Irish tourism chiefs are on high alert over the summer season as question marks were raised for the first time about major global sporting events, including the Olympics -- if the coronavirus threat is not contained.

Fáilte Ireland was under no obligation to keep records of its former CEO’s emails after he left the company, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has said.

The Government is considering a hop-on, hop-off bus service along the Wild Atlantic Way.

As the summer draws to a close it is useful to consider the impact of tourism on the economy. More particularly we can sometimes draw lessons and analogies from the tourism sector to the wider economy.

The shortage of chefs in Kerry is so severe that the county council yesterday discussed calling on the the Department of Tourism to intervene.

Killarney might regard itself as the "tourist capital’’, but the rest of the county does not revolve around it, Kerry county manager Tom Curran stated yesterday.

A 7.3% increase in the number of tourists was recorded in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year.

Up to €26 million may be spent on a National Diaspora Centre designed to attract as many Irish people as possible living abroad to come back here to holiday.

Irish Business Against Litter’s annual Anti-Litter League results have been delivering good news in the first week of January for a number of years now.

Permanent TSB has 170,000 mortgages in arrears with a total value of €7.9bn.

A landmark castle will have to celebrate its 800th birthday a year late.

THE secretary general of the former Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport received a package worth more than half a million euro upon his retirement, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed.

A GUESTHOUSE and restaurant in Dingle, Co Kerry, has been named Guest Accommodation of the Year at the prestigious AA Ireland Hospitality Awards.

THE restoration of an 18th century house, donated to the state in the 1980s, will be the largest single investment in any tourism project this year.

PLANS for a major redevelopment of the 13th century King John’s Castle have been lodged with Limerick City Council.

FÁILTE Ireland and the Department of Tourism has approved €4.7 million for a major redevelopment of Limerick’s King John’s Castle. Shannon Development will allocate a further €1m.

THE state awarded the contract to build and operate the new National Convention Centre in Dublin at a cost of €416 million, despite receiving a bid for about €200m less.

TOURISM Ireland is to meet with the US and Australian embassies after both countries issued warnings to their citizens about travelling to the North following a recent rise in dissident activity.

THE need for all businesses in the Beara Peninsula to work together to market the area has been highlighted by 14 German students.

TÁNAISTE Mary Coughlan and Tourism Minister Mary Hanafin have attempted to downplay their demotions in the Cabinet reshuffle.

IVAN Yates is absolutely right when he calls for the appointment of a “tourism tsar” (Irish Examiner, Feb 4).

A DESIGN combining Swedish modernism with an English cottage garden, and a display inspired by “Fen tigers” who lived off the landscape, are among the winners of the top awards at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

A REPORT published yesterday on the International Sport Horse Show (ISHS) at Punchestown for the years 2002-2004 gives a rare insight into the running of a major equestrian event.

YOU might not realise it, but every time you take the plunge in most of the swimming pools in the country, or plonk yourself in one of those spas, you are taking your life in your hands, and it’s not necessarily through drowning.

The Irish Farmers Association has published proposals aimed at ending a long-running dispute between walkers and farmers over access to private land.

THE ORGANISERS of one of the country’s premier summer festivals say they’re going to squeeze every euro they can out of government coffers, ahead of the international event.

IRISH people are voting with their feet when it comes to rip-off Ireland - almost 2.5 million people travelled overseas in the first six months of 2004, an annual increase of over 9%.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern last night denied allegations he had delayed the investigations of the Mahon Tribunal and had not co-operated fully with requests for documentation.

By Ryle Dwyer FIANNA FÁIL promised that, if they were returned to power, only 20% of workers would be paying the highest rate of tax.

Tax breaks for the Irish film industry are being discussed at public hearings next month.

WORK is expected to start next year on a long-awaited public swimming pool cum sports complex in a top tourist town.

A NEW national conference centre could inject up to €50 million into the economy, Tourism Minister John O'Donoghue said yesterday.

RARE naval artifacts stored in Dublin for five years can’t be moved to Co Mayo because the Department of Arts and Tourism is refusing to foot the bill.

PARENTS will be well aware of this scenario: You give a child some pocket money to last a week and by Wednesday it’s all gone on sweets and nothing to show for it.

Paddy Teahon has said he accepts the decision of the cabinet to remove him from office as CEO of Sports Campus Ireland and as chairman of its development wing, Campus Sports Ireland Development.

Paddy Teahon has been relieved of his role as CEO and chairman of Sports Campus Ireland.