New €20 gold coin commemorates Battle of Clontarf
A limited edition €20 gold proof coin commemorating the 1,000th anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf was launched yesterday and is available to purchase from today. Designed by Irish artist and sculptor Noel Hoare, the coin shows the Irish High King Brian Ború. The issue limit for the coin is 12,000 pieces. Its diameter is 11mm, it weighs 0.5 grammes and is struck in .999 fine gold. The purchase price is €48 and it can be bought from the Central Bank . Grainne Rothery
Read More2014 Eircom Junior Spiders winners announced
The 2014 Eircom Junior Spiders winners were announced at a ceremony at Google HQ in Dublin today. Hosted by RTÉ’s Aidan Power, the awards recognise and reward primary and post primary students for the innovative ways they use the internet, especially around website development, school blogs and design. At primary level, the Mega Spiders have three categories – Best Project, Best School Blog and Best School Website. For post primary students the awards are split across two categories. The Giga Spiders rewards students from first to third year and the Tera Spiders are open to students from fourth to sixth year. The Giga and Tera Spiders reward students under the…
Read MoreVisa card spend by overseas visitors up 20pc to €903m in 2013
Visa card spend by overseas visitors up 20pc to €903m in 2013 Overseas visitors to Ireland spent over €903m on credit, debit and prepaid Visa cards during 2013, up 20pc on 2012, according to Visa Europe, which attributed much of the increase to the success of The Gathering. Asian and Middle Eastern Visitors Lead in Average Spend per Transaction Although visitors from the UK and the US accounted for the bulk of foreign spending in Ireland, travellers from countries in Asia and the Middle East had a higher average spend per transaction. Indonesians spent more per transaction than any other nationality, with an average of €170.71. The next highest spenders…
Read MoreIreland Top Three ‘Dream Destinations’ for American Travelers – TripAdvisor
Ireland is in the top three ‘dream destinations’ for Americans, according to a new survey released this week by TripAdvisor. The bi-annual TripBarometer study, conducted by the travel review website, included more than 10,000 US respondents and looked at worldwide travel patterns, as well as the planning and booking habits of travelers at different life stages. When asked about their dream destinations to visit, the top three for American travelers were Italy, Australia, and Ireland. “The results of this TripAdvisor survey are good news indeed and confirm our own research that Ireland is high on the wish list for Americans as a dream destination,” said Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism…
Read MoreNational Library of Ireland launches 10,500 newly digitised items
A total of 10,500 newly digitised items have been released by the National Library of Ireland (NLI). Dramatic advances in information technology means the NLI is driving forward a programme of metadata creation, digitisation, digital preservation and online access to Ireland’s cultural heritage, according to Sara Smyth, NLI digitisation programme manager. Smyth highlighted the importance of having an effective national programme of digitisation and preservation to ensure public access to culturally important collections. “Libraries have always collected, managed and provided access to all forms of information,” she said. “Since 2010, we have overhauled our digitisation workflows and put in place key technical infrastructures. We achieved this with limited full time…
Read MoreKeogh’s Crisps now in 255 Tesco UK stores
Keogh’s Farm has agreed a deal with Tesco UK, which will see the family’s hand cooked potato crisps go on sale in 255 Tesco stores throughout the UK. Keogh’s Farm currently employs 40 people north Co Dublin. “This is a brilliant boost for us. As a small, family-owned business, this deal with Tesco UK opens a potentially massive opportunity for the business,” said managing director of Keogh’s Crisps Tom Keogh. “After the President’s visit to the UK last week, we hope the UK’s love affair with all things Irish will extend to our much loved crisps and we look forward to growing our business on the back of this deal.…
Read MoreBattle of Clontarf anniversary to be marked on social media – first ever Wikipedia Irish live editing event on in Dublin
The 1,000th anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf takes place on 23 April and to mark this occasion, Wikipedia is supporting the first ever Irish live Wiki editing event in Dublin’s Science Gallery this Saturday, 19 April to improve the Battle of Clontarf Wiki pages. There is also an ongoing blow by blow re-enactment of the run-up to the battle and the battle itself on Twitter @1014retold for everyone to follow. The online events are being facilitated by 1014 Retold , a digital storytelling project that aims to bring the tale of the Battle of Clontarf to life for a modern day audience using digital tools and social media. The organisers are actively…
Read MoreAer Lingus’ Dublin Toronto service kicks off
The inaugural flight of the new Aer Lingus Dublin to Toronto service took off from Dublin Airport just after 2pm this afternoon. The flight, which is also the first operation of from Dublin of the Boeing B757 aircraft recently added to Aer Lingus’ transatlantic fleet, is set to arrive in Toronto just before 4pm local time (9pm Irish time). The new service will operate year-round with a daily service between Dublin and Toronto during the summer season and up to four weekly services operating during the winter. This is the fourth transatlantic route launch in recent months and forms part of Aer Lingus’ significant transatlantic growth plan in 2014. “Aer…
Read MoreDublin law firm Jordan Law aims to offer new legal approach for companies
A new law firm Jordan Law has just opened in Dublin’s Baggot St and is aiming to enable small and medium-sized enterprises an affordable and reliable way to get the most out of their legal services. Aisling Jordan wants to bring confidence back into the legal sector through transparency and structured fee plans.Jordan is a former associate at Noel Smyth & Partners and her company is offering fixed price fees and 24/7 client access to the firm’s online, interactive, file management system.Its offerings are in response to smaller companies’ demands for greater cost control, efficiencies and transparency from their legal services providers. “With higher corporate governance requirements than ever before, small…
Read More3D4Medical Develops Radiology App with UCC Researchers
Medical software company 3D4Medical has collaborated with researchers at University College Cork (UCC) to develop ‘Radiology-Head, an iPad radiology app. Developed with the departments of radiology and anatomy and neuroscience at UCC, the app illustrates brain anatomy on MRI in clear and simple detail. Dr. Kevin Murphy, who is a lecturer in these departments, believes the app will be an important resource for undergraduate medical students and all healthcare students, medical doctors and healthcare professionals in facilitating the learning of neuroanatomy. It may also be helpful for patients with neurological diseases and their families in gaining a deeper understanding of their illness. The Radiology-Head app uses an intuitive graphics platform,…
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