Micheál Martin s comments this week warning that the Government and private sector need to be "realistic" and "clear-eyed" about China s strategic objectives did not go unnoticed by the superpower. They come at a particularly delicate time when China is beginning to re-engage with Europe
John Burke, the managing director of the Armada Hotel and the first Clare person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, is never one to shy away from a challenge.
Just six months after the Spanish Point business clinched the Hotel of the Year and Best Wedding Venue accolades at the Gold Medal Awards, Burke had to temporarily lay off staff when the coronavirus pandemic hit Ireland. The initial lockdown was fairly severe, on myself and everyone who worked for me, he says.
Once Burke had come to terms with the hotel s closure and disappearance of its spring wedding business, he decided to put the hotel s hibernation to good use. By May, he had launched the first in a long series of initiatives aimed at giving a sense of purpose to remaining staff and generating fresh income streams - a cocktail delivery service called the Blend Box. It includes Mist+Moss, a gin brand the Armada had set up a couple of months earlier, scented candles (since replaced by QR codes for playlists) and garn
John Burke, the managing director of the Armada Hotel and the first Clare person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, is never one to shy away from a challenge.