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 Mid West - Unplugged Speaking in the Dáil recently, Deputy Noel Coonan described as ‘really maddening’ Minister Eamon Ryan’s comments that he anticipates an increase in the demand for high speed broadband into the future.
Deputy Coonan asked about progress in creating a ‘one-stop shop’ to which the Minister for Communications said the context for the proposal is ‘the anticipated increase in demand for high speed broadband into the future.’
In response, the North Tipperary Fine Gael TD said:
“In the three years since I have been a Member of the House, I have heard the Minister pontificate about what he is doing in terms of broadband and set targets which he has consistently failed to meet. To hear him say he anticipates a demand for high speed broadband is really maddening, especially if one comes from my region of the mid-west which has a higher than average rate of unemployment. Shannon Development has stated clearly that the most significant barrier to job creation in the mid-west is the lack of a high speed broadband system. It is simply not there. Metropolitan Area Networks have been in the ground and waiting connection for years and it is frustrating for broadband providers and the general public. I would like a time-frame and for the Minister to state when this will happen. He could have given this answer last September. I do not want to listen to the same story from the Minister next September,” said Deputy Coonan.
Ireland is still behind the EU average broadband penetration rate and there is less broadband penetration in rural areas than in urban areas. Ireland’s ranking in the EU’s Broadband Performance Index is 23rd out of 29 countries.
Ireland, is grouped in the fifth and lowest cluster group with Latvia, Hungary, and Estonia. The socio-economic context is more favourable in Ireland than in the other countries, but high prices and low speeds, limit its performance, as a result of weak competition. High prices, low speeds and limited rural coverage, hold back performance for the whole group.
 Natives of Mullinahone, situated near the Tipperary/Kilkenny border, who are starved of a reliable Internet Broadband system, have had their prayers answered, when locals discovered that a local graveyard, approx five miles from the village, can give them access to the World Wide Web.
But business people in the village are still angry that their village is so poorly served, forcing them to travel to Kilbride cemetery to download material from the Internet and to send necessary emails. This situation, plus poor mobile phone coverage has now driven Mullinahone’s business community to raise a petition calling for an improved broadband and mobile phone coverage, to bring them up to date with other areas.
Mullinahone isn’t included in the €223m National Broadband Scheme (NBS) that is rolling out high-speed Internet in rural areas.
The Department of Communications states: “In designing the NBS, which was approved by the EU Commission, the department needed to strike a balance between reaching as many non serviced areas as possible and minimising the impact of the scheme on businesses already providing broadband in rural areas, thus minimising market distortion in accordance with EU state aid rules.”
Now here were the locals blaming our own Irish Government and to be precise the Department of Communications when the European Union are really totally to blame. Sometimes it’s impossible to know just who is in charge of running this little country of ours these days.
Whoever is in charge however, please note that according to a new international study, Ireland’s existing broadband infrastructure will not be able to cope with the arrival of the next generation of Internet applications and services. Researchers at Oxford University looked at the capability of connections in 42 countries, to examine how they are equipped to benefit from services like high definition video and other enhanced content offerings. Of the 42 countries surveyed Ireland’s connection speeds and capacity is ranked only in 33rd place on the global table. The report states that Japan is number one and is the country best equipped to handle the roll-out of any such future services.
Broad band services are good in Thurles Town but areas close to the town such as Log Na Fola and Brittas are still waiting for services to be updated.
Cashel Community School, a County Tipperary school based at Dualla Road in Cashel is named among a list of 78 post-primary schools across the country to receive High-Speed Broadband as part of a new Government initiative. The 100 mpbs Post Primary Schools Project, will deliver high-speed broadband connectivity to second level schools across the country.
Green Party Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan, speaking at the launch of this project, at the Digital Hub Learning Studio, stated:
 “Today we are laying the foundations of Ireland’s new Knowledge Society. Providing our schools with high-speed wireless connectivity opens up a whole new world of learning for our children and our students will be connected to every corner of the globe. We are taking online learning out of the confines of the computer room. In classrooms and corridors, students and teachers will potentially be able to carry out interactive chemistry experiments and access demonstrations and exhibitions from all over the world. A class learning French in Dublin could talk in real time with a class in France. A leaving Cert Physics student will be able to take part in Ivy League lectures and experiments. With this level of connectivity, the opportunities for interaction and collaboration are unlimited. We must equip our students with the skills and creativity they need to thrive in the new digital world we are entering. There is no surer way of preparing them than by bringing the Internet right into their place of learning and allowing them to experiment and interact online. Today’s announcement opens a door to them, to take part in Ireland’s digital future.”
Under the existing Schools Broadband Programme, primary and post-primary schools in Ireland can access a basic level of broadband connectivity. The 100 mpbs Post Primary Schools Project marks the next phase in the Government’s ambition to develop our schools as world-class centres of e-learning and to educate the next generation of knowledge workers and digital entrepreneurs.
