Latest news with #SkelligMichael
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Dispute over boat trips to Skellig Michael resolved, court told
The High Court dispute over boat trips to Skellig Michael has been resolved. Mr Justice Garrett Simons was told on Tuesday that the parties had reached a settlement and a hearing date for the main case in the dispute next month could be vacated. Earlier this month the judge granted an application by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to lift an automatic suspension on landing at the Unesco heritage site and former monastic island which was also used as a film location for the Star Wars films , The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. It meant boat trips to the island off the Kerry coast could begin for the summer 2025 season immediately. READ MORE Annual landing permits issued by the OPW for mid-May to September were automatically suspended when two unsuccessful bidders for the licences brought a High Court challenge to the decision. The OPW then had to apply to the court asking that the stay be lifted pending hearing of the substantive challenge. The unsuccessful bidders, Atlantic Endeavour Ltd and SMBT Ltd trading as Skellig Michael Boat Trips, disagreed with the OPW interpretation of the legal effect of the automatic suspension. They contended that there are a number of mechanisms open whereby landing permits might legitimately be granted to the successful tenderers for the balance of the 2025 season, while preserving their own right to challenge the allocation of landing permits for the 2026 and subsequent seasons. Mr Justice Simons, following a hearing, ordered the stay be lifted. He said his judgment entailed no finding whatsoever on whether the outcome of the tender process allows the OPW to confine the right to land passengers to the 15 successful tenderers for a five-year period. The proper interpretation of the request for tender and associated documentation, and the legal consequences of the tender process, remain open for debate at the trial of the action, he said. On Tuesday, David Dodd BL, for Atlantic and SMBT, said the matter had been resolved and a hearing date for July could be vacated. He said his clients were very happy with the outcome especially in light of the judge's decision earlier this month. The OPW had agreed to pay his side's costs. The judge struck out the case.
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Skellig Michael boat trips dispute resolved in High Court
The High Court dispute over boat trips to Skellig Michael has been resolved. Mr Justice Garrett Simons was told on Tuesday that the parties had reached a settlement and a hearing date for the main case in the dispute next month could be vacated. Advertisement Earlier this month, the judge granted an application by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to lift an automatic suspension on landing at the Unesco heritage site and former monastic island which was also used as a film location for the Star Wars movies, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. It meant that boat trips to the island off the Kerry coast could begin for the summer 2025 season immediately. Annual landing permits issued by the OPW for mid-May to September were automatically suspended when two unsuccessful bidders for the licences brought a High Court challenge to the decision. The OPW then had to apply to the court asking that the stay be lifted pending hearing of the substantive challenge. Advertisement The unsuccessful bidders, Atlantic Endeavour Ltd and SMBT Ltd trading as Skellig Michael Boat Trips, disagreed with the OPW interpretation of the legal effect of the automatic suspension. They contended that there are a number of mechanisms open whereby landing permits might legitimately be granted to the successful tenderers for the balance of the 2025 season, while preserving their own right to challenge the allocation of landing permits for the 2026 and subsequent seasons. Mr Justice Simons, following a hearing, ordered the stay be lifted. He said his judgment entailed no finding whatsoever on whether the outcome of the tender process allows the OPW to confine the right to land passengers to the 15 successful tenderers for a five year period. Advertisement Ireland 90 arrests made during Donegal International Rally... Read More The proper interpretation of the request for tender and associated documentation, and the legal consequences of the tender process, remain open for debate at the trial of the action, he said. On Tuesday, David Dodd BL, for Atlantic and SMBT, said the matter had been resolved and a hearing date for July could be vacated. He said his clients were very happy with the outcome especially in light of the judge's decision earlier this month. The OPW had agreed to pay his side's costs. The judge struck out the case.
Irish Times
7 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Rev Philip McKinley: ‘My children call me silly, old and rusty. I'm only 44′
How agreeable are you? My role as a Church of Ireland clergyman is profoundly relational. I work with a huge amount of committed volunteers and with people when they're sick and struggling. They are agreeable with me, so I hope I'm agreeable with them. My role couldn't function if I were either a people pleaser or inflexible. What's your middle name and what do you think of it? I have two middle names, Richard and George. George is my maternal grandfather's first name and also my paternal grandfather's first name. Richard is a family name that stretches back to the last Church of Ireland archbishop Richard Lawrence, of whom I'm descended. However, I was specifically named after my half-uncle, Maj Richard McKinley, who died in Monte Casino on March 16th, 1944, aged 25, fighting for the 16th Punjabi Division of the Indian army. No one ever calls me Richard or George. Where was your favourite place in Ireland? Skellig Michael, Co Kerry. It's beyond words, a place of mesmerising solitude and contemplation. I have only visited once, but it left a profound impression. Just before I was to be ordained as a priest, I made inquiries to request that I stay overnight, alone in a beehive cell, to prepare myself for what lay ahead. I wasn't successful in my application, but if an opportunity did arise, I would love to stay there just one night. Although preferably not in winter. Describe yourself in three words I asked my four children if I was cool or silly. In roaring unison, they replied that I was silly. My six-year-old daughter added that, even though I'm only 44, I was also old and rusty. There you have it: Silly. Old. Rusty. READ MORE [ Prof Ian Robertson: 'My father was more like a brother, and my brother was more like a father' Opens in new window ] When did you last get angry? I don't think I get angry too often. I am passionate about things, and this can lead to disappointments and frustrations. What have you lost that you would like to have back? It's not a personal loss. I'm based in St Bridget's Cathedral in Kildare. In 1185, a famous Welsh historian named Gerald Wales came to the monastery and read from a spectacular copy of the Gospels, which was produced in the scriptorium of the Kildare monastery. Gerald said the book was so beautiful it must have been the work, not of men, but of angels. Scholars agree there was once a Book of Kildare, which they say was on a par with the Book of Kells. I would love a geophysical