11th April, 2011; Dublin, Ireland: The 54th annual National Skills Competition ended on Friday afternoon with two awards’ ceremonies in Dublin and Cork. Hosted with Snickers Workwear for the 6th year in a row, the competition pitted apprentices from all over Ireland, head-to-head in 22 trades, in order to find the National Champions who are the most skilled at their chosen craft.

Held at the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) for the 54th consecutive year, the competition tested every aspect of the skill and workmanship of the apprentices over an intense period of three days.

The winners will represent Ireland at World Skills 2011, the bi-annual event that has been dubbed ‘The Olympics for Craftsmen’, which will take place in London in October. The Irish team has performed admirably at WorldSkills in the past, coming second in Calgary two years ago – a fantastic achievement for such a small country.

“It’s a big year for these apprentices, not only are they now National Champions in their trades but in October they will represent Ireland at WorldSkills.” said David Macken, Managing Director of Snickers Workwear (Ireland) Limited. He added: “Ireland needs all the good PR it can get internationally and what better way to do this than showcasing the skills of our young people on the world stage. We came second in the last WorldSkills, so we’re hoping to go one better and win the competition this year and with quality on show this week I think we can do it.”

Snickers Workwear also provided all the clothing for the competitors, who were kitted out from head to toe in gear from Europe’s leading Workwear manufacturer.

For more information on WorldSkills London 2011 please see: http://www.worldskillslondon2011.com/

The National Champions in each trade were as follows:
Aircraft Maintenance (DIT)
Name: Colin Callaghan From: Drogheda, Co. Louth
Employer: Cityjet
Automobile Technology (CIT)
Name: Paul Furlong From: Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
Employer: Mick Furlong, Wexford Town
Autobody Repair (DIT)
Name: Donnchadh Sheedy From: Kilfinane, Co. Limerick
Employer: Dan Dooley Ford Centre
Bricklaying (DIT)
Name: Shane Crowley From: Togher, Co. Cork
Employer: Mark Crowley
Cabinet Making (DIT)
Name: Diarmuid O’Conghaile From: Baile na hAbhann, Co Galway
Employer: Self employed
Car Painting (DIT)
Name:Kieran O’Brien From: Ballineen, Co. Cork
Employer:G & D Garage Ltd
Carpentry
Name: Terry Spillane From: Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
Employer: Henry Ward, Kiltealy, Co. Wexford
Construction Plant Fitting
Name: Sean Canon From: Athenry, Co Galway
Employer: Coffey Construction, Athenry, Co. Galway
Cookery (DIT)
Name: Susan Murphy From: Kilmanagh, Co. Kilkenny
Employer: Self-employed

Electrical (CIT)
Name: Michael White From: Balenalstown, Co Carlow
Employer: Seamus Byrne Electrical, Wexford Business Park, Carlow
Heavy Vehicle Mechanics (DIT)
Name: Colm Cashman From: Kocklyon, Dublin 16
Employer: Defence Forces
Industrial Control (CIT)
Name: Barry Kenehan From: Tullamore, Co. Offaly
Employer: Oliver McManus, Moat, Co. Westmeath
Joinery (CIT)
Name: Alan O’Reilly From: Claremorris, Co. Galway
Employer: Self-employed
Mechatronics (CIT)
Team Event – won by Sligo IT
Name: Colm Frizzel
Name: Shaun Henry-Gillespie
Metal Fabrication (CIT)
Name: James Cooney From: Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
Employer: Global Steel, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
Painting & Decorating (DIT)
Name: Nicholas Cashin From: New Ross, Co, Wexford
Employer: Michael Kelly
Plastering (CIT)
Name: Darren McGreal From: Achil, Co. Mayo
Employer: Michael O’Gady, Newport, Co. Mayo
Plumbing (DIT)
Name: Daniel Rattigan From: Tallaght, Dublin 24
Employer: H.A. O’Neil
Polymechanics (DIT)
Name: Eoin O’Loughlin From: Aughrim, Co. Wicklow
Employer: Schering Plough (Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow)

Refrigeration (CIT)
Name: Anthony McAleer From: Ballieboro, Co. Cavan.
Employer: Renihan Refrigeration, Ballieboro, Co. Cavan.
Restaurant Service (DIT)
Name: Shelly White From: Sandyford, Dublin
Employer: Bewleys Hotels (Leopardstown)
Sheetmetal Work (DIT)
Name: Aidan Long From: Sarsfield Road, Cork
Employer: GB Service, Sarsfield Road, Cork
Welding (CIT)
Name: Gerald Roche From: Glanworth, Co Cork.
Employer: BCD Engineering, Charleville, Co Cork.

