A Speed networking event involving all of County Wicklow’s chambers of commerce takes place on Wednesday September 15th in the Royal Hotel and Merrill Leisure Club and registration at 7 p.m.

Members of Wicklow town, Arklow, Bray and Greystones Chambers will be present on the night, as will representatives from Dun Laoghaire Chambers of Commerce. Please pre-register by contacting Susana at (0404 66610) or email the booking form to susana@wicklowchamber.ie

‘SHOCK AS BORD PLEANALA GIVES GREEN LIGHT’

Arklow could be dragged from recession with the news that the long awaited Alps site on Upper Main Street has been granted development approval.

Developer Graham Quinn received the news from An Bord Pleanála yesterday morning and told the Wicklow People that he is ‘delighted and shocked’.

For the past two years the file has been under consideration by the board and has been amended on several occasions following objections from various parties.
The biggest change that is to be made as a result of conditions is for a section of the building to be reduced from three to two storeys.

The project was estimated pre-recession to cost in the region of €180m and is expected to create up to 500 new jobs including during construction stages.

‘It is fantastic news, now I can start talking to anchor tenants and negotiating with them, all of which was put on hold until we had a decision.  The first stages will be to start marketing the project and to appoint an auctioneer,’ said Mr. Quinn.

The Dublin-based developer said that he is keen to bring the project to fruition and that Arklow is a great town which will undoubtedly benefit from this economic boost.
‘Arklow is a great town with a great population and this will create a lot of employment.  We want to get good operators for the hotel and retail units which will provide products that Arklow needs,’ he added.

The site on which the old Ormonde Cinema building stands will be transformed for the construction of a 93 bedroom hotel, 74 residential units, medical centre, crèche, 35 retail units and 14 office units and a multi storey car park facility.

Eamon De Buitlear launches Wicklow Tourism DVD

A new DVD offering a wonderful overview of County Wicklow was launched at a special event held in the Druid’s Glen Resort.

Renowned broadcaster, author and independent film maker Eamon de Buitlear officially launched the production whilst also praising its quality.

Presented by broadcaster Siobhan O’Connor, the Wicklow County Tourism DVD gives the viewer an excellent insight into what the Garden County has to offer.  There are also breathtaking aerial shots showcasing some spectacular scenery.

In his speech Chairman of Wicklow County Tourism, Tom Fortune thanked Eamon de Buitlear for launching the DVD.  He also said that the DVD will be an invaluable tool for promoting the Garden County, both at home and abroad.

‘A Journey through Wicklow highlights some of the best attractions that our beautiful county has to offer.  This type of promotion is an excellent resource by which to promote the county both in Ireland and abroad.  Not only has the film aired on City Channel and Channel South for a number of months this year, it is also available to watch on our website, www.visitwicklow.ie and it can also be viewed on YouTube.  We featured the DVD in our recent pan-European e-zine campaign, in conjunction with Tourism Ireland, and was sent to over 1 million ‘friends of Ireland’ email addresses throughout Europe.’

‘A Journey through Wicklow’ has already aired on the City Channel in Dublin and Galway and on Channel South in Munster.

Bank Holiday weekend-long event in aid of RNLI

THE ANNUAL Maritime Festival was launched in Arklow Lifeboat Station last Thursday 22nd July.

The festival which is held in aid of the RNLI will be a weekend long event kicking off on Bank Holiday Saturday. The event will start at 7.30pm on the Riverbank and there will be a number of events including tug of war, live music by Second Coming, duck races, swan races, model sail boats, gladiators, bronco bull, wheel of fortune and a jumbo slide.

Sunday’s events will be on the Quayside and will start at 1.30pm with the blessing of the fleet. At 3pm there will be an air sea rescue demo. Other events on the day will be live music, dodge ball, dog show, bronco bull, boat trips on firehawk, soccer penalty shootout, face painting, Hills of Arklow car show, model boat exhibition, great granny competition, barbecue tent and refreshments, tae-kwon-do display and prizes for the best shop front.

There was a great turn out at the launch and the festival queen, Aoife Redmond was unveiled.

Chairman of the fundraising committee, Tommy Annesley, said there was a great turn out on the night and said the festival is one of the main fundraisers for the Arklow Lifeboat.

‘We are hoping for good weather now. With Arklow being a sea faring town there will be a good turn out and there is plenty for all the family to do during the weekend.

Most of the events are free which will prove a great draw for families feeling the pinch of the recession.

ARKLOW MARITIME AUGUST WEEKEND FESTIVAL

Saturday – Riverwalk 7.30pm

    Sunday – On Quayside

WICKLOW International Airport moves a step closer to getting off the ground this week as negotiations commenced with Arklow landowners with a view to securing a site for the €100m project.

Speaking to the Wicklow People this week, consortium CEO Antony Martin confirmed that talks were ongoing with vendors but further information was unavailable at suck an early stage.

According to the team behind the airport plan, a 600-acre site is required.