Latest news with #Arklow
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Norwegian sovereign wealth fund invests €400 million in Kingspan
Norway's sovereign wealth fund has taken a stake worth more than €400 million in Dublin-listed insulation and building materials specialist, Kingspan Group, the Sunday Times reports. Norges Bank, which manages the Government Pension Fund Global, took a 3.06 per cent position in the company at a share price of €75.50 on Friday. The total central bank managed fund is worth around $1.8 trillion. In a trading update for the quarter ended March 31st, Kingspan said it overcame a slow start to the year to record a good financial performance. Group sales rose 9 per cent year on year to €2.1 billion, and were 'modestly ahead' on an underlying basis. Sales of its insulated panels rose 4 per cent, while underlying sales were broadly in line, while insulation sales saw a similar performance, and roofing and waterproofing sales were up 55 per cent on the acquisition of Nordic Waterproofing. Amazon Web Services discussing €3.5 billion Arklow data centre takeover Amazon Web Services (AWS) is in early takeover talks with Echelon Data Centres regarding its €3.5 billion data centre Arklow, the Business Post reports. Neither party in the discussions commented. READ MORE Echelon, which launched the Arklow site project last month, are also planning a second data centre on a near-by site. The site was the first Irish data centre to receive a grid connection and is situated close to the SSE Renewables Arklow Bank Wind Park 2, from which it is said to be planning to purchase energy to offset the power demand from the data centre. Four Star Pizza feels the heat during franchise tech tensions Tensions have risen between Four Star Pizza and some franchisees following the introduction of a new digital trading system to handle sales within stores, The Sunday Times reports. Franchised pizza delivery business, Four Star Pizza Ireland, which owned by the Fitzwilliam hotelier Michael Holland is currently going through an expansion. Franchisees are said to be unhappy with the operation of the new system, and have resisted its implementation. The Sunday Times said it understands that franchisees have consulted legal advisers and are seeking a meeting with management on the matter. A statement from Four Star Pizza management said that it had a forum for franchisees to 'air opinions' and outside of which its communication 'has never been better'. Ryanair flights grounded by GPS issues Up to 50 Ryanair aircraft were temporarily grounded last week due to global positioning system (GPS) issues across a number of airlines, the Sunday Independent reports. Newer aircraft such as the Boeing 737 Max and Airbus 320s were particularly impacted by the problems which left thousands of passengers facing significant delays over a number of days, peaking on Thursday, May 21st. While it is reported no passengers were ever put in danger by the issues, numerous flights from Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Kerry and Knock airports faced issues.
Irish Independent
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
See photos as Wicklow Rugby Club hosts annual dinner dance
Special guests from Rathdrum, Greystones and Arklow rugby clubs were also in attendance, alongside current and past Wicklow RFC members, their families and friends. President Ann Morrissey welcomed everyone to the event and spoke about the club's many achievements over the past 12 months. Awards on the night were also presented to the senior men's and women's section and the recently formed under-20s. The senior player of the year was Ben Watson, while Brian Johnson won young player of the year. The seconds player of the year was Caolan Mooney. Luke Fox collected the award for most improved player. The under-20 player of the year was Eamonn Goddard, and the under-20 award for most improved player was won by Jack McCaul. In the women's section, the AIL player of the year was Caitlin Griffey. J1 player of the year was Faye O'Neill. Most improved player was Val Conyard. The young player of the year was Clara Dunne. The Mervyn Morrison Trophy for coach of the year was awarded to the under-18 coaches. The Peter Duffy Trophy for long-service to the club was won by brother and sister Robert Nolan and Lynn Armstrong. The Clarke Auctioneers Trophy for service over the past year was deservedly won by Rhona Younger. The night proved a resounding success, with all present dancing away into the early hours, with the band Fusion providing the music.
