Latest news with #O'Donovan
Irish Independent
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Kerry literary festival ‘deeply appreciates' €25,000 award funding
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Patrick O'Donovan, visited Listowel during the festival meet with organisers and festivalgoers at St John's Theatre for a special event. As part of his visit, Minister O'Donovan announced a funding award of €25,000 to Listowel Writers' Week in recognition of its enduring contribution to literature and community engagement. He said the Listowel Writers' Week team work seamlessly to combine local literary life with overseas writers of renown. The minister added that such a system succeeds in bringing people together to enjoy the written word in all its forms. 'I am always heartened by the level of community participation and support involved in making this event happen on the ground, and I commend all those involved,' said Minister O'Donovan. The Chairman of Listowel Writers' Week Ned O'Sullivan warmly welcomed the minister's remarks and financial support, adding that the organisers of Ireland's oldest festival are truly grateful for the ongoing support of Listowel Writers' Week. 'This magnificent funding award recognises the importance of our work. Minister O'Donovan's encouragement for the arts and engagement with communities like ours is deeply appreciated and helps sustain our efforts year after year,' he said. The 2025 Listowel Literary Festival was a collaborative initiative with Kerry Writers' Museum, and St John's Theatre & Arts Centre. The festival concluded on Sunday with the organisers satisfied that this year's festival was a huge success with numbers up on many events.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Minister goes 'f**king mental' at summit over lack of planning since Storm Eowyn
'Fiery' talks with communications stakeholders ended abruptly after Media Minister Patrick O'Donovan walked out over a lack of planning since Storm Eowyn. Sources at the summit, co-chaired by Mr O'Donovan and Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary, said he left the building after giving the groups a dressing down. Storm Eowyn hit on January 24 and 768,000 houses, farms and businesses were cut off from the power supply, while 200,000 had no water. Telecommunications were also impacted, with 281,100 fixed service users (10%) and 1.8 million mobile service users (30%) affected at its peak. On May 21, a meeting was held at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications headquarters on Haddington Road in Dublin. It was attended by Mr O'Donovan, Mr Calleary, and Department of Housing officials. Several groups, including the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the Telecommunications Industry Ireland of Ibec, and ESB Networks, presented. According to the agenda seen by the Irish Mirror, each had 10 minutes to present on resilience, preparedness and emergency planning. Sources said following their talks that Mr O'Donovan was angry as he felt what they had presented 'wasn't good enough' and 'nothing had happened' since Storm Eowyn. An insider said: 'He told them it was unacceptable. It isn't the Himalayas, it's west Cork. 'He told them they hadn't seemed to have learned anything and if this had happened in Dublin, it would have been a very different response.' Several sources described Mr Calleary as attempting to be 'diplomatic', with some saying he also expressed frustration with the groups. One source said the 'fiery meeting' was 'adjourned abruptly'. It added: 'It was very testy because the ministers wanted to know what had been done since the storm and there wasn't really much by way of an update. Both ministers were fairly annoyed and weren't taking any prisoners.' Another source added: 'It has been 16 weeks. He went f**king mental.'
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
€2.75m Limerick land sale could deliver up to 70 homes in Corbally
DEVELOPMENT land with the potential to deliver almost 70 homes in a popular Limerick City suburb is on the market, with offers in excess of €2.75m sought. The greenfield site, on the Mill Rd in Corbally, is just over eight hectares (20.3 acres), of which 1.9ha (4.7ac) is zoned 'new residential'. The prescribed residential density, under the current Limerick Development Plan (2022-2028), is for 35+ homes per hectare. The remaining land just over 6ha (15ac) — is zoned for public open space. Last year, development land sold in Lower Park, Corbally, for €485,000 per acre. Savills, the agents handling the Mill Rd sale, said the residential-zoned land has a number of advantages that makes it ideally suited for housing units. 'This includes access to existing services/infrastructure to facilitate an immediate development, as well as a new development access off Mill Rd, which is being provided as part of the council's Part 8 improvements,' said agents James O'Donovan and Peter O'Meara. The council has carried out significant improvements to the neighbourhood road infrastructure since the same site came to market three or four years ago. The land was withdrawn from sale at the time due to concerns about access to the site for development. Since then, the road has been widened, with other improvements. Mr O'Donovan said the residential-zoned land could accommodate 66-68 homes. He said there was 'good interest from lots of parties, including developers,' the last time they brought it to market, and he expects similar this time around. While the land could cater for a housing scheme — subject to planning permission — a developer could also buy it, put in roads and services, and sell off serviced sites. The land, which slopes gradually from east to west, benefits from a new access point and has 105m of frontage to Mill Rd. 'It has direct access to services with a wastewater line, watermain, and ESB line traversing the site and readily available for connection,' the agents said. Mr O'Donovan said they already have offers 'in the region of €2.5m', subject to planning permission, 'but the preference is for an unconditional sale'. The surrounding area is a mix of mature residential estates such as Brookhaven and The Hermitage to the north and mature agricultural landholdings to the west and to the south. Large detached stately homes lie to the west of Mill Rd towards its southern end, among them Roseneath House. The current site sale is of lands that once formed part of the Roseneath House landed estate. The house itself, along with 0.9 acres, is on the market as a separate lot priced at €900,000 (see next Saturday's Property & Home for details). Corbally is regarded as one of the more desirable areas of Limerick City. It's linked to the University of Limerick and the city centre via a riverbank walkway, along the nearby River Shannon. There are a number of primary schools and secondary schools in the area, including St Munchin's College (secondary) and Scoil Íde (primary). Grove Island shopping complex, with large retailers such as Super Valu and Lloyd's Pharmacy, is a mere 750m walk away. Limerick itself has a strong employment base, and continues to attract interest from multinational companies. World ICT leaders such as Dell, Analog Devices, and Intel are based in Limerick, while the life sciences sector is flourishing too, with employers such as Regeneron, Biopharma and Ethicon Biosurgery, along with pharma giants Johnson & Johnson, Zimmer, Stryker and Cook Medical. DETAILS: T: 0214906120 T: 0214906114.