Photos or interviews with any of the winners can be obtained from Simon Palmer of Republic PR; tel: 01 282 2504, email: simon@republicpr.ie or
About Snickers Workwear
Snickers manufacture and provide workwear for professional tradesmen and service people. Their products are renowned for their quality, function and innovative solutions. The company was founded in Sweden in 1975 and since then has grown strongly so that today, Snickers Workwear is one of Europe’s leading brands in work wear, and is represented in 15 countries.
Snickers was founded by Matti Viio who worked as an electrician from 1959 to 1972 Whilst in those years working methods, technology, materials and tools evolved, but workwear was still the same as in the mid-nineteenth century. Workwear failed to fill modern requirements concerning function, comfort and design with manufacturers showing no interest in the workers real needs. In the end Matti Viio designed his own garments to work in.

Sophisticated testing and quality control procedures are carried out at every stage of the process, from the moment a new design leaves the drawing board through to final quality certification. Snickers Workwear makes relevant functions on durable and reliable garments to fit the roughest conditions.

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TV3 News also covered the event, including David Macken, Managing Director of Snickers Workwear. Here’s the clip.

There’s more to come following the Award ceremony tomorrow too.

With any event like this there is always a danger that something unexpected might happen on the day, which can result in the camera crew being called away to cover, therefore, to minimise the risk of this happening I arranged with RTE to come in the week before the launch in order to get generic footage of the hospital and facilities ‘in the can’ in advance. This gave us some comfort that should something happen on the day then RTE could always use the footage and overlay with audio commentary.  However, in the end there were no other sudden news items and the launch went well with RTE using footage of the launch and an interview with Dr Sheehan, which they combined with the shots they took the week before.

Here are links to the RTE and TV3 coverage that are hosted on their websites

RTE Six One News covers the launch of Cork Medical Centre

http://tv3.ie/videos.php?video=28193&locID=1.2.&page=17

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'8.5 Hours' the most controversial film of recent years.

Award winning Irish film ‘8.5 Hours’ gets Guaranteed Irish DVD release.

5th November, 2010; Dublin, Ireland: Award winning Irish film ‘8.5 Hours’ gets Guaranteed Irish DVD release. The Irish feature film 8.5 Hours will be released on DVD on November 8^th. The film is a controversial mix of intense drama and very black comedy and charts one chaotic day in the lives of four Dublin office workers in a Dublin software firm in the final days of the Celtic Tiger.

The film was independently made on a tiny budget but was screened in many festivals, won several awards, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and got a national cinema release in Ireland earlier this year. The film sharply divided critics on its cinema release but built up a strong cult following.

The film is rated 18s for its DVD release as it features some very challenging material, striking sex scenes, an outrageous blackmail plot, violence and drug taking, as it depicts the lives of the four characters falling apart at the seams.

8.5 hours is also the first film to be awarded the ‘Guaranteed Irish’ brand recognition and will carry the logo on its DVD cover. Director, Brian Lally, says: “I thought it would be a novel and cheeky use of the iconic brand that would help the film to stand out on shelves alongside Hollywood film made with big budgets many multiples of ours, which the film will be competing against. The people behind Guaranteed Irish really liked the film and appreciated the quirky use of the brand. As the film was all shot and financed in Ireland, and features an all Irish cast, it truly is 100% ‘guaranteed Irish’”.

The films four main stars are well-known faces on the Irish screen and stage:
Lynette Callaghan (The Clinic, Raw, The Tudors, Cold Feet); Victor Burke (Fair City); Art Kearns (The Clinic) and Jonathan Byrne (The Honeymooners; On Home Ground). It also features well known Glenroe actress Geraldine Plunkett and Gary Egan (Adam & Paul).

Lally adds, “It’s a provocative and gritty film that shows a group of white-collar Dubliners behaving badly as their personal lives are pushed to extremes. Though I use the ending of the boom years as a backdrop to the drama, that’s just a starting point as all the stories spin off in completely different directions and by the end of the film, the characters find themselves in some very surprising places.”

