Borris House to welcome thousands to Co Carlow for National Country Fair

· Irish Strongman Challenge to be hosted by legendary International Strongman Glenn (The Daddy) Ross

STUNNING Borris House in Co. Carlow is to welcome 10,000 plus visitors from Ireland and the UK to its 650 acre estate for the National Country Fair over the August Bank Holiday Weekend (4th and 5th).

Final preparations are being made for the internationally-renowned event which is set to be a massive revenue-spinner for Carlow and the south east region. Borris House, the ancestral home of the McMorrough Kavanaghs, High Kings of Leinster, forms the perfect backdrop for the National Country Fair which will feature a host of country lifestyle events.

Some of the biggest names and the biggest men will compete in the Irish Strongman Challenge on Saturday 4th August. Hosted by ten times winner of the UK Strongest man event and Europe ‘s Strongest Man 2004, Glenn Ross, it will bring together a team of competitors that will make even the biggest guys out there look small!

The show that will see feats of strength in six different categories including the dumbbell push, car dead lift, stone carry, barrel lift, log lift and the pole push. For nearly four hours visitors will be entertained by Ireland ‘s top strongmen in what is a first for this part of Ireland . The winning Giant will be awarded the Fionn mac Cumhaill trophy.
Another huge attraction will be medieval jousters and professional stunt teams on horseback in full costume sword fighting. The will include screen heroes who featured in the Robin Hood TV series and the movie First Knight, which starred Richard Gere.

A professional falconer from Scotland , UK sharp shooter, Michael Yardley, and Britain ’s strongest man, Glenn Ross, will also be putting on displays.

Visitors will also get to try their hand at clay-pigeon shooting, archery, falconry and fishing, as well as enjoying equestrian and gundog events, horses and hounds, birds of prey displays and children’s pet shows.

There will be legendary Borris lamb to enjoy at the artisan food festival with cookery demonstrations and food tasting as well as over 150 trade stalls selling foods, country clothing, fishing and shooting accessories, crafts and antiques.

Borris House is one of the country’s most beautiful, historic and centrally located country houses, just over an hour from Dublin and Cork and close to the Wexford and Kilkenny borders. Its owners, Morgan and Sara Kavanagh, look forward to welcoming visitors to their home and feel it’s the perfect venue for the family-focused, country lifestyles event.

In a bid to raise awareness about the estate the Kavanaghs are holding Borris House Open Day on Bank Holiday Monday, August 6th with carriage driving through the woods, historic tours of the house and stunning woodland walks along the River Barrow.

“The National Country Fair features a unique range of events, competitions, products and services reflecting all aspects of country life in Ireland and we’re thrilled to host it for the first time,” Morgan Kavanagh said. “Lots of people drive past and wonder what goes on behind our high walls. This is a unique opportunity to discover our hidden gem and the events we host here.

“We host concerts, civil ceremonies, weddings, historical house tours, runs, walks and corporate events. We also have self catering accommodation and recently hosted Mundy and Mary Coughlan in concert. We have great acoustics in our concert area.

Borris House has a busy calendar of events planned for the next 12 months, including special exhibition immortalising the famous Borris Lace collection.

A BBC television crew filming an antiques rescue programme to be screened in the autumn is featuring Borris House, and will be finishing filming over the bank holiday weekend, adding further excitement and buzz to the event.

The fair is family-friendly, with children under 16 going free. The entrance fee for adults is just €15.

County gearing up for 6th annual Savour Kilkenny Food Festival

Calling all foodies! The Savour Kilkenny Food Festival committee is delighted to confirm that the 6th annual Savour Kilkenny Food Festival takes place in the City from October 25th to 29th 2012.

Food lovers will be invited to taste “50 Shades of Flavour at Savour” at the festival, which will feature a saucy line-up of food experts, chefs, cooks and artisan producers! The theme is “Homegrown and Wholesome”.

The programme for this year’s event – which has established itself as one of Irelands top gourmet weekends – is the best and most ambitious to date with lots of new elements including Kilkenny Food Heroes, a Tasty Tweet-Up, a Nutritional Seminar, Foodcamp and Savour Buds focussing on young producers.