Irish Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Irish Sea wind farm developers asked to revise planning applications amid concerns about cumulative effect
An Bord Pleanála (ABP) has asked developers of Irish Sea wind farms to revise their planning applications to take into account the cumulative effect of other similar wind farms proposed for the Irish Sea. The request sent to the developers of the Oriel, Arklow and North Irish Sea wind farms on April 17th is likely to have a significant impact, particularly if, as expected, it is extended to the Codling and Dublin Array wind farms. Between them, both wind farms form a 33km line of wind turbines from Dún Laoghaire to Wicklow . The Codling and Dublin Array turbines would be taller than Bray Head, which is the tallest item on the east coast. The Dublin Array site is 9km off the coast at Greystones and the Codling Bank site is between 13km and 22km south of that, off the coast of Wicklow. The Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 project is planned to be located about 13 kilometres off the coast of Arklow, alongside the existing Arklow Bank Wind Park 1 farm. The Wind Park 2 development would provide up to 800MW of electricity, which is central to plans for two large-scale Echelon data centres in Arklow, announced at the weekend. READ MORE In letter to Sure Partners Limited, a subsidiary of developers SSE Renewables, seen by The Irish Times, ABP said: 'The applicant is requested to revise the submitted cumulative assessment taking into account other proposed wind farms in the Irish Sea.' The letter added: 'This assessment should include each of the Irish Sea Phase 1 ORE Projects, namely (Oriel WF (ABP-319799-24), NISA WF (ABP-319866-24), Codling Wind Park (ABP 320768-24), and Dublin Array WF (ABP-321992-25).' Crucially, the letter also said 'the board considers that insufficient justification has been provided with respect to how the proposed [Arklow Bank 2] development could be considered visually acceptable, noting the conclusions of the Seascape, Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (SLVIA) [report].' [ Why international firm Corio withdrew from plans for Sceirde Rocks wind farm off Connemara's coast Opens in new window ] [ Ireland has a dismal amount of tree cover but 'wild' is partly between our ears Opens in new window ] The cumulative visual impact of the nearshore wind farms proposed for the Irish Sea was raised by members of the public and statutory bodies such as Fáilte Ireland, in submissions to ABP regarding a number of the proposed wind farms. In a submission on a planning application for the Dublin Array, former chairman of Wicklow County Council Derek Mitchell said the application did not show a map of the proposed, neighbouring, Codling Bank wind farm. Mr Mitchell said 'the cumulative impact has received little consideration'. He told ABP the wind turbines would 'have 115 degree arc of view from Greystones, almost the entire sea horizon'. Mr Mitchell proposed a 10km gap between the Codling and Dublin Array farms which he said would reduce the wind farms in the arc of vision to 75 degrees. The State's long-term ambition for offshore renewable energy in Ireland, The Future Framework, aims to deliver 20GW of offshore wind energy by 2040 and at least 37GW in total by 2050.
Irish Independent
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Arklow Silver Band clinch coveted title at national championships
Travelling to the Bohemian Centre in County Louth, a venue owned and operated by the Ardee Concert Band, the Arklow band settled into the beautiful surroundings, providing a fitting backdrop for a day filled with music and camaraderie. Their first time competing in 10 years, following an extensive period of restructuring and rebuilding the band, the competition marked a significant moment for Silver Band members. Performing the challenging Malvern Suite by renowned composer Philip Sparke, the band impressed both audiences and adjudicator alike, with their outstanding performance securing them first place in the Section 2 Brass category and the prestigious title of Best Overall Section 2 Band, a competition that included both brass and concert bands. As a band spokesperson explained, the achievement was even more remarkable, given that over half of the current members were experiencing their very first competition. 'It was a proud and emotional day for everyone involved, highlighting not just musical talent but also the spirit of dedication and perseverance that runs through the band,' they said. 'A special acknowledgement must go to Stephen Smith, who made his competitive conducting debut with the band. His inspiring leadership and musical direction were instrumental in shaping the performance and guiding the band to success. 'Credit is also due to Slawek and Artur Bosy, whose unwavering commitment over the past several years has been crucial in recruiting, training, and nurturing new members to bring the band back to full strength.' 'We put in a tremendous amount of hard work over the past few months to perfect and polish the piece, and it was incredibly rewarding to see that effort pay off,' Stephen Smith added. 'It was a fantastic experience for the whole band, but especially for our younger members, many of whom were competing for the very first time. This success is a true testament to teamwork, determination, and countless hours of practice, proving once again that 'practice makes perfect.' Looking ahead, the Arklow Shipping Silver Band is already preparing for their next challenge – competing at the South of Ireland Band Championships in Clonakilty in early July.
Irish Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ex-Ultimate Fighter and Bellator star ready for first bout with new promotion
Richie Smullen will make his OKTAGON debut in June after signing with the MMA promotion. The former Ultimate Fighter finalist and Bellator star (14-3-1) takes on 15-3-0 Slovakian Vojto Barborík on OKTAGON's June 28 show at the Barclays Arena in Hamburg. Smullen, 33, won all four of his bouts in 2024 following a defeat in his last Bellator fight in June 2023. The Arklow featherweight was last seen in action when beating Spain's Jose Sanchez with a guillotine choke in just 29 seconds last October, with the BRAVE CF event taking place in Tenerife. The SBG fighter believes he has joined 'the most exciting division' in OKTAGON and is looking to take his first step up the ladder in a little over two months' time. "It feels good to sign with OKTAGON - it feels like it's the next step in my career," said Smullen. "OKTAGON is clearly the number one show in Europe so I'm excited to challenge myself and I think my division is the most exciting division they have. "Barborik is a quality opponent and a great first fight to have for OKTAGON as a win puts me right up the top of the featherweight ladder. "I see the fight playing out as a possible fight of the night in Hamburg - two high level grapplers going at it!"