There is renewed interest in the film recently as the Irish American magazine Irish Connections has a feature article on the film and called it “the best Irish film in years” and strongly disagreed with some Irish critics reaction to it. A recent audience screening of the DVD, to an invited audience of people from the IT people got a very positive audience reaction. You can view the audience reaction on the link below or

A trailer for the film and learn more on the official website: www.8point5hours.com

The DVD will be available to buy from most branches of HMV, Tower Records, Easons, Zhivago, Celtic Note and the IFI.

For more information on ‘8.5 Hours’ or interviews with any of the cast and crew, please contact Simon Palmer of Republic on +353 (0) 1282 204 or email simon@republicpr.ie.

Notes to Editors

Festivals Awards Won

Winner Best Feature – International Film Festival Ireland – Clonmel 2009

Winner Best Actress – Lynette Callaghan – Yellow Fever Film Festival Belfast 2009

Winner 2nd Place Best Feature in Festival – Waterford Film Festival 2008
(early version of film)

About Brian Lally, Director

Brian has worked in the film and television industry for over 12 years. He has written several feature length screenplays and short films. One of his early screenplays was the 40 minute film Boys & Men which was voted best short Irish film by the Irish Times in 1996. It was shown at the Edinburgh Film Festival and was broadcast on RTE and Film Four. He set up Instigator Films in 2004 and has produced over 100 corporate video productions as well as the atmospheric short film Aftermath. This film  was screened in several international film festivals and led to Brian being awarded a scholarship to study video art in Rome. “8.5 Hours” is Brian’s first feature and he plans to direct a second feature in 2011.

Other Credits

Liam Moran, Maria Hylton, Richard Callaghan: Executive Producers

Karim Elmahoudi: Composer

Ends

Mary Gore, National Skills Champion 2010

The 53^rd annual National Skills Competition ended today with a lavish awards ceremony in the Round Room at Dublin’s Mansion House attended the by the current occupant the Lord Mayor himself. Sponsored by Snickers Workwear [disclosure: client] for the 5^th year in a row, the competition pitted apprentices from all over Ireland, head-to-head in 13 trades.

Run by the Dublin Institute of Technology, the competition tested every aspect of the skill and workmanship of the apprentices over an intense period of two and a half days – imagine sitting a the equivalent of a practical exam over two and half days. That’s intense stuff for young apprentices, but will probably be more pressure than they will ever face on the job, so it will serve well in their chosen careers.

We’ve had great interest from RTE this week with the competition featuring on the RTE’s Six One and Nine O’Clock News. The News featured an interview with Mary Gore, who’s at the front of the photo above; she’s now Ireland’s National Car Painting Champion. National Skills will also feature on the Thursday’s Capital D programme at 7pm on RTE1. We’ve also had great support in the press with the papers all over country featuring their local winners.

“The numbers of apprentices in Ireland is down 86%[1] since the boom” said David Macken, Managing Director of Snickers Workwear (Ireland) Limited. He added: “most of the firms in the competition, which are still supporting apprentices, are SMEs such as auto technicians, auto dody painters and repairers, builders, narpenters and furniture makers, electricians, painter & decorators, plumbers, sheet metal workers etc. They are the backbone of our economy and should be supported by the government and applauded by their community.”

Snickers Workwear provided all the clothing for the competitors, who were kitted out from head to toe in gear from Europe’s leading Workwear manufacturer.

The National Skills Champions in each trade were as follows:

Aircraft Maintenance

Name: Padraig Molloy

From: Nurney, Co. Kildare

Employer: Dublin Aerospace, Dublin Airport

Automobile Technology

Name: Brian Durning

From: Creeslough, Co. Donegal

Employer: Creeslough Tyre & Battery Centre, Co. Donegal

Autobody Repair

Name: Justin Moore

From: Carlow

Employer: Nigel Pratt, Bennekerry, Carlow

Beauty Therapy

Name: Claire Cullen

From: Foxrock, Dublin

College: Dun Laoghaire CFE

Bricklaying

Name: Paul Molloy

From: New Ross, Co. Wexford

Employer: Self Employed (student at WIT)