According to festival director, Marian Flannery, application forms are available online from www.savourkilkenny.com for food producers wishing to take part in the Food Village on the parade plaza. Hotels, restaurants and eateries around the city are also asked to contact Marian to discuss possible event in their businesses.

“We are very excited about this year’s festival and believe it will be best to date. We have a lot of new features this year which will go down a treat with food lovers.”

Some of Ireland ’s top cooks will join local celebrity chefs Anne Neary and Ed Hayden for live cookery demonstrations, including Rozanne Stevens, food contributor to the Pat Kenny Radio Show and food writer with the Irish Independent and author of cookbook Delish. More chefs who will work under the direction of Anne and Ed will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

RTE’s John Murray is confirmed as MC for the “Yummy Mummy Cook-off”, guaranteed to get some laughs as well produce some interesting dishes!

Once again the Parade in front of Kilkenny Castle will be transformed into an enormous, buzzing food village with up to 100 artisan food producers offering free tastings and showcasing delicious food.

Local restaurants will be putting on special events, with a return of the popular Sensory Dining Experience in the Club House Hotel where guests eat blindfold and let their taste buds act as their eyes! The Pembroke Hotel in Patrick Street is featuring Back to Food all weekend with a dinner based around foraging of foods designed to awaken people’s sense of nature. Other restaurants, including the Kilkenny Design Restaurant, will be announcing special events soon.

Other highlights this year include:

· Kilkenny Food Heroes – Award-winning Kilkenny food producers including Goatsbridge Trout and Knockdrinna Cheese will take reveal the secrets of their success.

· A Tasty Tweet-Up – Get to meet, greet, tweet and eat with tweeters, food bloggers and food lovers at Ireland ’s first National Food Tweet-Up in the special Tweeting Tent on The Parade. With special guests.

· Final of Kilkenny’s Young Foodie of the Year – organised by Kilkenny’s LEADER Partnership

· An exciting Food Art competition through secondary schools

· Nutrition Seminar: “Food for Growth – How to ensure our kids are getting the right nutrition!” With a focus on nutrition for children and young people, and how to get the best from all foods

Future looking bright for Gowran Park

THE Board of Gowran Park Golf Club and Grade 1 Racecourse in Co. Kilkenny have announced the appointment of Mr Edward Scally to the position of General Manager.

Edward (32) is coming to Gowran Park with a strong background in hospitality management, having worked in a number of 3 and 4 star hotels in Ireland over the last decade. For the last six years he has worked with the Carlton Hotel Group and most recently was General Manager at The Carlton Mill Race Hotel in Bunclody, Co. Wexford.

A native of Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Edward is a keen fan of national hunt and flat racing and is a passionate sportsman. He is manager of the Duffry Rovers Senior GAA Football Team in Wexford, holders of several All Ireland titles.

Gowran Park is the only Grade 1 racecourse in the South East, and one of the best known courses in the country. It holds 16 top quality national hunt and flat meetings all year round including the Thyestes Handicap Chase in January. One of Irelands most picturesque courses, it provides modern facilities in the heart of Irelands premier horseracing country.

Gowran Park also has a mature, 71 par parkland golf course. Three of the holes are central to the racecourse, while the remaining 15 meander through the 130 acres of mature woodlands and lakes of the Annaly Estate in Co. Kilkenny.

Edward will be charged with building on the already high standards offered at Gowran Park to racing fans and golfers alike. It is also hoped to grow on the top class wedding and conferencing facilities.

In making the announcement of the new appointment, the board of Gowran Park wished Edward all the best in his new role.

Mr Joe Connolly, Chairman of Gowran Park, said: “We are delighted to welcome Edward Scally to the position of General Manager. Gowran Park Golf Club and Racecourse is preparing for the economic recovery and intends to be the venue of choice for racing and golfing fans locally, nationally and indeed internationally. I believe Edward, with his energy, expertise and vision, is the man for the job and wish him well in the position.”

