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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council held its annual Mountains, Myths and Maritime tourism industry day this week at Killeavy Castle Estate.
The event on Wednesday 26 June provided an opportunity for the local tourism industry to learn about opportunities to enhance their business and gave the industry representatives a forum for networking and collaboration.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Charlie Casey, welcomed invited speakers, key agencies, and the wider tourism industry to the recently opened Killeavy Castle estate at the foot of Slieve Gullion.
Councillor Casey said, “Tourism is a key priority for our corporate plan, with an emphasis on redefining our visitor destination experiences associated with the landscapes, stories and our people.
“Ultimately, we intend to position the Newry, Mourne and Down area as one of the premier year-round destinations in Ireland. The success of this initiative is based on our firm belief that tourism is important to every business and that only close collaboration will ensure the long-term growth of the tourism economy. Tourism is one of our most critical industries; spending from overnight trips has risen by 47% in 2017 to £90m—clear evidence of the impact that this thriving industry has.
“Since launching our Tourism Strategy in 2017, we have worked with local businesses and partners in local government to create exciting and memorable visitor experiences under the Mountains, Myths and Maritime theme. It’s been tremendous to see businesses embracing these ideas and helping visitors to immerse themselves in the landscapes, stories and people of this beautiful region. Some of the most notable ones that have been developed so far include Oysters and Chocolate, Trails and Ales, Catch and Cook and Feeding your Senses—all of which shows just how much this destination has to offer.”
The industry day gave local businesses an opportunity to hear from the Chief Executive of Tourism NI, John McGrillen, on the Northern Ireland’s emerging experience brand. He spoke about the way that businesses can work collaboratively to deliver compelling experiences that will attract and delight visitors, bringing benefits to both businesses and the local area alike.
Local tourism businesses also heard the latest on a new all-Ireland food and drink programme entitled ‘Taste the Island’. This initiative promotes food and drink tourism across Ireland and will include visits to food producers, distillers and brewers; food trails and food festivals, experiences in foraging, fishing and more during the months September through November.
Over the course of the day speakers provided advice on opportunities for local businesses to prepare their business for independent travellers and tour operators, how to target domestic and overseas markets, including the benefits of UNESCO Geopark status as a tourism selling point. The businesses also discussed ways of making the most of digital technologies and opportunities for training and mentoring.
If you would like further information on ‘Taste the Ireland’ and tourism industry initiatives contact Newry Visitor Information Centre.
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A confident Newry business community celebrated the success of local business at this year’s Greater Newry Area Business Awards, in the city’s Canal Court Hotel.
The glittering awards ceremony, organised by the Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade and sponsored by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Shelbourne Motors, was attended by 500 local businesspeople from across the Greater Newry Area.
Speaking at the Awards, Chamber President, Paul Convery said “The Business Awards have grown from when they first started in the early 2000s to be the highlight of the Newry business calendar. From that early beginning, the awards are now a shop window for Newry businesses to showcase their talent and broadcast all that is good about our region.
“The Chamber received 250 high quality award applications from the many successful, ambitious and talented businesses who are the real driving force behind our local economy. The strength of this year’s awards clearly illustrates a confident, determined business community, focused on creating jobs and generating wealth and prosperity for our region. “
Twenty-seven individual awards were made on the night, with the Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Greater Newry Area going to Michael Blaney, former Managing Director of Autoline Insurance. In his 21 successful years with the company, turnover increased from £2m to £55m, 200 jobs were created, and the Group made a significant contribution to local charities and community organisations.
Best businessman was awarded to Shaun Copas, of COPAS Technologies, Kilkeel, with the Best Businesswoman award going to Jackie Reid from Deli-Lites Ireland. Conor Cole, from Cole Groundwork Contracts was awarded Best Young Entrepreneur for 2019.
Congratulating all the winners, Paul Convery said:
“The Greater Newry Area is recognised as a place synonymous with entrepreneurship, innovation excellent service, product quality and customer care. This year’s awards have recognised the very best that this region’s business community has to offer. Well done to all 250 companies that entered and congratulations to the winners.”
See the full list of results at this link www.newry.ie
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The original spring supplying water to two hundred year-old Newry whiskey company, Matthew D’Arcy & Company has been rediscovered, after water diviners together with more mechanical methods hit the source of a well that was hidden for so many years.
Matthew D’Arcy & Company, Monaghan Street, Newry is due to open in mid 2020 and will welcome visitors from around the world to the Distillery which will also include a Visitors Centre, Bar and Restaurant.
The discovery was made after local historian and owner of Matthew D’Arcy & Company, Michael McKeown, found a map showing the site of a well on the property which had been in use as a distillery since the early 1780s. Historical documents show that a young Matthew D’Arcy commenced his business there in 1817.
That same location is now undergoing a significant regeneration project to the tune of £7.3 million after successful planning permission last year.
After the employment of ancient diving techniques, a strong and plentiful flow of clear pure water has been tapped within feet of the original well.
