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Tag Archives: Michael Ring

Online application system launched for community and voluntary funding

THE Minister for Rural and Community Development,  Michael Ring has today (Monday May 11) announced the opening of the online application system for the €35 million COVID-19 Stability Fund for Community and Voluntary Organisations, Charities and Social Enterprises. Following last Friday’s announcement of a €40 million funding package for the sector, applications are now being invited for the €35 million Stability Fund. The Fund will provide immediate, short term cash flow to qualifying organisations which provide critical services to those most vulnerable in society. The funding will be prioritised for those organisations which are most in need and have seen their trading and/or fundraising income drop significantly during the crisis. With funding being provided from the Dormant Accounts Fund, the new Stability Fund will provide a once off grant to qualifying organisations. The Fund will focus on organisations providing supports and services in the following sectors: · Health and Social Care (including addiction, disability and mental health) · Child and …

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4,000 job target through rural development

CLARE is the first county to launch a rural development strategy, which has a 4,000-jobs target, following the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development. Today (Thursday), Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring officially launches the Clare Rural Development Strategy 2026, which targets the creation of the 4,000 jobs over its lifetime.The launch takes place at an event organised by the Clare Rural Development Forum in Kilmaley Community Daycare Centre. The action plan aims to create the 4,000 jobs through the development of community-led social enterprises, supported by Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Office Clare, the Office of the Action Plan for Jobs (APJ), the LEADER Programme and the rural and community support unit of Clare County Council. Digital hubs will be established at numerous locations throughout the county to support rural enterprise by facilitating e-working, small-scale training and conferencing. The strategy also targets the development of community-run, multi-service centres, which will aim to provide a range of public services, …

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A golden glow on Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience has been awarded the first ever Heritage Gold award in the annual CIE Awards of Excellence. CIE Tours International staged their 25th annual Awards of Excellence at Dublin Castle, where Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring presented the award to the Clare County Council owned visitor attraction. The Heritage Gold award is presented to the single supplier in any category who has contributed most to the success of CIE Tours International last year. 24,334 surveys were completed by CIE customers who visited the Cliffs of Moher as part of a tour in 2014 and an overall satisfaction rating of 95.5% was achieved by the attraction, which last year saw overall visitor numbers break the one million mark for the first time.

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Ennis on tourism town shortlist

Fifteen towns and villages from across the country are being considered for the Fáilte Ireland 2014 Tourism Towns Awards and Ennis is in the running in the Large Town Category. On the shortlist with Ennis are Cobh, Kilkenny, Killarney, Trim and Westport. The competition, now in its third year, is designed to recognise Irish towns and villages where the local community goes the extra mile to enhance their appeal to tourists. The selected towns will now be subject over the next few weeks to a series of unannounced inspections from a crack team of independent ‘secret shoppers’ who will visit each location and assess the quality of visitor experience to be had. Kilkenny took home the overall crown in 2013, however 2014 will see a change to the format of the competition with titles awarded to Best Large Town and Best Small Town. The top ten “Highly Commended Tourism Towns” will be announced at the National Tidy Towns Awards later …

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Shannon on tourism trail in Lone Star State

A DELEGATION of 15 Irish tourism companies, including Shannon Heritage and five American tour operator partners, last week joined with Tourism Ireland in targeting hundreds of travel agents and influential journalists in Fort Worth, Houston and Austin in Texas With a population of about 28 million, the state of Texas is becoming an increasingly important market for tourism to the island of Ireland. This is something which bodes well for Shannon Airport where  transatlantic services have been increased this year. Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring also travelled with the group for the second of its ‘Jump into Ireland’ 2014 sales blitzes in the US. Tourism Ireland also introduced the country’s newest tourism experience, the Wild Atlantic Way at the various events. Similar ‘Jump into Ireland’ events will take place in Chicago and Boston, in September, as well as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, in November.  

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Minister Ring in Clare

MINISTER of State for Touirsm Michael Ring is in County Clare this Tuesday for a number of engagements. At noon he will perform the official opening of the new extension to the Burren Outdoor Centre, at Turlough, Bellharbour. Following this he will meeet the board of directors Lisdoonvarna Failte to dicusss tourism in the North Clare area. Finally, he will travel to West Clare to visit the rebranded Trump International Golf Links, Doonbeg to be briefed on development plans. Minister Ring will be accompanied by Clare Fine Gael Oireachtas members.

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Media blamed for Dublin launch for Wild Atlantic Way

Nicola Corless THE  launch of the Wild Atlantic Way, a 2,500km touring route from Donegal to West Cork which aims to attract more visitors to the West Coast takes place place in Dublin this Thursday. Despite the route showcasing the Atlantic coast, the launch will take place at the Fáilte Ireland headquarters in Dublin City Centre. Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring told The Clare Champion holding it Dublin was the fault of the national media, something echoed by organisers Fáilte Ireland. “It is a scandal,” he claimed. “That is the trouble with the national media, it is Dublin orientated and that is one of the reasons we have to have it in Dublin.” He also noted that holding the launch in the capital would not guarantee publicity. The Minister has promised a series of other launches along the route. “We will be doing a number of launches around places where it is and we will do …

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€96,000 for Burren signage

FUNDING of almost €96,000 for a tourism signage plan for the Burren has been announced this Monday  by the Minister for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring. The project includes key elements to help visitors navigate the Wild Atlantic Way through the Burren including: A scheme of directional signage for visitor attractions; Signage for the Black Head Coast Road; Amendments to the tourism directional signage on the N67 route from Kinvara to Lisdoonvarna via Ballyvaughan; Distinctive village and town name boards; Village information boards. “The Burren Signage Plan is a great example of how a signage scheme for a wider destination can be integrated into the Wild Atlantic Way, encouraging visitors to explore the wider destination,” the minister said.  

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