Mr Edward Scally, General Manager of Gowran Park grade 1 Horsecourse and Golf Club, said: “I am very excited to be coming to Gowran Park and to help build on what is already a great offering for racing and golf fans. I look forward to working with the board and the entire team to position Gowran Park as the premier racing and golfing venue in Ireland , and to marketing it as an ideal venue for conferences. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead and I believe the outlook for Gowran Park is very bright.”

Ceramics Graduate Exhibition opens at the National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny

An expert horse woman who has worked with Ireland’s leading racing stables, including Coolmore Stud and Baldoyle, is combining her love of all things equestrian with her chosen career as a ceramicist.

Claire Molloy is incorporating horse hair in her eye catching ceramic creations which are being showcased at ‘Through The Mill’, a new exhibition which has opened in the National Craft Gallery in Kilkenny.

30-year-old Claire, from the Tipperary/Kilkenny border, is one of 12 new graduates of the Crafts Council of Ireland’s renowned Ceramics Skills and Design Course whose distinctive work features in the exhibition until July 31st.

The talented artist managed to continue to work and study after she dislocated her shoulder in March in an accident while breaking in her four year-old horse, Fionn on the farm near Callan in Kilkenny.

“I count myself exceptionally lucky – I get to combine my two passions every day of my life,” Claire said. “It was a bit of a juggle at times, but an enjoyable one. I’ve worked with horses all my life and they inspire my work. I’ve worked at Coolmore where I looked after lots of horses, among them the mother of the famous Sheikh Mohammed owned chestnut colt, Mon Dieu.

“I also looked after George Washington and Dylan Thomas when I worked for a short time at Ballydoyle. I now breed horses for events and show jumping from my home on the Kilkenny/Tipperary border. I use horse hair in all my wall-mounted plates and smoke-fired pieces so I’m never far away from working with them,” she added.

Martha Williamson, from Spiddal in County Galway was named Student of the Year 2012 at the opening of Through the Mill. Martha’s interest in ceramics started when she worked at the Sliding Rock Pottery in Spiddal, where she will now continue her ceramic practice.

The Crafts Council of Ireland Chief Executive Prize was awarded to Andrew Whitelaw from Limerick, while the Crafts Council of Ireland Chairman’s Purchase went to Gideon Cumming from London for his pair of stoneware roundels.

The graduates come from diverse backgrounds and include a former civil engineer, a science and biology graduate from Poland, and a former health service employee. Many of them will progress to further training or will travel to gain additional experience abroad while others plan to work with leading potters in Ireland.

The Though the Mill Exhibition offers visitors to the National Craft Gallery an opportunity to admire the craftsmanship and invest in pieces by these emerging ceramicists. The display of final project work in each graduate’s signature style reflects their individual technical ability and design aesthetic.

The graduate exhibition covers a wide variety of ideas and techniques and includes:

vessels incorporating sawdust, seaweed and horsehair, used to achieve surfaces of great subtlety and beauty
functional tableware in vibrant colours inspired by traditional country slipware or decorated with ceramic transfers
sculptural forms in subtle hues or delicate, paper-thin porcelain
earthenware tiles and platters and robust stoneware pots
a set of 12 teapots that were produced for one of the course’s numerous practical projects.

The Ceramics Skills & Design Course, which is based at Island Mill in Thomastown, County Kilkenny, is designed to equip graduates with the practical skills to develop careers in the ceramics industry. The two-year, intensive programme sets out to give the students a common set of skills, knowledge and understanding from which they develop their own individual work and progress their technical competence.

Throughout the two-year programme, students work directly with established potters in Ireland and abroad. The work placements undertaken in the second year give students an invaluable insight into the day-to-day running of a professional pottery, while allowing them to hone their skills and expertise.

Karen Hennessy, Chief Executive of the Crafts Council of Ireland, said the exhibition is the culmination of two years of hard work, resulting in a very high standard of craftsmanship: “Commencing a successful career in the craft sector requires both skill and business acumen, and our course is designed to equip students with both.

