News

Council rejects pub plan

Plans to develop an apartment complex and shops on the site of Quinn’s pub in Drumcondra have been rejected as Dublin City Council said its promoters had failed to justify the quinns proposed demolition of the famous northside meeting place.

Council planners ruled the pub, which was once owned by the businessman, Seán Quinn, was “a building of architectural and social significance”.

They claimed the demolition of Quinn’s and adjoining shopfronts would contravene the Dublin City Development Plan which seeks to preserve the built heritage of the city as well as to encourage the re-use of buildings of historic and architectural interest which make a positive contribution to streetscapes.

Bookings Rise in Staycation Hotels

Summer hotel bookings are slowly beginning to recover in traditional domestic tourism hot spots but Dublin hotels appear to be in line for another disastrous season, according to beach0620 figures released by the Irish Hotels Federation.

A federation survey of its members shows that 23 per cent of Irish hotel rooms are booked for July with 21 per cent reserved for the following month, in what the federation described as “early signs of an uplift”. The traditional tourist magnet areas of the southeast and southwest are at 38 per cent and 35 per cent respectively for July, with both at 33 per cent so far for August.

However, Dublin hotels are just 11 per cent booked so far for July and 12 per cent for August. With domestic holidaymakers fleeing from the city to other parts of the country and the numbers of international tourists who normally fill the capital’s hotels expected to be negligible this year, it appears unlikely that the gap between Dublin hotels and the rest will grow.

Other cities are 18 per cent booked for July and 17 per cent for August. Bookings are coming faster for the Border region, which includes secondary tourism areas such as the lakeland regions of Leitrim and Cavan. It is 30 per cent booked for July and 28 per cent for August. The west is at 29 per cent and 22 per cent, the midlands is at 21 per cent and 20 per cent, and the midwest 21 per cent and 18 per cent.

Whales could boost Irish tourism

A leading marine biologist says a whale app could help boost tourism by allowing visitors to track giant humpbacks along the Wild Atlantic Way. whale

One hundred and nine humpback whales have been officially recorded in Irish waters – and many return to our coast annually.

After returning from Iceland, the marine biologist said Ireland could learn from the thriving whale-watching industry in the Northern European country.

"The whale-watching tourism in Iceland is of a magnitude bigger than Ireland and yet the weather is not much better there. You just have to weatherproof your tourism industry

"It's to encourage people to come to Ireland to see our magnificent wild Atlantic wildlife, and it's not just whales, it's seals, sea birds, it's dolphins."

Quarantine for three key tourism markets

The USA, France and Germany look set to be added to Ireland's mandatory hotel quarantine list from next week. sdonnelly0720

The move has caused some concern in tourism circles as the three countries are major markets for Ireland.

Sources said that the issue, which had caused division among the Cabinet had been "mostly sorted" at a high-level meeting of officials today. Government sources said that scaling up the operations of the quarantine facilities, run by hotel group Tifco, required a level of training and preparation for staff and state bodies.

Two hotels are currently being used for mandatory quarantining, and the hotel chain has another two hotels set aside if they are required. More accommodation available if it is needed. Sources said that modelling is undertaken to decide the number of hotel rooms needed on a given day.

Donal 'Goes Bananas'

Donal Skehan – whose television cookery programmes have inspired a generation of young meal-makers – is going bananas again! donalskehan

His challenge this year, which is backed by banana importer Fyffes, is to find Ireland’s best banana dessert creation.

The event is part of celebrations to mark National Banana Day on 21st April, during which Fyffes is supporting the national drive to encourage healthy eating – especially amongst young and growing children – and to remind shoppers to ‘think bananas’ when choosing a natural and nutritious food or meal accompaniment.

Entries are open from 14th – 19th April, with winners announced on National Banana Day itself, 21st April. Rewards will go to the overall winner and multiple best category winners, including one for junior entrants.