GrowRings, an innovative Irish garden product, increases its distribution to the US with a presence at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas this May. GrowRings is a new concept in gardening, which is designed and created in Ireland, that is set to revolutionise the “Grow it Yourself” sector. The NHS will provide a gateway for the company to establish key partnerships with businesses across the globe, as well as directly with consumers in the US.

Trellis GrowRing

Show visitors will get the opportunity to talk to GrowRings experts about the care and maintenance of a garden and how easy it can be with the help of their innovative product. The concept of GrowRings is designed around modern day living, doing away with high maintenance flower displays, or fruit and vegetable patches, to make way for convenience in the garden or other outdoor space.

GrowRings is a very simple concept; the modular, circular design allows the user to have a fit-for-purpose raised garden bed in a matter of minutes. There are no tools necessary – two or more panels (depending on the diameter required) snap together to form a natural circular raised bed 10 inches in height.

David Roberts, Managing Director of GrowRings, commented that “We’re developing our strategy to build awareness of our product internationally, as we’ve had such a strong response from the Irish market to it. We feel very confident taking this next step to bring our innovative product to customers in the US and a number of other countries, as we establish business partnerships to ensure that we have the right distribution to succeed. We’re sure that our investment in touring to the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, and other international trade shows, will pay dividends as customers see the huge benefits of such a convenient garden product that can be used in a variety of ways. We’re sure that the American market will welcome our product as quickly as satisfied customers in other countries have done.”

GrowRings are for everyone, be it the gardening enthusiast or the gardening novice with absolutely no experience. Growing vegetables, fruit, plants or herbs becomes a simple straight forward process that can be done in the smallest of spaces. Their easy-to-use and assembly method makes it the ideal way to use creativity in any sized outdoor space, from a small apartment balcony to larger gardens. The product was a huge hit with the panel of entrepreneurs when they appeared on Irish reality TV investor programme “Dragon’s Den”.

The ‘Grow It Yourself’ sector is becoming increasingly popular as more people seek to improve their health with home grown produce, save money on grocery bills, as well as moving towards reducing their carbon footprint. Growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs has never been easier with GrowRings.

David Roberts commented on how easy it is to set up a productive garden with GrowRings, “The product’s flexibility is one of its greatest strengths. GrowRings can be used anywhere – in the garden, on grass, and on balconies for the city gardener.” He continued, “GrowRings are for everyone and can be used to grow most vegetables, herbs and some fruit. You can literally transform an outdoor space in minutes with GrowRings.”

For more information, visit www.growrings.ie

According to the ‘Expert Group on Future Skills Needs’, the cleantech sector in Ireland employs 18,750 people and is worth over €3bn to the economy. This employment figure is set to rise to 29,000 by 2015. Ireland is currently ranked 9th in the ‘Global Cleantech Innovation Index 2012’ which showed that “Ireland stood out surprisingly well” and “scored in the top 10 for evidence of commercialised cleantech innovation”.

Speaking at the signing of the agreement Tony Boyle, CEO of The Green Way said “This agreement is a concrete example of our mission to create jobs and international trade opportunities for Dublin cleantech companies, as well as attracting the next generation of cleantech companies from the Valley into Ireland.”

He continued, “The Environmental Business Cluster, alongside its sister Biocenter facility, is responsible for the largest and most successful private incubator programme for cleantech companies in the U.S. This bilateral agreement will now offer Irish cleantech companies access to this ecosystem, and enhance Ireland’s standing internationally in this rapidly growing industry.”

Melinda Richter, CEO of Prescience International and Executive Director of the Environmental Business Cluster and San Jose BioCenter stated, “One of the key objectives of the EBC is to provide Silicon Valley cleantech companies with access to global markets including the EU. This agreement with The Green Way will facilitate the linkage of San Jose companies with Dublin’s cleantech cluster and leverage the involvement of Dublin Academic institutions, municipal authorities, the international airport and the business community, in their efforts to commercialise their technology for European markets.”

Seán Giblin, Managing Director of Cylon, a Dublin based cleantech company within The Green Way, commented “The link between The Green Way and the EBC aligns with the growth strategy for our business, particularly in the U.S. We have recently expanded into the U.S., and are looking at ways to establish a footprint in Silicon Valley and gain access to the cleantech markets, investors and technology partners there. This agreement will directly facilitate our goals, and those of other Irish cleantech companies.”