“Having developed their individual creativity through dynamic work practice and the technical knowledge and skills required to support quality and innovation in design and production, these graduates now have the confidence and competence to enter the ceramics industry. Their experience over the last two years will stand to each graduate as they establish themselves as makers and we look forward to continuing to support them through the Crafts Council of Ireland programmes. I wish them every success in the future.”

Through the Mill was officially launched by Mary Gallagher, collector and owner of the Blue Egg Gallery, Wexford, who hosted an exhibition of the students’ work during their second year.

The Ceramics Skills and Design Course Manager, Gus Mabelson, said the two-year programme is challenging but through their attitude, effort and dedication, the graduates have produced some outstanding work: “From when they first joined the course, the students were a very pro-active group, developing and growing individually and collectively. Each one has developed their own unique way of working, using their talent and skills to produce pieces of real quality. These graduates should feel very proud of what they have achieved. They have set the bar very high for the next group.”

John Tynan, Head of Education, Training and Development at the Crafts Council of Ireland, said the course has established an excellent reputation both nationally and internationally: “This course promotes self-directed learning and development with open access to fully equipped workshops to industry standard. The combination of environment, facilities and expertise in training and the relevance of the course curriculum to the ceramics industry makes this course unique within ceramics training in Ireland.”

Applications were received from across Europe for the next two-year programme which commences in September 2012 and the 12 places have now been filled.

Through the Mill runs at the National Craft Gallery, Castle Yard, Kilkenny, until July 31st and a Meet the Makers evening will take pace on Wednesday July 25th at 6.30pm. Opening times: Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 5.30pm, Sunday: 11am – 5.30pm. Admission is free. For further details visit www.nationalcraftgallery.ie

City centre store and craft makers join forces

Reminder: VISITORS to Kilkenny can ‘meet their maker’ through an exciting new craft shop initiative which has opened in one of the city’s best known stores.

The “Made in Kilkenny” shop, which is based in the family-run Goods department store on Kilkenny’s High Street , features the work of 18 of the county’s finest crafts people and is a fantastic showcase of local craft. The collection includes unique gifts, homewares and accessories as well as pottery, millinery, leatherwork, candles as well as textiles, furniture and jewellery.

While in-store, shoppers are invited to pick up the ‘MADE in Kilkenny’ Trail Map which will lead them to discover the people and places where their crafts are made. Trail blazers can not only meet the makers in their studios but may also have a chance to view them making and learn about their craft technique while also getting to explore and experience the beautiful countryside of Kilkenny which provides much of the inspiration for their craft.

While some of the makers are located within walking distance of the new ‘MADE in Kilkenny’ store on High Street in the city, others are nestled deep in the heart of Kilkenny’s scenic and history-steeped countryside.

Their studios are dotted across Kilkenny, from Castlecomer in the north of the county to Thomastown and Stoneyford in the south, over to Graiguenamanagh in the east. Each and every craftmaker’s studio is signposted with fingerpost signs directing you straight to them. Those with a smartphone can download the free app on www.trailkilkenny.ie

The MADE in Kilkenny Craft Trail is one of a range of leisure trails developed by Trail Kilkenny across the County, TrailKilkenny’s Eoin Hogan explained. Its walk, cycle and food trails are also a huge with locals and visitors and are prompting families from all over the country to enjoy a break in Kilkenny to take to the trails – combining country walks and river walks with cycling and visits to the local food and craft producers.

“MADE in Kilkenny at Goods is a very special shopping experience and we are delighted to work hand in hand with such an iconic retailer in the city,” jeweller Christopher Heltzel said. “We hope that this initiative will spur even more people to shop locally and inspire them take the opportunity to go out to the studios and meet Kilkenny’s greatest craft makers.

“We also hope this partnership will inspire others to enjoy a short break in Kilkenny, shop and explore its rich craft heritage. All of the craftspeople in MADE in Kilkenny make their own work using both traditional and modern techniques. They work with hammers, precious metals, saws, turners and chisels, textiles and leather, all contributing to Ireland’s heritage. Each is preserving and developing ancient techniques and presenting us with beautiful pieces to admire, to eat and drink from, to carry and store things in, sit on and adorn the body with,” he said.