Schools have been selected against various criteria including geographical location, and an adequate mix of schools to ensure broad social inclusion. The speeds available are similar to those that are being offered to high-end national and multinational companies that operate in Ireland. They allow for the quick upload and download of material, instant connection to websites, and the increased and varied use of online applications.
This project is the result of co-operation between the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Department of Education and Science, the Higher Education Authority, HEAnet and the National Centre for Technology in Education.
The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has begun a tender process for broadband service providers. It is expected that numerous service providers will be involved. The tender will be accessible at: www.e-tenders.gov.ie
Shannon Development recently organised a special business function for Dublin based companies and influential management representatives from the accounting, legal, banking and venture capital sectors. The event was designed to forge new business contacts for the Birr Technology Centre, and Shannon Development’s four other Knowledge Network business and technology parks at Thurles, Tralee, Ennis, and Limerick.
Dr Vincent Cunnane, Chief Executive, Shannon Development, and acclaimed Offaly businessman Ray Leonard from Romaquip Ltd, a company based at Shannon Development’s business park in Birr which won a £45stg million UK contract, were key speakers at the event.
Demonstrating to the Dublin business audience that it is possible to work locally in the Shannon Region and still operate globally, Dr Cunnane said:
“Shannon Development’s knowledge network of five business and technology parks in Birr, Limerick, Tralee, Ennis, and Thurles are a vibrant and growing cluster. In 2008 over 20 new companies established businesses at our knowledge network, which employs over 3,000 people. These locations offer a great quality of life, access to third level research and development facilities and a pool of highly skilled graduates, as well as world class business infrastructure and facilities. We made a conscious decision to promote our knowledge network business locations and we are delighted with the response we have received.”
Romaquip Ltd located at Shannon Development’s Syngefield Business Park in Birr Co Offaly, is a manufacturer and supplier of road maintenance equipment, including salt spreaders, snowploughs to Ireland, the UK and continental European markets. They hit the headlines last year as one of two companies that secured a £45stg million contract to supply a new fleet of winter service vehicles to the UK Highways Agency – the largest contract ever awarded by the agency.
 The Easter egg, distributed widely to children at Easter time, symbolises the start of new life, just as when a chick hatches from it’s shell, a new life is born.
The western name for the festival of Easter derives from the Germanic word Eostre. The pre-Christian Saxons had a spring goddess called Eostre, whose feast was held on the 21st March, the Vernal Equinox. Some believe that Eostre was associated with eggs and hares symbolising the rebirth of the land in spring and the more modern introduction of the Easter bunny.
The ancient Persians painted eggs for Nowrooz, their New Year celebration, which falls on each Spring equinox. The Nawrooz tradition has existed for 2,500 years. The decorated eggs are one of the core items to be placed on the Haft Seen, which is the Persian New Year display. The sculptures on the walls of Persepolis show people carrying eggs for Nowrooz, to their king.
It was St. Gregory or Pope Gregory the Great who first ordered his missionaries to make use of old religious sites and festivals, and absorb them into Christian rituals where possible. The Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ was ideally suited for merging into the Pagan feast of Eostre, and many of the pagan traditions were then adopted into the Christian Easter festivities, thus encouraging pagans to turn to the Christian faith. It is through this folklore, the association between hares, and eggs originated.
The modern world has seen the introduction of the ‘Virtual Easter egg‘. Latter is an intentional hidden message, which can be secreted into movies, CDs, DVDs and computer programmes. With the rise of cybercrime and the increase in malware, many companies and government offices now forbid the use of software containing Easter eggs for security reasons, as there is now genuine concern that programmers could hide undocumented code, thus making it easy to access stored personal or confidential information.
A happy Easter to all our readers.
Shannon Development have announced the appointment of the Galway based Glenman Corporation Ltd to undertake their €3.5m expansion at the Tipperary Technology Park in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Glenman Corporation Ltd was first established in 1994 by brothers Michael and Albert Conneally. The company is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s most progressive General Building and Civil Engineering Contractors with over a decade’s experience of complex and high value projects in a variety of sectors across the building industry. Currently employing 180 permanent employees and a turnover in excess of €70m they have experienced strong steady growth over the past 10 years which they attribute to their ability to complete projects to the highest quality standards within the specified budget and on target.
Announcing the project, the Chief Executive of Shannon Development, Mr Vincent Cunnane stated:
“In turbulent economic times, it is critical that we continue to invest in high-quality infrastructure to entice all potential investors. We must send an unequivocal message to all developers, investors and entrepreneurs that Ireland is still an attractive and competitive business location, with a skilled, highly educated, and flexible workforce. This is why Shannon Development is undertaking this €3.5 investment at our Tipperary Technology Park and by doing so, we are sending a clear message that we are open for business.”
Since the first opening of the Tipperary Technology Park in 2000, Shannon Development has invested approximately €3.8m in developing two buildings presently at the park, thus providing property solutions for indigenous and foreign direct investors. The third building will now bring total investment at the Park to €7.3m.
