MV Independence of the Seas on a previous visit to Cobh
Up to 900 delegates from the fuel industry in Brazil are being rewarded for their business with a high end incentive trip in 2012 which will include a visit to Cork. They will travel on the cruise liner MV Independence of the Seas which will berth at Cobh Cruise Terminal overnight. The group, which is being co-ordinated by Kuoni Destination Management Company will experience Cork over a day and a half. This is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the region of Cork, voted one of the top ten European destinations to visit in 2011 by Yahoo Search Engine.
Cork Convention Bureau (CCB) has been working with Kuoni on an impressive itinerary for next year. A group of 12 visited Cork on September 17th and 18th last on a fact finding mission. CCB ensured they experienced the best of the region including a visit to the coastal town of Kinsale, the Queenstown Heritage Centre in Cobh, Fota House and even a night at the dog races! As a result of this site inspection a programme has been devised. A gala dinner in the grounds of Castlemartyr Resort Hotel with the backdrop of the castle ruins has been proposed followed by a day of excursions including the Jameson Distillery in the town of Midleton and the obligatory kissing of the Blarney Stone. Two hours of free time in Cork’s city centre will allow the group to browse the chic boutiques and have lunch at many of Cork’s great restaurants tasting local artisan produce. ‘This business will be worth an estimated €500,000 to the Cork region. Since its inception in 2007, CCB has been responsible for more than €20 million worth of conference, meeting and incentive business in Cork. Cork is at its peak right now and international event organisers looking for new destinations are very impressed with the product offering.’ Evelyn O’Sullivan, Business Tourism Manager CCB. (Cork Convention Bureau is an initiative of Cork City and County Councils, Failte Ireland and is also supported by the regions hotels.)
Commenting on the delegate visit to Cork, Captain Michael McCarthy Port of Cork said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Cork to leave a very positive welcoming experience for the 900 visitors. It is very encouraging to see commercial companies using the cruise liner business as a method of visiting the region. Statistics available from the cruise lines indicate that 30% of cruise passengers make a return visit to a region they visited on their cruise itinerary. This would be excellent for Cork if some or all of these delegates return in the future with their family or friends or indeed looked at future business opportunities.” In order to ensure that their visit is memorable, the Port of Cork will coordinate a special welcome with the Tour Operator, Cobh Tourism, Town Council and Chamber, Irish Rail and Cork City TEAM.
He continued: “The Port of Cork has been involved for the last 3 years with Spanish, French and Portuguese Ports in developing the European Atlantic Area as a premier cruise destination. This work under an EU Initiative “Cruise Atlantic Europe” is aimed at developing the historic links between these countries and the Latin nations in South America, particularly Brazil to encourage them to visit this region. The Independence of the Seas is due to berth in the Port of Cork between the 6th-7th May 2012 with over 5,000 passengers and crew.
Port of Cork Website
An Taoiseach, Mr Enda Kenny launches the IMERC Strategy on the 25th November 2011. Picture by David Jones, INS
The launch of a major maritime and energy resource cluster by An Taoiseach, Mr Enda Kenny, will affect the transformation of the future development of Ireland as a maritime nation. The Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster (IMERC) is a tripartite alliance between University College Cork (UCC), Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Irish Naval Service (INS). The IMERC vision is to become a research and commercial cluster of world standing, by realising Ireland’s potential in the maritime and energy markets of tomorrow.
Speaking at the launch, An Taoiseach commended all those involved from UCC, CIT and the Irish Naval Service for their vision in developing a new research and commercial campus in Ringaskiddy Co. Cork. The initial phase will see the delivery of 70 new research jobs by 2014, with industry suites, incubation units and enterprise centres to be developed as part of an extended campus adjacent to the NMCI by 2016.
In his response to An Taoiseach’s speech, Dr Michael Murphy, President of UCC said that: “research and commercial clusters are increasingly appreciated as engines for economic growth from Europe to China. IMERC puts Ireland on the map as a location for a maritime and energy cluster par excellence. It provides a one-stop-shop which focuses our attention on new and emerging opportunities in four distinct areas: Marine energy; Maritime safety and security; Shipping, logistics and transport; and Marine recreation”.
“Dr Val Cummins, IMERC Director explains: “The aim of IMERC is to promote Ireland as a world-renowned research and development location that will unlock Ireland’s maritime and energy potential. The creation of research posts will require a close working relationship with state agencies such as the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, and support from local bodies such as Port of Cork and Cork County Council”. According to Dr Cummins “the Taoiseach’s endorsement of IMERC is testimony to the national interest which IMERC aims to serve. This boils down to developing an environment where innovation can take place, creating new ideas, ventures, and jobs in support of the maritime economy of Ireland”.
Also at the launch, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Mr Simon Coveney, stated that: “IMERC is an engine for economic growth, both for Cork and for the country as a whole. A unique aspect of IMERC is the involvement of the Irish Naval Service, which provides expertise, equipment and infrastructure in support of SMEs and new commercial ventures. This critical mass will be brought to bear on the realisation of the IMERC strategy, which will see the integration of industry partners across all IMERC activities”. The IMERC Strategy 2011-2016, describes the plans in detail, and can be accessed from the website www.imerc.ie.
IMERC website
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny T.D. and Minister Simon Coveney T.D. at the Port of Cork's Deep-water berth in Ringaskiddy
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny T.D. and Minister Simon Coveney T.D. recently helped start construction on Arkady Feed Ltd.’s 110,000 square foot bulk feed store at the Port of Cork’s Deep-water berth in Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork.
Arkady Feed Ltd is a leading player in the importation and trading of feedstuffs for the animal feed sector in Ireland. The animal feed sector is a vital link in Ireland’s €8bn agri-food sector. The construction of this new store by Arkady Feed Ltd is a vote of confidence in the animal feed and agri-food sectors by the company. BAM contractors have been awarded the contract to build the facility on behalf of Arkady Feed Ltd.
Minister Coveney today said: “I wish Arkady Feed Ltd every success for their new bulk feed store here in Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. The dry bulks sector is up 9% for the first 9 months of 2011, according to figures recently published by the IMDO, which shows that this sector is likely to see further growth in the future.”
Gary McGuigan, a Director of Arkady Feed Ltd said: “This very important strategic investment in our own storage facility in the Port of Cork, will allow us to grow our business here in Ireland and be a stronger partner with our customers as they too grow over the coming years. While our industry is facing a number of serious issues that will hamper growth in the short term we feel very strongly that our industry is well placed for growth in the medium to long term.”
Brendan Keating, CEO of Port of Cork Company said: “The Port of Cork Company is delighted that Arkady Feed Ltd has chosen Ringaskiddy as the location for this significant investment. We are confident that with our unique deep-water port facilities in Ringaskiddy we can help and support Arkady as they expand their business. In offering our full support we commit to working with Arkady Feed Ltd in the achievement of growth.”
Port of Cork Website
