Click here to go to newsletter index Welcome to Travel Directories Ireland Newsletter for Autumn 2005

In this Issue:

Click here to go to top of pageTourism News

Drift-nets affecting Angling

Declining salmon stocks due to drift netting has become a huge problem for angling related tourism. Angling visitor numbers have halved from 54,000 to 27,000 since 1999. Commercial fisherman account for about 80% of the salmon catch at an estimated value of less than E5 million per annum to the economy while angling accounts for about 20% worth an estimated E55 million per annum to the economy.

The Irish Government has insisted on ignoring calls to buy out commercial fishing licences and now may face prosecution from the EU for breaches of conservation laws. Commercial fishermen themselves are claiming that their way of life has become unsustainable. Ireland is now the only North Atlantic country which allows drift net fishing and as a result is hampering neighbouring countries attempts at conservation.

The decline in angling related tourism is naturally most noticeable in rural areas which are already suffering from the trend towards shorter stays in urban centres and is likely to accelerate due to anglers voicing their disappointment at the scarcity of salmon in Irish rivers and more foreign anglers boycotting Ireland entirely for its refusal to act on an issue which affects salmon habitats throughout Europe.

A cross-party Oireachtas committee is to recommend in a report to be published next month that the government buy back licences to use the large nets at sea while allowing the practice to continue in estuaries where stocks are above conservation limits. Although the Government needs to act immediately on this issue the chairman of the committee, Fianna Fail TD Noel O'Flynn, said recently that the Government was under no obligation to act on its recommendations.

Travel and Tourism Statistics

The Central Statistics Office have released Travel and Tourism statistics for the first half of 2005. The following table shows where visitors came from and the type of accommodation they chose.
more... (.pdf)

,000 Bednights Great Britain Other Europe USA & Canada Other Areas
Jan -
June
2004
Jan -
June
2005
% +/- Jan -
June
2004
Jan -
June
2005
% +/- Jan -
June
2004
Jan -
June
2005
% +/- Jan -
June
2004
Jan -
June
2005
% +/-
Hotel 1,831 1,871 +2.2 1,180 1,381 +17.0 1,401 1,347 -3.9 262 234 -10.7
Guesthouse/B&B 801 690 -13.8 1,160 965 -16.8 747 652 -12.7 190 177 -6.8
Rented House/Apartment 1,176 1,049 -10.8 1,851 2,161 +16.7 531 597 +12.4 413 322 -22.0
Caravan/Camping 98 92 -6.1 154 235 +52.6 4 3 -25.0 2 9 +350.0
Hostel 164 110 -32.9 344 306 -11.0 189 133 -29.6 136 65 -52.2
Friends/Relatives 2,795 2,878 +2.9 1,183 1,752 +48.1 760 792 +4.2 646 669 +3.6
Other 361 427 +18.2 798 819 +2.6 251 129 -48.6 159 187 +17.6
Total 7,226 7,117 -1.5 6,670 7,619 +14.2 3,883 3,653 -5.9 1,808 1,663 -8.0
 
Total Tourist Accommodation 4,070 3,812 -6.3 4,689 5,048 +7.7 2,872 2,732 -4.9 1,003 807 -19.5

Hurling and Football Finals:
Congratulations to Cork and Tyrone who won the All Ireland Hurling and Football finals this year.
GAA website

Tidy Towns:
The Overall National Award Winner was the Large town of Ennis, Co. Clare.
More on Ennis

Irelands tidiest village is Moynalty, Co. Meath.
More on Moynalty

Tidiest small town is Lismore, Co. Waterford.
More on Lismore

The Tidy Towns Competition is run by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and has been sponsored by SuperValu since 1990.

Rose of Tralee:
Congratulations to Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhan, the Mayo Rose who was the winner of the 47th Rose of Tralee.
Rose of Tralee website

Click here to go to top of pageTravel News

Irish Ferries
Irish Ferries threaten to discontinue service on the Irish Sea

Irish Ferries threaten to discontinue service on the Irish Sea if there is resistance to their controversial decision to offer voluntary redundancy to 543 Irish workers and replace them with cheaper foreign labour. They claim that the move is necessary for the company to remain viable due to rising fuel costs and increased competition from low-cost airlines.
more...

Enterprise Minister Micheal Martin is reportedly seeking legal advice in an effort to avoid footing some of the redundancy bill faced by Irish Ferries.
more...

Aer Arann
Aer Arann announces new route from Cork to France

Aer Arann, today announced that it will begin operating its first route to France from Cork on the 23rd July 2005 with the launch of a service to Lorient in South Brittany. The service will initially operate one day a week on Saturday and will be operated by an ATR72 aircraft.
more...

Ryanair
Ryanair Guarantees No Fuel Surcharges

Ryanair today (Tuesday, 20th September 2005) advised passengers that if they want to avoid British Airways’ fuel surcharges of up to £60 for a return trip they should fly Ryanair. Ryanair’s average fare is £27 compared to British Airways’ £181 (before they even add on their compulsory fuel surcharge). Ryanair guarantees that it will never charge a fuel levy. British Airways charge a levy of up to £60 for a return flight on top of their ludicrously high fares.
more...

Also, Ryanair have announces new flights from Nantes to Shannon, Derry to Liverpool and East Midlands, Cork to Dublin and Gatwick.

Click here to go to top of pageNews from Us

We have updated our site to make it even easier for people to find what they are looking for. You can now navigate by towns. On our homepage, click on a County and you will be brought to a page with a list of towns in that County.

Click here to go to top of pagePoem

Once Upon An Autumn Day

Once Upon an autumn day,
Colorful leaves began to fade
In the midst of a chilly, frosty air
As multitude of trees grew steadily bare.

Once upon an autumn day,
The whispering breeze was here to stay
Moving aimlessly through the countless trees
Scattering leaves with the greatest of ease.

Once upon an autumn day,
The leaves whirled freely in every way,
Until at last they came to rest
Finding a haven in which to nest.

Once upon an autumn day,
The trees were dormant, and the leaves lay
Waiting for the winter snow to fall
To quickly obscure them one and all.

by Joseph T. Renaldi
This and more poems available at Poem Hunter

Click here to go to top of pageFinal Thought

We must plant the sea and herd its animals.
Using the sea as farmers instead of hunters.
That is what civilization is all about
Farming replacing hunting.

Jacques Cousteau

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