Cabinet Making

Name: Gerard O’Loughlin

From: Inagh, Co. Clare

College: Institute of Technology, Galway/Mayo Letterfrack

Car Painting

Name: Mary Gore

From: Clonsaugh, Dublin

Employer: Lois Colley Motors Ltd., Santry, Dublin

Cookery

Name: Colm O’Sullivan

From: Kenmare, Co. Kerry

Employer: Mulcahy Restaurant, Kenmare, Co. Kerry

Heavy Vehicle Mechanics

Name: Colm Carberry

From: Kilcock, Co. Kildare

Employer: Bus Eireann, Phibsboro, Dublin

Painting & Decorating

Name: Daniel Pepper

From: Ballyphehane, Cork

Employer: Mr. Eddie Pepper, Ballyphehane, Cork

Plumbing

Name: Shane Stringer

From: Doolin, Co. Clare

Employer: Albert Stringer, Doolin, Co. Clare

Polymechanics

Name: Fintan Collins

From: Dunmanway, Co. Cork

Employer: Port of Cork Company, Cork

Sheetmetal Work

Name: Michael Savage

From: Clondalkin, Dublin

Employer: Chambers Engineering, Coolock, Dublin

These winners will now have a chance to represent Ireland at the 2010 World Skills competition in London. World Skills has been dubbed the Olympics for tradesmen. For World Skills 2011 please see: http://www.worldskillslondon2011.com/

Photos or interviews with any of the winners can be obtained from Simon Palmer of Republic PR; tel: 01 282 2504, email: simon@republicpr.ie or Twitter: @simonprepublic.

About Snickers Workwear

Snickers manufacture and provide workwear for professional tradesmen and service people. Their products are renowned for their quality, function and innovative solutions. The company was founded in Sweden in 1975 and since then has grown strongly so that today, Snickers Workwear is one of Europe’s leading brands in work wear, and is represented in 15 countries.

Snickers was founded by Matti Viio who worked as an electrician from 1959 to 1972 Whilst in those years working methods, technology, materials and tools evolved, but workwear was still the same as in the mid-nineteenth century. Workwear failed to fill modern requirements concerning function, comfort and design with manufacturers showing no interest in the workers real needs. In the end Matti Viio designed his own garments to work in.

Sophisticated testing and quality control procedures are carried out at every stage of the process, from the moment a new design leaves the drawing board through to final quality certification. Snickers Workwear makes relevant functions on durable and reliable garments to fit the roughest conditions.

About Dublin Institute of Technology

Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) is one of Ireland’s largest and most innovative institutions of higher education.  It is credited with the development of technical education in Ireland in the late 19^th century and continues to build on this tradition, providing education from certificate to doctorate level.

The Institute currently has some 20,000 students, fulltime and part-time, studying at all levels from certificate to Doctorate.

DIT is part of the landscape of Dublin city, with six major campus locations around the city centre.  A new single campus for DIT is being developed at Grangegorman

End

Here are the corrections from the errors in the story below, which has now been taken down by AIBForEx and Business World, but may have been picked up by investors earlier.

1. Anthony Joyce is currently representing a group of investors called KRI, these are investors in the Kensington Royale Development in Sports City. He is no longer representing the Concerned Dubai Sports City Investors Group, more recently known as the Dubai Action Group, and they are in no way connected to the current action being undertaken by the firm.

2. Whilst Anthony Joyce is currently liaising with MED there are no plans for him or any representative of his firm to travel to Dubai.

3. KRI does not consist of two separate groups, from the Republic of Ireland and Britain, they consist of investors from eight different countries across the globe.

4. At the moment no developer in Dubai is being sued by Anthony Joyce & Co, the KRI Group, or the Dubai Action Group / Concerned Dubai Sports City Investors Group.

If anyone requires any details on either of the parties concerned above then please contact Simon Palmer of Republic PR.

This was the story that appeared….

Irish investors sue Dubai developers

Ends

40 clients of Dublin legal firm Anthony Joyce & Co are looking for Karl Morris to recover over €1m of funds, which they claim they paid him for deposits on properties in the Asilah Beach development in Morocco.

Morris has properties in  Ireland and Spain. He was last seen at his villa in Benalmadena near Malaga in Spain.

A private detective hired by investors cannot find him so Anthony Joyce is issuing a public appeal to find him.

If you have any details about the whereabouts of Karl Morris then please contact Anthony Joyce on + 353 (0) 1 4545 000.