The new Matthew D’Arcy & Company set up will boast a Whiskey Distillery, Bar, Restaurant and Visitor’s Centre in Newry city centre. It is expected to be a game changer for the hospitality sector in this part of the island of Ireland and will form an important component of the rapidly growing interest in whiskey tourism on both sides of the border.
Latest statistics show that consumption of Irish whiskey in the international marketplace is increasing year on year, with US sales alone showing a near 14% increase on the previous twelve months.
Andrew Cowan, Chief Executive of Matthew D’Arcy & Company said “This is a wonderful discovery which connects the rich history of the Matt D’Arcy whiskey company to its future. To be able to cap this source of water so close to the same water used more than two centuries ago means that we will capture the flavour profile which made this whiskey so highly prized so long ago.”
“The provenance of the water sourced for whiskey distillation is of paramount importance and to say that the water we will use in the future production of our whiskey comes directly from our site really is something.”
“The entire 14,000 square foot regeneration project is moving forward at a strong pace and we hope to be opening the doors in mid-2020. Prior to that we will be bringing forward our whiskies that will focus on the super-premium market.”
Michael McKeown, owner and investor of Matthew D’Arcy & Company said “Through all the historical research we have carried out so far, we knew that there was a water source located on the property. I personally trekked the Derrybeg river from Monaghan Street to its source on the Camlough Mountain. It is obvious that it was not powerful enough to feed the scale of production that once was achieved in this distillery. Finding a well on an old map, we drafted in water diviners, expert hydrologists and drilling contractors to investigate. We then concentrated on a defined area and soon drew up pure, fresh clean water from metres below the surface.”
“It was like a scene in a movie. There was the noise of the drill and then a few moments of silence before the water came gushing out of the ground. We will harness this fantastic resource and turn it into something remarkable to be tasted and savoured throughout the world.”
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An application has been made for planning permission to reconfigure part of the former Marks and Spencer premises at Unit 1, Buttercrane Shopping Centre in Newry for use by Sports Direct to create a store over two floors.
The application is for the "Reconfiguration of existing retail unit including creation of first floor retail space, with external works to alter windows and means of escape with new plant area at first floor level."
Sports Direct are presently located in The Quays Shopping Centre.
The Buttercrane unit is vacant since Marks and Spencer moved to a new unit at The Quays in February 2018.
The Marks and Spencer unit was 5015 square metres and Sports Direct will trade over two floors taking up a total of 3088 square metres.
Part of the application is to construct a new division wall within the unit to split it into two separate units with another new retail tenant occupying the second unit.
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Newry based ‘food to go’ manufacturer, Around Noon who currently employ over 330 people, is investing more than £500,000 in improving its facilities, enhancing its IT systems, and increasing automation, with support from Barclays.
The innovative company has switched its banking to Barclays to assist it in making the important investments as it continues to grow the products and services it offers its client-base and increase its headcount.
Featuring in the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 listing in both 2017 and 2018, Around Noon is one of the fastest-growing food businesses in the UK and Ireland. It supplies a wide range of sandwiches, wraps, salads, bakery items and cold-pressed juices to leading coffee-shop chains, convenience retailers and contract caterers.
In addition to its Newry headquarters, it has a manufacturing facility in Greater London and has acquired two businesses in recent years: London-based Chef-in-a-Box and Sweet Things Bakery, which was originally based in Dublin.
Howard Farquhar, Chairman of Around Noon, says that Barclays’ support will help the company to meet its ambitious growth targets. He commented: “Barclays put together an impressive proposal to support Around Noon’s strategic growth plan, which includes investing significantly in order to increase business with existing customers and to facilitate further acquisitions.
“We feel that the relationship is the right fit for us as a business, given the expertise of the Barclays team locally, as well as the experience and coverage that the bank can offer in a range of markets. Barclays made the process of moving straightforward and the switch to them as our new banking partner has been seamless,” he adds.
John Mathers, Corporate Development Director at Barclays Corporate Banking, said: “We have been very impressed with the growth of Around Noon and the energy and ambition of the team. We worked closely with management to understand their business needs and to put together a package that not only provides their day-to-day banking, but also adds value and support from the wider Barclays network. Around Noon is a fantastic business and we are very pleased to be able to play a supporting role in its ongoing growth.”
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A luxury cruise liner, which was refitted by Newry based MJM Marine, has won a prestigious accolade from some of world’s top design experts.
Crystal Symphony, which was refitted by MJM Marine, won the 2019 AHEAD Americas (Awards for Hospitality Experience and Design), in the annual awards’ Transport category.
Citing details from her makeover which was created by London-based design agency AD Associates, the judges highlighted features in Crystal Symphony’s new Silk Kitchen & Bar which were manufactured and installed by MJM Marine.
Gary Annett, Chief Executive, MJM Marine congratulated Crystal Cruises and AD Associates on their success. “Crystal Symphony was a key project for MJM Marine which challenged our design, manufacturing and installation teams. AD Associates brought innovation to their design concept with unique features which included blackened steel, aviary-style structures and living walls which we manufactured in our production facility in Newry and shipped to Bremerhaven in Germany for installation. The end result is a fantastic restaurant onboard Crystal Symphony which has caught the eye and the appreciation of the industry. MJM Marine is proud to play a part in this wonderful cruise ship.”