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague, who is leading the Dublin ’sister city’ delegation said, “We see this agreement as the first step in establishing a strong working cleantech partnership between Dublin and San Jose, two global centres of high tech innovation and entrepreneurship. Dublin’s longstanding relationship with San Jose has been key to the growth of the ICT sector in Ireland, and this new agreement will deepen the practical links for the cleantech sector, and is fundamental to our objective to make Dublin the cleantech capital of Europe. It creates an open invitation and opportunity for companies in both countries to work together to create business and economic partnerships for generations to come.”

The established Dublin / San Jose ‘sister city’ relationship is the platform on which The Green Way and EBC intend to build a deeper cleantech collaboration between the cities. Dublin has a similar twinning arrangement with Beijing, and The Green Way is also seeking to forge bilateral links with Beijing peer organisations in the cleantech sector. The opportunity exists for The Green Way to put Ireland at the intersection of Silicon Valley cleantech innovation and Chinese cleantech capital, with potential spillover effects for green job creation.

http://www.thegreenway.ie

A wealth of vibrant activities are on offer across Dublin city as part of the third annual Russian Cultural Festival, running from February 20th – 26th. Traditional music, dance, children’s activities, lively performances, chess challenges, artisan food and cookery, the best in contemporary cinema, informative exhibitions and lectures are just some of the events taking place at numerous locations across the city.

Pictured at the launch of Dublin City's Festival of Russian Culture was Rodan Rakhmatullina (age 4 months) dressed up in traditional Russian costumes with colourful matryoshka dolls.

The week long festivities will culminate in a family day on Sunday February 26th, traditionally celebrated in Russia as Maslenitsa (“Pancake Day”), where entertainment to appeal to all ages will take place in and around Cow’s Lane and Essex Street, Temple Bar. This year the Festival has successfully secured the renowned Russian performer Oleg Pogudin to perform two exclusive shows at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin on Sunday February 26th. Pogudin, a beloved fixture on the Russian music circuit for over two decades, will perform for the first time ever in Ireland as part of the Festival. His eclectic mix of contemporary and classic Russian music and his unique, distinctive voice have earned him the title of “The Silver Voice of Russia”. Both shows are expected to sell out.

The Festival will encompass a selection of venues across the city, with associated activities certain to suit all cultural tastes in Temple Bar, Civic Offices Wood Quay, Trinity College Dublin, The National Library of Ireland, Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane Gallery, city centre cinemas and the National Gallery of Ireland. This is the third outing for the Festival, following on from last year’s massively successful event which saw over 7,000 visitors attend the family day, with many thousands more attending other attractions in the programme during the week. The Festival is organised by Dublin City Council with the participation and support of Moscow City Government.

There are many highlights in this year’s programme, particularly the central focus on the family day on Sunday February 26th in Temple Bar. This will feature a variety of performances and Russian food and souvenir stalls, along with entertainment to keep children enthralled, including Russian storytelling, doll painting, fairytale films and face painting, and plenty to keep adults entertained also.

For those interested in international cuisine, there will be a once-off opportunity to take a class in Russian cooking at the Cooks Academy, South William Street, on Thursday 23rd February. The class runs from 6.30pm – 9pm and tickets cost €70, available through www.cooksacademy.ie.

There will be lectures throughout the week on Russian culture taking place in the Long Room Hub in Trinity College Dublin and at the National Gallery of Ireland with presentations by leading experts on Russian culture, all of which are free to attend.

Several contemporary Russian films, including the multi-award winning Faust by renowned filmmaker Alexander Sokurov, will be screening during the week in association with Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. The films will be shown at various cinemas across the city – further details can be found on the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival website, www.jdiff.com.

One of the most popular events in previous years at the Festival has been the opportunity for members of the public to challenge Russian chess Grand Master Alexander Baburin. Mr Baburin is inviting secondary school students to a workshop in the Civic Offices on the morning of Thursday 23rd, and university students can challenge the Master in a mass chess-game at 1.30pm. Chess enthusiasts gathered in their droves last year to watch this spectacle, where the Grand Master took on over 20 players simultaneously, and an even greater crowd is expected this year.

Weeklong activities include three exhibitions: children’s art, photographic, and a Russian art exhibition in the Atrium of the Civic Offices in Wood Quay. The children’s art exhibition is a collection of works by schoolchildren from Dublin and surrounding counties who were encouraged to submit their artwork to represent Russian fairytales.
The Festival also has a strong business angle, to encourage ongoing trade between Russia and Dublin, and prominent business leaders will attend a breakfast and presentation to discuss how to strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

The Russian Cultural Festival is organised by Dublin City Council’s Office of International Relations and Research, and takes place with the kind assistance of Moscow City Government, O’Callaghan Hotels, Trinity College Dublin, The Russian Gazette, Easons, Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, Temple Bar Cultural Trust, National Library of Ireland, National Gallery of Ireland and The Russian Irish Cultural Foundation.

