Top 10 Mistakes Tourists Make in Ireland
On 10.08.11 at http://www.irishcentral.com/travel/
1. Just because the calendar says summer don’t pack just summer clothes. You can get four seasons in one day there . 2. Don’t change your money at the airport -- use the ATM at any bank it is a lot cheaper,it takes your American credit card and charges a much smaller fee and better exchange rates. 3. Don’t rely only on an American Express card, it often is not accepted 4. Don’t leave a tip in a restaurant until you ask if the service charge is included. 5. Don’t ask for the subway, underground....Dublin/Ireland doesn’t have one. 6. Dont’ ask for a ride anywhere , it has got sexual connotations in Ireland 7.Don’t affect a phony Irish accent, the locals hate it when you do even though they might smile and suffer. 8. Don’t travel to Northern Ireland without changing your money beforehand to British currency -- and don’t use the currency shops on the border --- they charge crazy rates. 9. Don’t tip the bartender in the pub, it is just not done in Ireland. 10. Don’t be without a GPS if driving. Signposts are often infrequent and sometimes misleading. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton to Hold Ireland Summit
On 10.09.11 at http://www.irishtimes.com/
Former US president Bill Clinton has announced plans to host a special summit meeting in New York to attract increased investment into Ireland. Speaking at the second day of the Global Irish Economic Forum in Dublin last night, Mr Clinton told delegates that Ireland could do much more to maximise foreign investment by targeting senior business leaders from outside the traditional diaspora. In particular, he said the country should begin to focus more on emerging markets such as India and Brazil, whose economies are expanding rapidly. In what was an upbeat speech, Mr Clinton emphasised that Ireland “still had a lot going for it” and said the world thought more highly of the country than many Irish people did. “I know a lot of people in Ireland are discouraged, but the rest of the world thinks Ireland is pretty great. He says Ireland has to play on that,” he said. While foreign investment would help Ireland emerge from the financial crisis, he said there was no “silver bullet’. Instead, the road to recovery will lie in taking a broad range of imaginative steps such providing more credit to smaller businesses, large-scale public works to make buildings more eco-friendly and “crowd-sourcing” initiatives to raise finance for start-up firms. "This is just unfortunately not one of those things where somebody can come in and give a speech and somebody else can go and pass a law and everything is hunky dory," he said, "There are dozens and dozens of things we need to do and those things need to be worked out by people like you working together and exploring options and seeing how to do them." On the Government’s handling of the financial crisis, Mr Clinton said bailing out the banks and been the right decision because it increased confidence among prospective investors. “And I’m sure it made a lot of people mad because they thought we’re helping people who profited out of our misery. It was the right decision.” Mr Clinton advised Ireland to implement more aggressive Government policies to attract manufacturing back into the country, target opportunities in emerging markets and to chase investment from American-based multi-nationals which have significant cash reserves. “Target the companies rolling in the dough,” he said. Also speaking at the forum, Taoiseach Enda Kenny pledged that the Government will turn the ideas and proposals that emerged during the course of two-day seminar into concrete actions. As well as establishing a special group to implement the forum's findings, Mr Kenny said the Government will review what progress has been made within the next 100 days.
| EU Treaty Revisions Make Irish Vote Less Likely
On 1.20.12 at http://www.irishtimes.com/
EU OFFICIALS have spurned German pressure for constitutional limits on debt and deficits in Europe’s new fiscal treaty, a development which could make it easier for Dublin to avoid a referendum. Germany pushed forcefully in the past week to incorporate a demand for constitutional provisions in the treaty. However, a new draft leaves it open to the Government to enshrine a “golden rule” on debt and deficits in secondary legislation. There would be no automatic requirement for a referendum in that event, although it remains to be seen whether German chancellor Angela Merkel insists on constitutional measures in the final text. Also in question is whether any other treaty provisions lead to a public vote, something the Government does not want as it fears defeat. Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said that the Government cannot decide on that until the final text is agreed. A Supreme Court challenge to any move to proceed without a referendum is considered inevitable, but EU leaders have resolved that no country will be able to veto the treaty by saying unanimous ratification is not needed for it to come into effect. The negotiation is stepping up a gear as finance ministers prepare to gather in Brussels next Monday for two days of talks. A draft treaty circulated last night after discussions at official level will serve as the core text for the last phase of the talks, which began little more than one month ago. Seen by The Irish Times, the latest text has been hardened to allow Europe’s highest court to levy financial sanctions against governments which breach its rulings on new legislation compelling them to run balanced budgets.
Ireland Announces 'Global Irish Homecoming' in 2013
On 10.08.11 at http://www.irishcentral.com/news/
The Irish government has unveiled plans for what has been billed as the country’s biggest-ever tourist initiative. The year-long event, titled ‘The Gathering’, is expected to attract up to 325,000 extra visitors into Ireland in 2013. The initiative was announced on Friday at the Global Irish Economic Forum by Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar, who described it as “an invitation to the world to come and join in Ireland’s renewal." “The Gathering will be a year-long program of events, festivals and fun designed to bring record numbers of visitors.” Such a boost to tourism is predicted to generate an extra $300 million for the Irish economy. “People often ask me what they can do to help get Ireland out of recession and back to prosperity. Irish people living and working abroad ask them same thing," he continued. “The Gathering is the answer to this question.” Every town and village in Ireland will be asked to participate in the events, which will be aimed primarily at the Irish diaspora, as well as people with an interest in the country. The main focus of The Gathering will be a series of flagship festivals throughout the year, both existing and new, along with special interest spin-off events, designed to showcase Irish arts, food, sports, genealogy, family heritage, learning, science and hospitality. The initiative will be officially launched with a number of special events on St. Patrick’s Day. Tourism Ireland stated that The Gathering could generate up to $399 million for the Irish economy and create 2,000 jobs. It is base don ‘Homecoming Scotland’ which broght 100,000 people to Scotland in 2009 marketing drive. "There are a lot of people with Irish connections or a fondness for Ireland who have a vague plan to get here some time -- we want to light a fire under them and get them here in 2013," said tourism chief executive Shaun Quinn. |



