They are not happy down in Limerick… But as ever they have lots of links to other blogs… The petition against the move out is over 8500 strong… Fine Gael spokesman Pat Breen makes it clear why the good folk of the West reckon they’ll get a result on this; ‘The furious response in Cork to Aer Lingus’s more recent plans to axe flights from Cork to Heathrow proves that the airline will respond to pressure. Yet the lack of …
As tipped by Conail on this thread, David McWilliams offers an unsentimental economist’s view of the Shannon-Belfast story. He puts the problem fairly straightforwardly: Belfast has the population — its conurbation is three times bigger than Cork. It has the airports, the motorways, the electricity grids and now the income levels. It is understandable that local politicians from the west are complaining about the Aer Lingus move. They are the ones under threat, not from Aer Lingus and its decision, …
According to Richard Delevan’s column in last Sunday’s Tribune having an international airport at Shannon is not the boon it once was to the area, and suggests that the area would have been better off lobbying for a datahub to run ‘fat data pipes’ out of. Otherwise, the Shannon project may find itself drifting into the same history books as Valencia Island, which once housed the key telegraph station linking the continents of Europe and America. Though here too, Delevan …
The Labour MP Frank Field, writing in the Telegraph, predicts that the conversation the leader of the minority Scottish adminstration, the SNP’s Alex Salmond, wants to have could be ominous for the Union if Gordon Brown doesn’t pay attention.. but, as the BBC report points out, Labour, Conservatives and the Lib Dems are all opposed to Salmond’s desired outcome which leaves the Observer report seeming closer to the reality – in that publishing the white paper can be portrayed as …
Whilst RTÉ reports the Irish Government Minister for Defence, and Limerick TD, Willie O’Dea describing the Aer Lingus decision to end its Shannon-Heathrow service [in favour of Belfast – Ed] as ‘wrong’, the Irish Times breaking news has the actual quote.. and the Freudian slip “I’m not conceding yet that Aer Lingus can’t be forced to change – or can’t be persuaded, sorry persuaded – to change their minds. We will sit down and we will try and persuade them …
The IMF step in, along with central banks across the globe, after billions have been wiped off share values in recent days as problems with the US mortgage market contaminate global stock markets. The BBC’s business editor might have allowed himself a hollow chuckle, but I’m not convinced that’s an appropriate response. There are various attempts at explaining the problem in the media, from David McWilliams’ perhaps over-simplified version, through to the overly-technical one noted by John Naughton.. who also …
Ian Parsley has been to Denmark, and is impressed with the Scandinavian economic model in practice. His picture of the Opera House in Copenhagen hardly does it justice, but it is a fine example of audacious public art, paid by private subscription and subsequently donated to the state. Nothing in Belfast even remotely compares. It is, as Ian notes, hard for foreigners to comprehend (and difficult to replicate), though the country’s communitarian mores are captured in the highly influential educational …
More difficulties at the City of Derry Airport, whose owner’s – Derry City Council – were recently given the go-ahead for the compulsory purchase of adjoining land. Yesterday an inbound flight, having been instructed to wait on a remote runway, found itself sinking into the tarmac after being made to wait for 30 minutes. The plane was eventually able to power out of the tarmac after the pilot got the passengers to disembark [and push? – Ed] Adds Interesting response …
More than one farm site in Surrey, England, all within the initial 3km protection zone, are reported to be showing indications of foot-and-mouth. Officially Northern Ireland has escaped the EU export ban on meat and diary products from the UK.. unofficially some exporters have experienced problems. Not to worry, though. The BBC reports that the First Minister Ian Paisley is to have a quiet word with the Japanese ambassador to the UK.. *ahem* Even so, it’s not the only country …
The announcement that Aer Lingus is to introduce flights from Belfast International to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Geneva in December, and Heathrow in January, had been expected (see first comment here) although, as I understand it, Aer Lingus were required to inform the stock exchange before any public statement was made. First Minister Ian Paisley and junior minister Gerry Kelly will be at hand to bask in the publicity welcome the news but other ministers there are not so happy and …