For updates on the Festival follow us on Facebook and Twitter or visit the website www.dublincity.ie/russianfestival

The 4th Japanese Film Festival will arrive in Dublin in November showcasing the best in Japanese cinema for Dublin audiences.

The event expands this year as a result of a hugely popular event last year which showed the appetite in Dublin for Japanese cinema. The films screen at Cineworld, Parnell Street, on November 10th and 11th and in the Screen Cinema, D’Olier Street on November 12th and 13th.

Japanese Film Festival 2011 - Jiro Dreams of Sushi

The most acclaimed filmmakers from contemporary Japanese cinema are included in the packed programme, with a variety of themes, genres and topics to appeal to all audiences. Tickets are now on sale from access>CINEMA on 01 6794420 or online at www.accesscinema.ie, or from the box-offices of the individual cinemas. The Embassy of Japan, access>CINEMA and the Ireland Japan Association are the co-organisers of the festival.

The 2010 Festival boasted sell-out screenings in all locations and the organisers expect this year to be no different, with a carefully selected programme designed to intrigue, educate and entertain.

“We’re aware of the appetite around the country for world cinema through our day-to-day work with film clubs,” commented Maeve Cooke, Director of access>CINEMA. “Given the nature of the highly acclaimed films that are being consistently produced in Japan, it’s great that we have the opportunity to organise a Festival which can bring this quality international cinema to Dublin audiences who have always been massively supportive of the Japanese Film Festival. If you’re not familiar with Japanese cinema, we encourage you to experience some of the richly diverse films from this extraordinary country.”

The Festival, while providing entertainment and escapism, also includes more thought-provoking and challenging titles, aiming to foster a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and society among Irish citizens and to strengthen the cultural ties between the two countries. Additional cultural events will take place on the periphery of the Festival showcasing other fascinating and intriguing elements of Japanese culture.

Highlights in the programme include Colorful, the highly acclaimed and multi-award winning animated feature from Keiichi Hara; Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, a mind-bending and surreal time-travel epic animation; the fascinating food documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which is sure to appeal to the legions of Japanese food fans with its cinematic celebration of the art of sushi; the hilarious Sawako Decides, a thought-provoking satire on class, gender and age made all the more interesting coming from a Japanese point of view; and the richly detailed, multi-layered and moving character drama Villain from renowned director Lee Sang-il.

The festival will also tour Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Cork. The full programme is now available from www.accesscinema.ie, along with further information on additional activities taking place. Co-organisers access>CINEMA are the resource organisation for regional cultural cinema exhibition in Ireland, and are supported by the Arts Council.

Wattics, the electricity management savings company, launched their money saving “Clever Metering” system which can save businesses thousands of euros. Wattics break-through technology helps customers understand and reduce energy consumption with a single meter, while producing the same breakdown as more expensive and complex competitor solutions.

Wattics Launch October 2011

Unlike their market competitors, Wattics assists businesses by monitoring electricity usage down to individual equipment with a single meter, which not only saves money, but provides a plug-and-play solution deployable in a only few hours.

The young Irish start up already has a successful track record with a wide range of businesses both here and in Europe, including; Charlestown Shopping Centre, Mandat International UN House, Geneva and Jurys Hotel Group. Key features of the management service include;

• Installation price €1,500 to €2,000
• 10-15 times cheaper than competition to maintain
• Delivery of significant savings greater than 25%
• Return of Investment within 1 year for customers with €1,000 energy bill or higher

Speaking at the launch, Antonio Ruzzelli, CEO said “We are looking for businesses who want to save money and reduce their electricity costs. Wattics can provide cost-effective solutions for companies, allowing full understanding of their energy-use profile by site, building and room, and even by “offending” appliance. The implications of this for energy saving and for appliance is globally immense”.

With deregulation and greater transparency required in the utility market, customers are demanding access to their own usage data and with an ever greening business environment, large enterprises demand energy consumption analytics in detail.

Speaking about working with Wattics, John Corroon, Lead maintenance manager, Jurys Inn Custom House said ” I have been amazed at the depth in which the reports go into each appliance by simply clipping a standard meter onto the boards, which allowed us achieve more than 25% reduction on the monitored distribution board for our air handling units”.

