News

Sweeney to open 'Wellness Hotel'

Hotelier Lorraine Sweeney has teamed up with her daughter Adrienne Stewart in opening a new “wellness hotel” in a €2.5 million investment.The 32-bedroom Powerscourt powerscourtsprings Springs hotel will open on July 20th in Coolakay, a outside Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow..

Ms Sweeney bought the property, which lies on grounds of 38 acres, last year from the National Asset Management Agenc. Ms Stewart, who also runs the Rainforest spa on the grounds of the family’s local Summerhill House hotel, is leading the project, and is a director of the business alongside her mother.

The venue previously traded as the Powerscourt Springs health farm during the Celtic Tiger years, before it closed in 2008.

Taoiseach 'cautious' on travel easing

The Taoiseach has said it is "too early" for British tourists to come to Ireland without quarantining for two weeks.

Micheál Martin said that this is due to a rising reproduction rate, and noting the UK's "difficulties" with suppressing the virus.

Concern has been flagged in recent days after reports that British tourists were coming to the state and not following the travel advice.

On Saturday, a further 820 cases were reported in the UK, the highest number for ten days.

Micheál Martin says Ireland is being "very cautious" on travel generally.

"We would be very cautious on international travel, generally," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.

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IBEC Backs VAT cut

A reduction in the VAT rate on on-trade alcohol is ‘an administratively simpler way of getting money to where it is needed rather than through complex schemes,’ said Ibec’s pubstaff0720 Drinks Ireland Director Patricia Callan.

Agents welcome Aviation report

The Irish Travel Agents Association has welcomed the publication of the final report of the Aviation Recovery Taskforce and the recommendations within. However, the Association had anticipated that the interim recommendations of the Taskforce would be implemented by the Government following its publication on June 22.

These include the removal of the quarantine requirements for people arriving into Ireland and clarity regarding travel advisories to the general public. The delay in implementing these measures has shaken the confidence of the consumer in air travel and made it difficult to plan travel.

Operator cancels bike tour

A tour operator in Co. Clare cancelled a guided cycle for two US tourists last night after they said they hadn't isolated for two weeks. cycling0720

The visitors said they filled in the self-locator form but didn't think the quarantine period was necessary.

Janet Kavanagh, owner of E-Whizz, says she didn't feel comfortable allowing them to follow through on the booking.

"I usually check where people come from, just for the sake of conversation when they arrive, but in this case it was an Irish name so I thought 'Oh, they're Irish but I'll just check',"