The Irish Sun
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Beloved former RTE star bags totally different role 12 months after shock station departure after 37 years
FORMER RTE star Bryan Dobson is set to chair the new State Commemorations Advisory Committee. The group has been set up to "guide future commemorative efforts", according to Culture Minister Patrick O'Donovan, following recent work on the Decade of Centenaries programme that concluded in 2023. 1 Bryan Dobson is set to chair the new State Commemorations Advisory Committee Credit: Fran Veale The committee will include Professor Marie Coleman, former ministers Heather Humphreys and Eamon O Cuiv, Orlaith McBride, Professor Paul Rouse and Dr Audrey Whitty. Ex- RTE reports that the committee is tasked with maintaining an inclusive, respectful, and consensus-based approach to all commemorative matters. Minister O'Donovan said today: "The Decade of Centenaries was a period of deep historical and national significance. Read more in News "As Minister, I am proud of how we, as a nation, commemorated that complex and formative chapter always with respect, sensitivity, and scholarly integrity. "Today, we build on that legacy by establishing a new Commemorations Advisory Committee to guide future commemorative efforts." Minister O'Donovan and some of the committee members met today at the new HQ of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to view a historical document recently acquired by the State, a signed agreement between Eamon de Valera, Austin Stack, Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins relating to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. They were also shown a memorial card of Michael Collins. Most read in Celebrity Mr Dobson, 65, He said at the time: "I will miss working with some wonderfully talented and hardworking colleagues. RTE's Bryan Dobson 'looking forward to retirement' as TV veteran issues emotional final message after retirement " "I am grateful too to the listeners and viewers who have given me their time and attention over the years. "I hope to Recently, the former RTE presenter told how he reckons his career in journalism started way back in Transition Year in Newpark Comprehensive school in Dublin, where he made his first radio programme. 'I WASN'T ACADEMIC' Speaking to the Roasted with Mark Moriarty podcast, he said: "I wasn't academic, didn't do a very good Inter Cert or Leaving Cert… I just knew journalism was for me. "And the broadcasting came about because I was never a very good speller, so maybe written journalism wasn't for me." He then ventured into pirate radio, joining Radio Nova, before heading to the BBC. Then, he joined the RTE newsroom in 1987, where he was appointed as anchor of the Six One News in 1996. STANDOUT MEMORIES One of the standout memories of his career was covering 9/11. He was due to do an interview in Government buildings that morning and instead ended up on a marathon session on the news from 3pm that afternoon. Mr Dobson also covered the Good Friday Agreement being announced, the historic visit of Queen Elizabeth II and many more moments. He moved to RTE Radio One's Morning Ireland in 2017 before presenting the News At One throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. DAD WISH Speaking to the Roasted with Mark Moriarty podcast, Mr Dobson also told how he believes that reporters are becoming increasingly subjected to hostility, often as a result of fake news and protests around asylum seekers, and how some reporters are now going for 'Hostile Environment' training. Asked about who his four dream dinner guests would be, he chose "If I could shoot the breeze and maybe go for a pint… I would like that chance."
RTÉ News
27-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
'Scéal' tax credit scheme announced for Irish movies with budget of €20m
Irish movies with a budget of up to €20 million have been given an uplift today with the announcement of the 'Scéal' tax credit scheme by Minister for Arts and Culture, Patrick O'Donovan. This new enhanced tax credit specifically targeting mid-to-lower budget films, provides an additional 8% uplift tax relief to Ireland's existing 32% tax incentive for film and television, Section 481. Speaking at the launch, Minister O'Donovan said that this is a positive change to Section 481 which will "benefit the Irish film industry, Irish film workers in senior creative roles and Irish cinemas". The 'Scéal' strand of Section 481 provides an additional tax relief to production companies producing small to medium sized feature films or animated feature films. Additionally, the uplift of 8% will be available to feature films with a budget of less than €20 million where at least one of the key creative roles of film director, screenwriter, or composer, amongst other key creative roles, is a national of, or ordinarily resident, in Ireland or the EEA. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said at the launch that "Scéal Uplift is a fantastic addition to our already globally recognised Section 481 film tax credit." The uplift will be of "great benefit to our smaller indigenous productions, the type that portray Irish stories on screen and project them all over the world," he added. The feature film must be intended for exhibition at a commercial cinema in Ireland for at least five days. At the launch, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland also announced details of a new Irish-language slate development fund, 'Smaointe', that will support Irish production companies as they develop a slate of creative projects in the Irish language. 'Smaointe' will support Irish-language narrative projects across film, television and animation, and companies specialising in Irish-language production. Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Screen Ireland, also welcomed the roll out of the 'Scéal' and 'Smaointe' schemes, saying that they would "create a new opportunity for Irish filmmakers and screen artists." Members of the Irish film sector have been campaigning for an extension of the 481 tax credit scheme. In Screen Ireland's most recent analysis of the Irish film production industry covering 2021-2023, published in January, the report found that the audio visual sector is worth €1 billion to Ireland. The report noted that the Section 481 tax credit was "hugely significant for the industry as two thirds of production spend was supported by this tax relief."