Wattics award winning technology won the Globe Sustainability Research Award 2011 for the most original and challenging research within the sustainability field developed in-house by their talented team, provides unprecedented insights into energy use, highlighting immediate opportunities for savings.

ENDS

Lord Mayor of Dublin Andrew Montague officially opened the event, joined by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, the Sky Ride Dublin ambassadors Nicky Byrne of Westlife and stylist Lisa Fitzpatrick, and Team Sky pro cyclist Russell Downing.

SKY Ride Dublin 2011

8km of Dublin’s streets were closed to cars, giving people of all ages and abilities a unique chance to ride their bikes freely around the city centre with no traffic. The free event, organised by Limelight Communications on behalf of Dublin City Council and Sky, allowed riders to take in the route at their own pace whilst enjoying some well-known landmarks including Merrion Square, the Pepper Canister Church, Grand Canal Square, Samuel Beckett Bridge, the National Convention Centre, and the Custom House. Participants were treated to a whole host of activities and entertainment throughout the day along the route, with performances from local entertainers, demonstrations by RampRage BMXers, and the Sky 3D ‘outdoor living room’ experience.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Andrew Montague said: “Dublin prides itself on being a cycle friendly city, but rarely do we see so many cyclists together as we’ve seen today at Sky Ride. Well done to everyone involved here today.”

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: “I’m happy to come along and see so many people participate in this event. The benefits are obvious – for young people in a city, there’s learning how to cycle in a group with no traffic and for families it’s an opportunity for good healthy exercise. I’m all for that!”

Sky Ride Ambassador Nicky Byrne commented: “It’s been a fantastic day here at Sky Ride Dublin with people of all ages getting back on their bikes and enjoying cycling around on traffic-free streets. I hope that all 8,500 people that have taken part today will be inspired to start cycling more regularly and continue to have fun on two wheels.”

Now in its sixth year, the event has grown in strength and reached an all time high last year when they hosted Irelands’ first ever ETU European Triathlon Championships which saw over 50,000 visitors line the streets of Athlone for four days. The 2010 Waterways Ireland triAthlone generated €12 million for the local economy. The organisers are eager to exceed last year’s revenue figure for its upcoming event next week.

triAthlone 2011

Commenting on the benefits of the event for the town, Siobhan Bigley, Chief Executive of Athlone Chamber commented, “The event as a whole has provided a great boost to the local economy and unprecedented tourism opportunities for the region. The organisers expected revenue of €9million for last year’s event however we are delighted to say the expectations were surpassed by €3million and we look forward to a repeat success for 2011. ”

Waterways Ireland triAthlone has an event for participants at all ability levels. To grow the fun and charity side of the triathlon this year, organisers have added relay team events for each of the 3 race distances: Try-A-Tri, Sprint and Olympic Distance. Teams can consist of either 2 or 3 members splitting the disciplines of swim, bike and run between them. This year six roses from Leitrim, Mayo, Limerick, Waterford, Kildare, Westmeath and UK are taking part in the event in relay teams and are raising awareness and funds for Breast Cancer Ireland.

Ireland’s Olympic triathlon hopefuls and well known triathletes Gavin Nobel and Bryan Keane are delighted to be taking part and to be in with a chance to compete for silverware in the event, after successful 2011 campaigns to date, putting them serious in the running to qualify for London’s 2012 Games.

Speaking at the launch earlier this week, Liam Heavin, Waterways Ireland triAthlone Chairman said; “We are thrilled to be encouraging new people to take the plunge and take part this year through our relay challenge. The year on year growth we have seen with this event is outstanding and we hope it continues. It’s fantastic to have the support of Waterways Ireland who have made a massive contribution that has been critical to the success of the event.”

Speaking about the launch, John Martin , Chief Executive Waterways Ireland said; “Waterways Ireland recognised years ago that events such as the Waterways Ireland TriAthlone contribute not only to the economic wellbeing of waterway towns and villages but to a rise in the use of the waterways for recreation as well as an increased sense of community and pride. Through the Waterways Ireland Sponsorship Programme over 70 events will receive support this year. Through the Waterways Ireland triAthlone continues to deliver for the town of Athlone and the wider area.”

The race will begin with a swim in the River Shannon, from which the competitors will then take to their bikes for a cycle through south County Roscommon before the exciting town-centre run which will see the event finish in the heart of Athlone. The event is running in tandem with Athlone Town Council’s Summerfest which will offer entertainment and activities for the whole family throughout the weekend (www.athlone.ie).

For more information visit www.triathlone.com.

The Irish Vocational Education Authority (IVEA) met with the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector earlier today to present their submission.