Even with it being the silly season, both BBC NI and UTV went a little bit overboard with the news that the Independent’s Simon Calder had declared, and there’s no other word for the gushing reports they produced, that the UK’s top tourist attraction is “open 24 hours a day and has yet to start charging admission: the open-air gallery in west Belfast.” In the actual article, Simon Calder’s Best of Britain, he scatters the plaudits widely in the various …
When it opened with a fanfare of publicity, and no less than three ministers from two jurisdictions, the expectation was that the £33million stretch of the new dual carriageway near Newry would cut journey times – indeed one of those minister’s declared, “This is an excellent example of Roads Service working across the island with their counterparts in the National Roads Authority and Louth County Council on a project that will improve journey times and safety for all.” But, with …
Just 14 Kms long, but the new motorway link (opening today) between the A1 at Cloghoge in Co Armagh to the N1 at Dundalk will cut out that circuitous/tortuous journey through and around the north Louth border town. At 2 hours, the road link now rivals the rail journey for speed, if not convenience. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a …
C&C’s cider revolution may be one of the first Irish victims of England’s bad weather. After driving two years of unmitigated growth in the cider market, the weather, renewed competition (primarily from English Bulmers, and own brand’s copies), plus major capital investment, sales are down drastically: Chief executive Maurice Pratt told The Irish Times that the predicted 35 per cent fall in profit was not just down to a drop in the volume of cider it has sold over the …
The First and Deputy First Ministers held their first joint commercial press conference today.. to welcome the Bank of Ireland’s announcement of proposals for 149 jobs in the establishment of “a specialist funds administration business in Belfast” – namely the controversial, or at least the controversial bonuses earned, according to former Secretary of State Peter Hain, by managers of, hedge funds The new venture will service the rapidly growing offshore alternative investment funds market – specifically, the hedge fund segment …
According to the BBC, IFA chief executive Howard Wells has denied having a personal preference for the Maze site for a national stadium – although the quotes offered only refer to the IFA – and, according to the TalkBack news bulletin at 1pm, the GAA has denied ruling out any of the Belfast options.. [Adds As the Irish News reports subs req] That’s despite the claims of the Sports Minister Edwin Poots.. to the Assembly Committee yesterday.. ANYhoo, while that …
Apparently based on a report in the Daily Telegraph, quoting an un-named Labour Party source, which suggests that Gordon Brown might be tempted to raise the minimum wage on a variable basis within the UK, the BBC NI report focuses on the comments of Employment Minister Reg Empey, since, as they report, “A government spokesperson would not comment on the issue.” The Minister, referring to the suggestion, said “We have difficulty in getting people to leave benefit and go to …
The Assembly Committee for Culture Arts and Leisure have interrupted their summer recess to quiz the Minister, the DUP’s Edwin Poots, on progress on the proposals for a multi-sports stadium. The key question to be addressed, I’d suggest, is whether as the Finance Minister, Peter Robison said, “I will look at the business case that’s available,” or whether as the Committee chair, Sinn Féin’s Barry McElduff, argues – echoing an earlier statement from Edwin Poots – “The notion of a …
Eric Waugh was in rural Provence last week, when a lorry with a once Irish name on its side went past. Of course the name is still Irish, but the brand has gone international. And, he argues it is that international mix that once built and delivering engineering that served the world’s navies, and processed the world’s teas. It also what is promised by the very public and warm rapprochement between Messers Paisley and McGuinness. But having declared war over, …
There seems to be a head of steam gathering in behind the campaign to drop Corporation Tax to the same level as the Republic. Peter Bunting of the ICTU has argued that it is both wrong headed, and implausible. Indeed the campaign’s biggest problem is that no UK adminstration is going to wear differential rates that privilege Northern Ireland over, say Cornwall or Yorkshire. That doesn’t mean to say that the campaign will not meet it’s object. It is not …
