called Freedom: Oltre il Confine (meaning ‘Freedom: Beyond the Border’), visited Ireland last year. Filming was supported by Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland.

Roberto (left) is pictured chatting with ‘leprechaun whisperer’ Kevin Woods, during filming for Freedom: Oltre il Confine last year, at the Leprechaun and Fairy Cavern in Carlingford.

Rochford concerned about staff stress

The general manager of Ashford Castle has spoken about the 'unprecedented level of mental distress' he is seeing among workers in the hospitality industry as the country Niall Rochford

awaits news of the latest restrictions.

Niall Rochford told the 'Sunday Independent',that staff are experiencing sleepless nights, the looming prospect of job losses and the fear of not being able to pay their mortgage or bills "with no end in sight".

He was speaking after he received widespread support for a post on his personal social media page that read: "In all my years of management Ashford Castle and Dromoland Castle I have never experienced the level of mental health issues that I am seeing now among staff."

He warned: "This must be a consideration when Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin make their difficult decisions over the coming days."

'House of The Dead' plan approved

Dublin City Council has approved plans to turn James Joyce’s ‘House of the Dead’ on Dublin’s quays into a 50-bed tourist hostel. joyce

The Council has granted planning permission for the proposal after the planner in the case concluded that the proposed change of use to a tourist hostel “will be the best way to secure its long-term conservation”.

The house at 15, Usher’s Island, Dublin 8 was once home to James Joyce’s grand aunts and the setting of Joyce’s best known short story, ‘The Dead’.

The Department of Heritage lodged an objection claiming the proposal “will undermine, diminish, and devalue a site of universal cultural heritage, importance and part of the Unesco City of Literature designation”.