UPDATE! The IMC Cinema is now open! To see cinema times, pricing and facilities offered by the IMC Cinema in Thurles, please visit our latest article here.
April 9th next, will see the opening of the new five screen IMC Cinema in Thurles, situated at the newly revamped Thurles Shopping Centre
Irish Multiplex Cinemas (IMC), one of Ireland’s leading innovators in the film entertainment business, and RealD, the world’s leading outfitter of 3D-enabled theatres, announced today that IMC will add RealD 3D capabilities to this multiplex location in Thurles. The rollout will begin immediately with completion of all RealD 3D installations expected in April in time for the release of Monsters vs. Aliens (Dreamworks Animation).
Paul Ward, director of IMC said,
“The RealD 3D technology being installed in all IMC Cinemas shows IMC’s commitment to providing not only the best in customer service, but also the best customer enjoyment of the cinema going experience by the early introduction of the newest technological advances available.”
Bob Mayson, managing director of RealD Europe Ltd. said,
“Ireland is an important market for us in Europe and we’re extremely pleased to be working with IMC to outfit all of their multiplex locations. Paul Ward and his team understand the potential of RealD 3D and are grasping the opportunity with both hands.”
RealD uses a single projector that alternately projects the right-eye frame and left-eye frame, and circularly polarizes these frames, clockwise for the right eye and counter clockwise for the left eye, using a liquid crystal screen placed in front of the projector lens. Circularly polarized glasses make sure each eye sees only “its own” picture, even if the head is tilted. The very high frame rate, which is 72 frames per second per eye, makes sure the image looks continuous. In RealD Cinema, each frame is projected three times to reduce flicker.
RealD’s next-generation technology is deployed across the world’s largest 3D platform in more than 34 countries with over 8,000 screens under contract and nearly 2,600 RealD 3D screens today. RealD is the global leader in 3D, bringing the most advanced and realistic digital 3D experience to cinemas worldwide.
Tipperary Institute in Thurles has now officially, this week, opened its Games Development Laboratory. The laboratory, sponsored by Microsoft is equipped with the very latest technology to give students access to a state of the art learning facility. The laboratory is designed to assist students to build their own software and games portfolios and to develop the skills which are now much sought by the fast growing game development and entertainment technology industry, both in Ireland and abroad.
The opening, which took place during Engineers Ireland Week of Wonder, saw over seventy students from Tipperary, Limerick and Dublin take part in workshops at this new laboratory. The students used the latest Microsoft games development technology XNA to create their version of the classic Atari computer game Asteroids. XNA Game Studio expands on all the offerings of earlier iterations to include additional functionality to appeal to game developers of every level and enable them to create games to distribute through Xbox LIVE Community Games on the Xbox 360 as part of the New Xbox Experience.
James Greenslade, Director of ICT at Tipperary said,
“Innovation has never been as important as it is in today’s economic climate. Tipperary Institute views investment in technology as crucial to our students’ learning experience and for the future development of a knowledge driven economy. We aim to develop students who are innovative and dynamic – something which is vital for our economy. To achieve this we must have access to technology and to networks, something Microsoft is providing for us through its generous sponsorship.”
Dr. Kevin Marshall, Academic Programme Manager for Microsoft Ireland, who opened the laboratory officially, stated.
“We need to embrace innovation in business, in technology and in society at large if we are to position Ireland in a true knowledge economy. There is a demand for skills in games technology both from established global players and also from smaller companies based here and abroad. The growth of online technology means that the skills students will learn on the course will be relevant and in demand,”
 The new laboratory has been completed in time to host the 2009 annual Games Fleadh which brings the games industry and secondary and higher education students from across the island of Ireland, together. Games Fleadh, Ireland’s largest computer and console games programming festival now incorporates the following major events;
Robocode Ireland
XNA Ireland Challenge
XNA Ireland Challenge for Schools
SchoolBots Challenge
Gaming Tournament
GamesPro Talks
Games studios expert will deliver a series of talks on all aspects of games design and development on the 11th March. On the 12th March experts will judge portfolio entries from college and school participants.
Games Feadh has been running for the past five years. In 2008 the XNA Ireland Challenge was added to the competition series. The XNA event honored the 30th anniversary of SPACE INVADERS(c) Taito Corp. 1978, 2008. Entries were received from University of Ulster, University of Limerick, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, Carlow Institute of Technology, Dublin Institute of Technology, Tipperary Institute and winning team Gort Community School. In total, sixteen third level institutes and fourteen second level schools took part in Games Fleadh 2008.
Games Fleadh 2008 was attended by representatives from Microsoft, SEGA, Rare, Blitz Games Studios, BlackRock Studios and Activision – DemoWare, all of whom are planning a return trip to Games Fleadh 2009.
XNA Ireland Challenge ‘08 entrants have been already offered work placement and graduate employment within the participating studios. It is becoming an important portfolio opportunity for those students. Games Fleadh has also created an opportunity for industry development organisations to network with games specialists to identify and cultivate opportunities.
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