Crystal Cruises prides itself on offering an unwavering and unparalleled standard of excellence and luxury to its guests. AD Associates were tasked with designing spaces that would retain the coveted position that Crystal holds in the luxury travel sector.
David McCarthy, Marine Projects & Communications Director for AD Associates commented: “We are absolutely delighted to win such a prestigious award. The project was a collaboration between a number of parties including Crystal Cruises, Genting HK and MJM Marine who were challenged to realise our design vision for the new Silk Kitchen & Bar. Their attention to detail, craftsmanship and quality delivery has created an amazing space onboard Crystal Symphony.”
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Southern Regional College has been working with Norbrook Laboratories Ltd. for over 10 years in the delivery of a range of training solutions. A celebration event was held recently at SRC Newry Campus, Graduate Restaurant where 55 Norbrook employees received certificates for a vast range of training opportunities over the past academic year. These included Higher Level Apprenticeships, Performing Manufacturing Operations, Business Administration, 18th Edition Electrical Up-Skilling, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), bespoke IT and Leadership and Management.
SRC Chief Executive, Mr Brian Doran, spoke about the excellent partnership Norbrook and SRC have and how he hopes it will continue to flourish in the years ahead. He also spoke of how Norbrook invest greatly in their staff and commended them for their commitment to employee development.
The partnership was recently acknowledged as an example of best practice by the Department for the Economy when Norbrook and SRC received the Employer Innovation Award for the development of the first Higher Level Apprenticeship in Applied Industrial Science. As a result, this summer, four of the Higher Level Apprentices who came through the programme will graduate will honours degrees from Ulster University.
Mr Doran noted: “Studying part-time and combining this with full-time work is never an easy task but I hope you enjoyed those challenges and have benefited from them. As WB Yeats once said: Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire. I hope that that fire continues to burn in each of you and that you continue your journey of learning.”
Denise Collins, HR Director at Norbrook Laboratories Ltd, spoke of the longstanding engagement with Southern Regional College and congratulated all employees on their achievements, highlighting Agnieszka Delaney who received the Apprentice of the Year Award. She also thanked SRC staff members for their support and guidance on the programmes. Denise highlighted the Learning & Development teams’ commitment to employee development to ensure the company moves forward with a highly skilled and motivated workforce.
SRC and Norbrook look forward to the next academic year working together for the benefit of curriculum development, its relevance to industry and the upskilling of the workforce.
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Newry man Mark Crimmins has been appointed as head of Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland. Mr Crimmins was a former Vice President of Newry Chamber of Commerce.
Mr Crimmins is currently the Regional Managing Director for Business Banking in Northern Ireland and Scotland, will assume Richard Donnan’s responsibilities in Northern Ireland for all business, commercial and corporate banking as well as engaging with external stakeholders.
He will be supported in this work by the bank’s regional board. After 30 years in banking, Richard Donnan, the bank’s current head has decided the time is right to leave Ulster Bank to pursue interests outside banking.
After starting his career in accountancy, he has over 20 years’ experience with Ulster Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland in a variety of business banking and leadership roles across Ireland and Scotland.
Speaking on his new role Mark Crimmins said “Ulster Bank exists to serve the communities in which we operate, whether that’s helping people own their own home or grow their business and we will continue to improve the ways that we do this. I’m very much looking forward to the role and continuing the great work that’s being done by colleagues across our business.”
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Translink have launched their 13th SPIRIT of Translink Facility Awards.
The awards in partnership with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful are designed to enhance customer experience and safety and reward staff who go the extra mile in making Translink a recognised leader in corporate responsibility. Around 40 Translink locations, including bus and train stations are participating in this year’s awards.
The awards’ embrace Translink’s four main corporate responsibility themes – Go Safe, Go Eco, Go Healthy and Go Together – and are judged across key criteria assessing resource efficiency, energy and carbon, biodiversity, health and wellbeing activities, stakeholder, employee and community engagement as well as employee culture, behaviour and leadership.
Translink Environmental Manager Andy Bate said: “These annual Awards celebrate how our employees contribute to delivering the Translink SPIRIT, making a positive and lasting difference, improving the passenger journey experience, demonstrating the company’s corporate responsibility focus and instilling a sense of pride in our work space and its place within the local community.
“This year the awards process has an extra focus on the company’s Go Eco work-streams of Energy & Carbon, Biodiversity and Resource Efficiency”.
Andy concluded: “Judges will, for example, check for evidence of practical conservation initiatives and habitat creation; carried out in partnership with a local group or community, within Biodiversity and will how they have been proactive in reducing energy waste within Energy & Carbon. A key area of interest is the reduction of Single-Use Plastics within Resource Efficiency”.
The SPIRIT of Translink Awards are independently judged by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Certifications Coordinator Jamie Miller said the awards "empower Translink staff to do their bit for our environment. Each year we look forward to seeing the range of inspiring initiatives they deliver such as cleaning up their local area, building bug hotels, and even growing their own vegetables. We look forward to seeing what will be achieved this year.”
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