Already hotels in the region have tailored special packages around the Craft Trail. Why not enjoy a two night TASTE and MADE break at Mount Juliet with dinner one evening in the Lady Helen Dining Room for €159 per person and enjoy the estate’s free amenities including walking trails, bikes, tennis, leisure centre and kids club?

During your stay, visit the local food producers of the Taste of Kilkenny Food Trail and the nearby craftmakers of MADE in Kilkenny. Taste Kilree and other award winning cheeses at Knockdrinna; visit the Truffle Fairy chocolatier, Goatsbridge trout farm or the craft studios of makers such as Karen Morgan Porcelain or Jerpoint Glass. All are located within five miles of the gates of Mount Juliet.

More deals are available from other accommodation providers in the region check out or www.discoverireland.ie/kilkenny or www.kilkennytourism.ie

ROSCOMMON’S legendary lamb and other top local produce will be served up to key visitors to the ‘Look West’ stand at the Volvo Ocean Race Grand Finale Festival in Galway this Friday, July 6, as part of a major drive to tantalise taste buds and lure more tourist to the Roscommon region.

The ‘A Taste of Roscommon’ initiative is a key feature of the intensive campaign to promote County Roscommon as the perfect place for tourists and holiday-makers to Revive, Refresh and Rewind. Key tourism influencers have been invited to the event.

Focusing on the “Roscommon DNA”, the overall promotion captures the spirit of the Roscommon community with strong emphasis on its culture, heritage and attractions. ‘A Taste of Roscommon’ at Volvo will also tempt the taste buds of visitors to the key international event and lure them to Roscommon for more.

Irish consumers encouraged to buy the smooth sheep’s milk cheese

ONE of Ireland’s best known cheese makers has teamed up with Tesco Ireland to promote and boost our consumption of Crozier Blue, the only blue cheese in this country made from sheep’s milk.

Following on the recent sheep’s milk tastings at the Sheridan’s Food Festival, Crozier Blue is now toasting a very successful year on the shelves at Tesco with a three week long promotion of the distinctive cheese brand, starting on June 27.

The promotion will see Crozier host tastings in Tesco Ireland outlets throughout the country, offering significant discounts for consumers, in what is a major marketing opportunity for Crozier Blue, cheesemaker Sarah Furno explained. Her parents, Jane and Louis Grubb, first began making the cheese in their Tipperary dairy 20 years ago next year.

It’s the perfect time of year for the Crozier Blue promotion, Sarah says. “This is a good time of the year to sample sheep’s milk cheese for the first time. It has a lovely smooth, mild flavour right now. It is very approachable and is lots different to goat’s milk cheese, which tends to be stronger.

“Tesco Ireland has been very supportive of Crozier Blue since we first started working with them last June and we look forward to a great three weeks ahead. Lots of consumers enjoy our better-known Cashel Blue cheese. We’re hoping consumers will be a little more adventurous over the coming weeks and will also sample Crozier Blue,” she added.

Tesco Ireland’s cheese buyer, Barra McFeely said the retail price of Crozier Blue 125 g will be reduced by 33 % from 27th June to 17th of July. The cheese is currently on sale in over 50 Tesco stores.

“Crozier Blue is one of the best cheeses to be found in Ireland. The cheese is performing well in our shops and it is an important part of our range. We are proud to stock such a prestigious Irish cheese,” he added.

As well as being smoother than other milk, sheep milk contains much higher levels of vitamins and minerals than any other type of milk. It helps in the development of strong bones and helps prevent osteoporosis. Sheep’s milk is better tolerated by individuals allergic to bovine dairy products.

The Asthma Research Council, UK, and the Eczema Society recommend a change to sheep (and goat) products to aid the treatment of these and other related problems. Sheep’s milk is especially good as it is high in both calcium and zinc.