First established in 2009, there are now five Community National School (CNS) managed by the IVEA. These schools operate through an ethos of inclusiveness and respect for all beliefs, both religious and non-religious. Their establishment follows a recognition that there is a need for an additional choice that can accommodate the diverse preferences of parents for varying forms of religious education and faith formation during the school day, offering ‘multi belief’ schools.

The IVEA’s submission to the Forum is based on the Community National School model and the recommendations about how primary education should be reformed in order to cater for diversity are based on the way this model has developed.

Michael Moriarty, General Secretary of the IVEA said, “There is agreement on the nature of the problem; we now need to work together to find the ‘best-fit’ solution. VECs, with some 40 years experience of working in the management of community schools and designated community colleges are ideally placed to contribute towards a solution and are anxious to do so.”

He continued, “While acknowledging that the inclusion of religious education in the school curriculum poses challenges, we note that these challenges are already being met in Community National Schools. IVEA believes that the intention of those who established our national school system should now be realised. The time has come to change the way primary education is managed in order to cherish all our children equally and to enhance community and national cohesion, and we believe IVEA has a vital role to play in this, and is well placed to provide the expertise required.”

IVEA noted during its submission that catering to diversity in our schools is about more than the religious and cultural dimension; real inclusion must cater to all forms of diversity – socio-economic, learning, aptitudinal, amenability, among others.

“The debate on school patronage has focussed exclusively on religious education and religious instruction and the extent to which, if any, these should be included in the school day. IVEA contends that the issues of quality of service provision, good governance and accountability also need to be taken account of at this juncture,” commented Moriarty.

IVEA proposals suggest that in order to avoid community division, the State should seek, through structured, transparent discussions with existing denominational patrons, to have the patronage of some 33% of schools transferred to the State over a period of four years. The stakeholders in all local schools should be consulted on the understanding that the ultimate decision would be taken by the DES and that its decision would not be based on a plebiscite result.

“Providing a different school, with a different patron, to meet particular needs has cost implications for the State; the most cost effective solution is for the State, through agents such as VECs, to assume a patronage role, thus guaranteeing the educational rights of all children under the one roof,” Moriarty elaborated.

“A proliferation of patronage types means that different ‘belief groups’ grow apart from their earliest years; this can breed intra communal misunderstandings and divisions. Communities should not be divided in establishing the demand for diversity. Instead, every effort should be made to educate children together, irrespective of ethnic, religious, cultural and language or learning differences.”

Since the enactment of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993, all VECs have been subject to stringent statutory requirements of governance and accountability and the Vocational Education (Amendment) Act 2001 further strengthened the governance, control and accountability of VECs. These developments are significant in the context of the proposal to vest patronage of the new community national schools with VECs.

In reforming national school patronage, IVEA submits that the present system which enables almost 100% of state funded primary education provision to be vested in a combination of religious bodies and/or private limited companies is inappropriate to satisfy the requirement of accountability which overarches the Education Act 1998. This is a matter that the Forum needs to address by way of firm and practical recommendations.

Moriarty summarised, “Each community should have access to a school that meets the relevant criteria, irrespective of its location. State patronage of primary schools is the key to success here. Some 40 years ago, State intervention through the establishment of community/comprehensive schools, and VEC community colleges made appropriate education available to swathes of Irish society that had been effectively excluded from such education. Similar State intervention is required today. All families should have access to primary education as of right; and all students should have their belief system respected and supported by the schools they attend.”

ENDS

Gathering for the 1pm cycle in Grand Canal Square, the ‘thousand plus’ cyclists took a spin around the city to promote health, fitness, money saving and stress free travel.

Google employees enjoying Dublin City's Bike to Work Day lunchtime cycle

Ciaran Fallon, Bike Officer, Dublin City Council speaking about the event said; “Dublin City Council are thrilled with the response to the event and are asking everyone based in or around Dublin city centre that cycles, has access to a bicycle or is part of Dublin Bikes, to cycle in the city more regularly and enjoy Dublin’s cityscape”.

Minister for Public and Commuter Transport Alan Kelly said: “This has been biggest and best bike week yet. There are huge advantages to cycling so the message to people who live close to their work or school is leave your car at home and get on your bike – it’s better for your health, better for traffic congestion, better for your pocket and better for the country overall.”

Prizes for best dressed male, female, bike and company were presented following the cycle along with the raffle prize of an Apple iPad for one of the lucky cyclists, Noel Rushe!

Further information on cycling in Dublin from www.dublincitycycling.ie.