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- Experienced Health Care Assistants
- Porters
- Endoscopy Nurses
- Head of Medical Records
- Cardiac Cath lab Manager
- Hotel Services Manager
- Chief Financial Officer
- Infection Control Manager
- Laboratory Manager
- Chief Pharmacist
- Radiological Service Manager
- Radiological Specialists – Senior Radiographers, Sonographer, MRI Clinical Specialist
- Radiological Receptionist
- Phlebotomist
- Purchasing Manager
- Scheduling Manager

There will be more roles to follow, to apply for any of these roles or request a job specification please contact Siobhan Kennedy at hr@corkmedicalcentre.com

Ends

Article from The Sunday Business Post

Siemens wins €8.5m deal
18 July 2010

Healthcare provider Sheehan Medical has awarded an €8.5 million contract to Siemens Healthcare to supply equipment for its new facility, Cork Medical Centre.

Under the agreement, Siemens Financial Services will provide finance for all of the equipment to be used in the hospital. Siemens Healthcare will provide angiography, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, x-ray and ultrasound equipment.

‘‘We have first class technology in all our hospitals and aim to make the Cork Medical Centre the most high-tech facility ever developed in Ireland.

Siemens is an important part of this aim, its ability to provide an integrated approach that covers innovative technology will allow us levels of diagnosis and treatment that will be in unsurpassed in this country,” said James Sheehan, chief executive, Sheehan Medical.

Cork Medical Centre will be the anchor tenant in City Gate, a mixed-use scheme in Mahon.

The €90 million facility will have 75 in-patient rooms, four operating theatres and a same-day surgery centre with 20 out-patient beds. It will also house an intensive care unit and cardiology and neuroscience units.

Sheehan Medical is operated by James Sheehan and his father, Dr Joseph Sheehan, who is chairman. Joseph Sheehan was one of the founders of the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin in 1984.He was also part of the consortium that built the Galway Clinic in 2004.

The Cork Medical Centre, City Gate, Mahon, Cork.

The Cork Medical Centre, Cork City’s  newest private hospital, the first to open for thirty years, will open it’s doors on 16th September, 2010.

Developed and operated by Sheehan Medical, the €90 million facility will house the latest medical technology from Siemens Healthcare, making it the most technologically advanced hospital ever developed in Ireland.

The Cork Medical Centre will be a 5 star facility providing 75 single in-patient bedrooms, fully sealed with the latest in infection control.  The main focus of the hospital will be surgery; there will be four operating theatres and a same day surgery centre with 20 out-patient beds.

The 135,000 sq ft hospital has the capacity to offer over 39,000 patient treatments per year.

The hospital will also house an intensive care unit; radiology facilities with MRI / CT / X-ray scanners; a cardiology and neuroscience facility. International accreditation, benchmarking and auditing will be provided by an internationally renowned healthcare organization.

“We are delighted to be able to confirm the official opening date and already we have consultants and other medical staff moving into the complex to prepare for the opening,” said Cork Medical Centre’s Chief Operating Officer Philip Sheehan.

All of the big three health insurers are expected to confirm they will cover the hospital in the coming weeks. “We have had positive talks from the VHI since September 2007 and expect to confirm the details in the coming weeks and we are also at advanced stages of confirming with both Aviva and Quinn Healthcare. Cork is massively under-serviced when it comes to private beds with less than half the number per capita.” said Mr Sheehan.

The Cork Medical Centre is the Sheehan’s third venture in Ireland – as they are one of the founders and major shareholders of the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin and the Galway Clinic, both covered by all three health insurers. The group also has strong links with the Loyola University Health System in Chicago – one of the world’s largest health centres and renowned for its research, development and pioneering approach to new treatments.

The opening of the state-of-the art hospital is a major milestone in the development of the City Gate Medical Campus which already houses the largest VHI SwiftCare Clinic in the country and the VHI Medical Centre.

“People of the region deserve a new facility like this on their doorstep rather than having to make a journey elsewhere for the most modern treatment available in world medicine.  A lot of our existing patients in both Blackrock and the Galway clinics are commuting form the Cork area already” added Mr Sheehan.

More photos and videos of the hospital can be viewed at the Cork Medical Centre’s Facebook page http://www.tinyurl.ie/5q. You can also use the Facebook page to ask the Sheehan Medical team questions about the hospital.

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