| News from Ireland • By Frank Shouldice
By Frank Shouldice
 Huge
Turnout at Croagh Patrick
An estimated 25,000 pilgrims climbed Croagh Patrick on the last Sunday
in July for the annual ascent of the holy mountain peak in County Mayo.
Despite heavy rain prior to the climb, the pilgrimage took place in sunny
conditions, with some hardier souls making the 760-meter hike in bare
feet. Mass was celebrated at the mountain top. Archbishop of Tuam Dr.
Michael Neary told pilgrims, “This is one of those pilgrimages which
takes the ever-demanding rush out of life. The world in which we live
has set an impossible pace. We are rushed from infancy to adolescence
and then through those special years to an ill-timed adulthood. Then,
as we grow older, we might be left to one side, as following generations
may see us as a burden or a handicap to their progress and ambition.
“Perhaps, today,” he continued, “we might bring home
a lesson from this old mountain. We might discover the need to reflect,
to slow down the pace of life, to wonder at the beauty of the earth, and
to really appreciate the value of our friends.”
 Aer
Lingus Shannon Move Sparks Row
Irish airline Aer Lingus met with strong public opposition when it announced
plans to switch its daily Heathrow service from Shannon to Belfast airport.
Chief executive Dermot Mannion said the switch is part of the airline’s
future expansion, but the decision was roundly condemned by business and
tourism interests in the mid-west, who predicted a severe economic fallout
for the region.
The Belfast move, in keeping with political developments between north
and south since the Good Friday Agreement, claims to make business sense
for the airline as Belfast offers a lower cost base than Shannon or Dublin.
However, Aer Lingus pilots and crews threatened a two-day strike over
fears that staff appointments at Aldergrove airport will be made at local
pay rates. The strike was averted by last-minute talks, but the longer-term
details of the Belfast move are yet to be agreed between employer and
unions.
Heathrow traffic accounts for about 10 percent of passenger volume at
Shannon. Of some 350,000 passengers who used the Shannon-Heathrow route
last year, an estimated 50,000 were tourists.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ó Cuiv said, “We are not going
to interfere with the decision of Aer Lingus, but on the other hand, we
have to try now to deal with a difficult position at Shannon and look
at other ways of resolving the problem.”
The controversy highlights difficulties faced by Aer Lingus operating
as a commercial venture. The Irish government owns over 25 percent of
shares in the company, employees own a further 12.5 percent but another
25 percent is in the hands of Ryanair, a low-cost airline which competes
with Aer Lingus on many routes in Europe. Ryanair currently operates flights
from Shannon to other London airports at Gatwick, Stansted and Luton.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary called on the government to force a
U-turn on the decision, but Aer Lingus CEO Mannion insisted there was
no going back. Although it was a very “difficult and sensitive [decision
to take] as chief executive officer, I take responsibility for the executive
decision,” he said.
Jury’s Closes Its Doors
Two of Dublin’s landmark hotels, Jury’s Hotel and the Berkeley
Court, closed their doors for the last time. Developer Sean Dunne paid
380 million euros for the combined site in the affluent Dublin 4 neighborhood
with the intention of building apartments and commercial outlets. However,
his application for constructing a 32-story apartment block was refused
by Dublin City Council, so it is unclear what revised design Dunne will
submit.
Both Jury’s and the Berkeley Court were highly regarded as institutions
of Dublin’s social life. Former patrons visited the hotels on the
day of closure. Mary Thompson from nearby Ringsend recalled her wedding
day at Jury’s and numerous family occasions held there. “It’s
a beautiful hotel,” she told the Irish Times. “I never thought
Dublin would get so rich that we could knock down such beautiful properties.”
Some 600 staff, who were laid off by the closures, received a redundancy
package. The Burlington, another well-known Dublin 4 hotel, was also sold
off to a property developer last year. It is expected to cease trading
at the end of the year.
Record Lottery Win
A Cork family collected a check for 16 million euros
when they picked the winning numbers in the Irish national lottery. The
payout reached record levels when the lottery went without a winner after
eleven consecutive draws. However, Helen and Paul Cunningham from Farranree,
Co. Cork chose the winning combination on a four-euro lottery ticket and
ended up claiming the windfall prize of 16,185,749 euros.
Paul Cunningham described their good fortune as a dream come true. Following
the win he quit his job as pub manager in Blackrock. The couple have five
children, but have yet to decide how to spend the money. It is by far
the largest prize in the National Lottery’s 20-year
history.
Population Boost in Ireland
A high birth rate and increased life expectancy have contributed to a
strong increase in the Irish population, according to the Central Statistics
Office. With births exceeding deaths last year by about 37,000, it represents
the largest natural increase in the population since 1982.
Irish women have an average of 1.9 children, a figure exceeded in the
EU only by France. Births outside
marriage account for over one third of all births. Last
year there were 21,841 marriages in the Republic of Ireland with 3,466
divorces granted in the state. Suicide (registered at 409 cases) exceeds
fatalities caused by traffic accidents (285), while heart disease is the
most common cause of natural death.
Immigration figures have also shown a sharp increase. The immigration
population in Ireland rose by 53 percent from 2002-06 so that by last
year, foreign-born residents accounted for 14 percent of the total population.
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