J&L Grubb established its better-known Cashel Blue cheese in 1984. Around the same time Jane and Louis Grubb’s nephew Henry Clifton Brown of Ballinamona Farm which overlooks the Rock of Cashel, set about establishing a flock of milking sheep. Nine years later, Crozier Blue was developed. The flock now numbers over 400 and is an attractive mix of black and white inquisitive sheep. To this day Crozier Blue is the only blue cheese made from sheep’s milk in Ireland

Crozier and Cashel Blue are both produced at Ireland’s largest farmhouse cheese-making dairy in the heart of county Tipperary. The €6 million facility is located a stone’s throw from the farmhouse where Cashel Blue was originally created in 1982 by Louis and Jane Grubb

The farmhouse cheese dairy and farm employs 25 local people and produces 250 tonnes of cheese per annum, making it the largest farmhouse cheese producer in Ireland and one of the biggest in the UK. The new dairy will allow the Grubb family to double production, it is anticipated that production will grow to 320 tonnes by the end of 2012.

Over 50 per cent of the cheese is exported, much of this to the UK and USA. Recently considerable interest has also been expressed in Cashel Blue on the established speciality cheese market of continental Europe namely in France, Italy and Germany.

· Visitors to be lured to Roscommon to Revive, Refresh and Rewind!

Roscommon sets sail to become a must visit Irish destination when it launches an exciting new tourism campaign at the Volvo Ocean Race Grand Finale Festival in Galway next month.

The initiative aims to promote County Roscommon as the perfect place for tourists and holiday-makers to Revive, Refresh and Rewind. Focusing on the “Roscommon DNA”, the promotion will capture the spirit of the Roscommon community with strong emphasis on its culture, heritage and attractions.

Devised by Roscommon Community Tourism Network and supported by Roscommon LEADER Partnership, Roscommon County Council, and Fáilte Ireland the campaign will be rolled out at the biggest party to be staged in Ireland in 2012 – the Volvo Ocean Race Grand Finale Festival in Galway, which is expected to attract more than 700,000 people from all over the world.

Visitors to the nine-day festival will be able to learn all about Roscommon on the Look West marquee on the Dock Road where there will be a celebration of all things “Rossie”. There will be giveaways and local media, Twitter and Facebook competitions to get people to come on board the new marketing campaign. A special reception of a Taste of Roscommon will be held on the evening of July 6th.

Stunning and lively branding, including a new logo, brochures and a website www.roscommon.ie are at the centre of the campaign. There will also be national radio advertising, new county boundary signage and the appointment of well known natives later this summer as “Tourism Ambassadors” to spread the word about the county.

One of Roscommon’s best known natives, proud Boyle man actor Chris O Dowd, has already thrown his weight behind the initiative. “Everything about Roscommon is home to me…it is untouched by the cynicism of modernity and has remained true to its identity through bubbles and dip. I love walking down to the Doon Shore in Boyle on summers mornings. And Stephens Day when hot toddies are served up during the treasure hunt at Lough Key remains my favourite time of the year.”

The very best of Roscommon’s tourism offerings, spread across angling, cruising, cycling, golf, horse racing, walking, built and natural amenities, vibrant festivals, award-winning culture and heritage projects and choice accommodation will all be promoted under the tag line of ‘Roscommon – revive, refresh rewind’.

The new campaign seeks to play to Roscommon’s strengths, according to Roscommon County Manager Frank Dawson.

“This is a hugely exciting initiative for Roscommon. The County has so much to offer the tourist and while we have been sometimes overshadowed by our neighbours in the past we are now going to shout loud about what we have.”

He said it is hoped to tap into the huge tourism potential in the county, thereby boosting the local economy. Latest figures from Fáilte Ireland show that of the 1,148,000 visitors to the west region in 2010, just 56,000 visited Roscommon. Revenue generated through such visits was €20m.

Colm Keane, Chairperson of Roscommon Community Tourism Network, said it is now time to focus the national and international spotlight on how special the Roscommon tourism offering is.

