Maria's online to steer Chamber down the IT highway runs a story in The Connaught Telegraph this week.
Castlebar Community Access Centre which provides free Internet and e-mail service has hundreds of users and has been one of the most successful of the projects arising from the Castlebar's Information Age Town project. A drive is now on to encourage even more people of all ages to use the service which is located in the Chamber of Commerce headquarters on Spencer Street. This is just one of the projects being spearheaded by the Chamber. In a changing town like Castlebar the challenges are always different, from lobbying for improvement in infrastructure, promoting membership of the Chamber, to bringing Castlebar to the world via its hugely successful website which has half a million hits each month, every day brings new challenges. Maria Quinn, a native of Kilmeena near Westport, is the Executive Director of Castlebar Chamber of Commerce, and took up her position just over six and a half years ago. To most she is the public face of the organisation. Life in command of the Chamber is a busy one but also one of great interest.
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Historic First for Castlebar Website The Connaught Telegraph this week.
www.castlebar.ie the Castlebar Website has once again made history in enabling CRCfm, Castlebar Community Radio station to be broadcast live over the internet. Since CRCfm's 5th Birthday celebrations on Thursday, June 29th , 2000, www.castlebar.ie has been webcasting Castlebar's local station live over the Internet from the Castlebar RealServer Computer. This allows CRCfm to be received by a potential audience of millions of people who are connected to the internet all over the world. There has been great feedback from both the Castlebar diaspora in particular, and the Irish aboard in general from numerous locations around the globe, as it allows them to keep in touch with developments and the latest news from home whether they are based in New York, Sydney or Singapore. Anyone with an Internet connection can listen to CRCfm by connecting to the Castlebar Website at www.castlebar.ie on the Internet and clicking on the CRCfm logo.
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£20million Business Park to proceed in Castlebar The Connaught Telegraph this week.
The go-ahead has been given for the development of a £20million business park for Castlebar. Located at the Moneen roundabout it will cater for both retail and commercial units and developer Tony Gaughan said last night it would be a first for the county town. It will be located on a sixteen acre site and work on the project is expected to commence in the near future.
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Knock Airport facing battle for U.K. market is one of the articles in the The Mayo News this week.
Knock Airport may be about to face stiff competition from Galway Airport in a head to head battle for the lucrative direct flights market to the United Kingdom. Already Galway Airport has received planning permission for a major extension to its runway and when this is completed the airport will be able to cater for the 100-seater "Whisper Jets". These jets would be capable of providing a profitable cross-channel service from Galway Airport to the U.K. Although there has been no official announcement from Galway Airport in relation to future cross-channel services it appears increasingly likely to seek a slice of the U.K. direct flights market when the runway extension is complete next summer. Speaking to The Mayo News yesterday (Tuesday), Mr.Jarlath Feeney, Chief Executive Officer of Galway Chamber of Commerce said there was a real possibility that cross-channel services would be provided from Galway to the U.K. in the near future. "The runway is being extended to 1,800 metres which means it will be able to take-100 seater jets. But it's not just the length of the runway that's important, it's also the quality. We are looking at a London city equivalent and one of our definite objectives will be to establish a direct Galway-London flight". Already, Aer Arann are being tipped as a possible provider of a cross-channel service from Galway Airport. The airline is currently seeking tender to become the country's main regional carrier. The provision of cross-channel services from Galway Airport to London would place severe pressure on Knock Airport's share of the U.K. direct flights market. The airport is currently providing two daily flights to Standsted and an additional daily flight to Manchester. And although there are a number of charter flights serving the German cities of Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich, Knock Airport has still not realised the potential which was first identified by its founder, Monsignor James Horan. The airport currently generates a significant amount of business from Galway and would inevitably suffer if Galway Airport were to begin servicing the U.K market.
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Banks should pay for withdrawal of rural services The Mayo News.
A novel proposal to use the funds collected in Dirt Tax liabilities and penalties to benefit rural communities which are being deprived of banking services is to be made to the Government. The proposal has come from Senator Frank Chambers who is Fianna Fáil's Seanad spokesperson on Rural and Community Development. He is to bring the suggestion to the Taoiseach at the earliest possible opportunity. "This is a proposal that will make the banks pay for their decision to abandon people in rural Ireland", said Senator Chambers. To date the Bank of Ireland and the ACC Bank have handed over more than £50million to the State officers in settlement of Dirt tax liabilities and penalties. More than thirty more financial institutions have still to settle with revenue commissioners and it is anticipated that the liability of Allied Irish Banks will come to more than £100million according to Senator Chambers. "There could well be as much as £200 million in Dirt Tax liabilities and penalties available to the government,"said Senator Chambers
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Preparing for Oireachtas The Mayo News this week.
Castlebar will receive a £1million boost to its off-season income this year when the town will play host to Oireachtas 2000 during the first week in November. This is the first time since Oireachtas was founded ten years ago that it is to be held in Mayo. The Oireachtas is a celebration of all that is best in our native language and culture, and it will mean approximately 12,000 bed nights for Castlebar and its environs, and an economic input of up to £1m. The Oireachtas comprises all varieties of culture and recitation, as well as football and hurling. There will also be a Club na Féile where people can relax with their friends and enjoy music, song, dance and conversation at the end of the day.
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£200million Connacht regional Co-op proposed The Western People this week.
A new co-operative society with a turnover of £200m is proposed by the merger of North Connacht Farmers and Kiltoghert co-operatives. A vote on the merger will be held by both societies on Monday, September 4th. The committees of both are unanimously recommending acceptance to their shareholders. Talks on a merger between the two societies have been going on for some time and earlier this year the NCF annual meeting was delayed to facilitate the discussions. At that time the Chairman of NCF, Dan Gilmartin said he believed an amalgamation of the two Co-ops would further strengthen the co-operative movement in Connacht to their farmer shareholders. The merger will create a regional co-operative servicing all of the counties of Connacht with 18,500 shareholders.
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Revolutionary decisions are vital says former Taoiseach The Western People this Tuesday.
In off the cuff comments that are a clear challenge to the present Government former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds declared in Ballina that the extent of our present growth demands revolutionary decisions and policies. He said that if we continue on our present path, and specifically, if we continue on the basis of plans made in the old economy, then the economic growth were are now experiencing will be choked. Mr. Reynolds pointed out that revolutionary decisions in the past had brought about profound change in Irish society. One was the decision to provide free education and another was the major investment in communications/information technology. Mr. Reynolds, speaking at the Humbert Summer School, said the future of Ireland depended on planned regional development and this must be the priority of the new millennium.
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Mayo gas for Mayo says Bishop The Western People this week.
It stands to reason that whatever infrastructure, legal and physical, is needed should be put in place immediately to make Mayo gas available in Mayo, the Bishop of Killala , Dr. Thomas Finnegan has declared. At the opening of Drum sportsfield last Sunday, the Bishop said it stood to reason that the people of Erris should be the first beneficiaries of the new energy source. He pointed out that under the National Development Plan considerable funding was committed to improving telecommunications infrastructure. This would enable a region like Erris to exploit the full potential of the internet economy and the new knowledge-based industries.
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