“This campaign will capture the spirit of our community and connections our visitors can enjoy with the locals, culture, heritage and attractions in Roscommon. Research shows that tourists are looking for less ‘official’ information, they want an insider’s view of an area, they want to be part of experience and not just look in. Our campaign will focus on the real Roscommon DNA!’”

Dr Constantin Gurdgiev addresses MK Brazil’s ‘Irelands Crises: The Way Forward’ breakfast briefing in Waterford

Ireland’s tax system was designed for an environment that no longer exists and it needs to be dramatically overhauled, a leading economist has suggested.

“Our economy will continue to struggle until we transfer the tax burden away from income,” according to Dr. Constantin Gurdgiev, Head of Research for St. Columbanus AG, and Adjunct Lecturer in Finance with Trinity College, Dublin.

“The tax burden on income has rocketed from close to 29% in 2007 to 40.55% in 2011″.

Dr. Gurdgiev also believes that increasing income taxes inevitably leads to leakage from the Irish tax system as it forces businesses either offshore or into the black and grey economy.

He made his comments, in his first ever address in Waterford, to an ‘Irelands Crises: The Way Forward’ breakfast briefing hosted by leading accountancy firm, MK Brazil.

“It isn’t feasible to continue to increase the tax burden on a diminishing number of people. In addition, reduced earnings have had a domino effect, stifling productivity and motivation, reducing consumption, reducing long-term savings, diminishing the potential investment pool and creating a lower ability to deleverage,” Dr Gurdgiev said.

Dr. Gurdgiev examined and contrasted the average income of different categories of people over recent years to illustrate the impact increasing taxes has on households and thus on the wider economy. He feels that a move away from earnings-based taxes towards a land-based tax needs to be considered, but cautioned against taxing buildings as it could discourage value-adding and productive activities.

“Taxing productively also leads to the loss of talent and intellectual capital as people move abroad, and these things are not easily recovered. We need to encourage people to stay here and, while Ireland rates well in terms of facilitating start-up business, improvements can still be made in practical areas like access to credit and ESB connections.”

He also spoke about the urgent need to address the issue of debt forgiveness. “It is nonsense to argue that negative equity only affects people when they sell their property. We need to start getting serious about the debt attaching to Irish businesses and Irish households and be honest about the impact it has on our economy.”

Dr. Gurdgiev dismissed the moral hazard argument and explained: “People make mistakes, that is what people do, and unfortunately the current system allows one bad investment mistake to undo years of hard work. It is futile and counter-productive to punish people for being human.”

MK Brazil is one of the most progressive business advisory and accounting firms in the South East providing a range of financial and taxation services to a wide-range of clients. The firm is also very active in a representative capacity and Dr. Gurdgiev praised MK Brazil for the work the firm had done, especially in relation to the income levy and USC.

Brendan Twohig, Tax Direct with MK Brazil, also spoke about the Irish tax system and in particular the changes to Revenue’s Monitoring activities over the years.“There were over 557,000 Revenue interventions last year, compared to a circa 113,000 in 2005. Obviously increases in Revenue inspections at a time when the number of tax-payers is falling inevitably means that businesses can expect a greater level of scrutiny going forward. We’ll also see a continued move away from traditional monitoring activities such as Revenue Audits.

“For example, the Revenue carried out 225 streetscape operations last year which involves unannounced ‘drop-in’ visits and spot checks on businesses. One interesting aspect of these visits was that the Revenue discovered 435 cases of employees being paid ‘under the counter’.”

Brendan cautioned against such practices as “the risks and sanctions can be quite severe and often such practices stem from a mis-understanding of the tax and social welfare systems.”

Brendan explained that many of the problems that typically arise in Revenue Inspections are avoidable. “Many problems stem from cash-flow problem or simple disorganisation rather than dishonesty. Our advice to businesses is to get advice and to get it early – the tax system is very much geared towards helping people who confront their problems.”

Check out.. GAA Jewellery on TV3 Ireland AM

Kela from TJH speaking about the Love Your County GAA collection on TV3’s Ireland AM this morning!