survey or an archaeological dig to uncover this spectacular manuscript again. What's your strongest childhood memory? Probably experiences with my grandparents, like eating exquisitely delicious tomatoes from my grandfather's greenhouse, tasting sherry that my grandmother would let me have a sip of, or bathing in my other grandmother's pine-flavoured Radox bubble bath with bubbles up to the brim. Where do you come in your family's birth order and has this defined you? I was the youngest for 8½ years, and then my throne was usurped by my younger brother, Ian. He went on to play international rugby for Italy – with one eye, I might add – so he has definitely overshadowed me! [ Photographer John Minihan: 'I've seen a lot of heartache in my life but I've never been unhappy' ] What do you expect to happen when you die? I believe that after the death of my body, I will face God's judgment. This might sound scary, but it's also deeply reassuring, as there will be ultimate justice for those who exercised good in life and those who did not. I also believe there is eternal life after physical, earthly life. When were you happiest? A richer term for me is when you are at peace. Life can be full of these moments, from spectacular examples such as my wedding day, my beautiful wife, Julie, or the birth of my four children, or simple moments like having a fresh coffee on a Monday morning. The 17th-century French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal famously said that all the world's problems stem from man's inability to sit still in a room. Which actor would play you in a biopic about your life? Although we're not the same age, I admire the actor Gabriel Byrne. He trained to be a priest for five years, so he might have some sympathies for the role. What is your biggest career/personal regret? It's difficult within my current work to do personal projects because I am committed to serving, but I love to compose music. I've written hundreds of songs, but I've never adequately carved out space to record and perform my music. Have you any psychological quirks? When I was training for ordination, I undertook some psychological and personality tests. One test revealed that I was a very high activist and a very low contemplative. My lecturer told me that I needed to, and I quote, 'Protest less and pray more'. I'm working on that. In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea
BreakingNews.ie
05-06-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Skellig Michael boat trips can resume, court rules
The High Court has given the go-ahead for boat trips to Skellig Michael to resume. Mr Justice Garrett Simons granted an application by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to lift an automatic suspension on landing at the Unesco heritage site and former monastic island, which was also used as a film location for the Star Wars movies, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Advertisement The order will allow the OPW to enter into a legally binding contract with each of 15 boat operators who were successful in the public competition for permits to land on the island off the Kerry coast. The landing season runs from mid-May to the end of September each year. Those landing permits were automatically suspended when two unsuccessful bidders brought a High Court challenge to the decision. The OPW then had to apply to the court asking that the stay be lifted pending hearing of the substantive challenge. The unsuccessful bidders, Atlantic Endeavour Ltd and SMBT Ltd, trading as Skellig Michael Boat Trips, disagreed with the OPW interpretation of the legal effect of the automatic suspension. They contended that there are a number of mechanisms open whereby landing permits might legitimately be granted to the successful tenderers for the balance of the 2025 season, while preserving their own right to challenge the allocation of landing permits for the 2026 and subsequent seasons. Advertisement Mr Justice Simons heard the application to lift the suspension this week and on Thursday ordered that it be lifted. He said the practical effect of this order is that it will now be legally permissible for the OPW to issue landing permits to the 15 successful tenderers for the balance of the 2025 season. This will allow for the commencement of passenger landings at Skellig Michael, or Sceilg Mhichíl in Irish. He said his judgment entails no finding whatsoever on whether the outcome of the tender process allows the OPW to confine the right to land passengers on Sceilg Mhichíl to the 15 successful tenderers for a five-year period. Advertisement The proper interpretation of the request for tender and associated documentation, and the legal consequences of the tender process, remain open for debate at the trial of the action, he said. The judgment, he said "goes no further" than deciding that the execution of concession contracts does not result in the crystallisation of a contractual right on the part of the successful tenderers to exclusive landing rights for the 2026 and subsequent seasons. He said the significance of this finding is that the unsuccessful tenderers are not relegated to a claim for certain damages in respect of the 2026 and subsequent seasons. The only right which the OPW seeks to translate into a concluded contract, prior to the determination of the full High Court challenge, is confined to the 2025 landing season,he said. He said he was listing the substantive action for the alleged breaches of the public procurement legislation in July.
Irish Times
05-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
High Court gives go ahead for Skellig Michael boat trips to resume
The High Court has given the go ahead for boat trips to Skellig Michael off the Co Kerry coast to resume. Mr Justice Garrett Simons granted an application by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to lift an automatic suspension on landing at the Unesco heritage site and former monastic island, which was also used as a location for the Star Wars films, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. The order will allow the OPW to enter into a legally binding contract with each of 15 boat operators who were successful in the public competition for permits to land on the island. The landing season runs from mid-May to the end of September each year. The landing permits were automatically suspended when two unsuccessful bidders brought a High Court challenge to the decision. The OPW then had to apply to the court asking that the stay be lifted pending hearing of the substantive challenge. READ MORE The unsuccessful bidders – Atlantic Endeavour Ltd and SMBT Ltd, trading as Skellig Michael Boat Trips – disagreed with the OPW interpretation of the legal effect of the automatic suspension. They contended that there are a number of mechanisms open whereby landing permits might legitimately be granted to the successful tenderers for the balance of the 2025 season, while preserving their own right to challenge the allocation of landing permits for the 2026 and subsequent seasons. Mr Justice Simons heard the application to lift the suspension this week and on Thursday ordered that it be lifted. He said the practical effect of this order is that it will now be legally permissible for the OPW to issue landing permits to the 15 successful tenderers for the balance of the 2025 season. This will allow for the commencement of passenger landings at Skellig Michael, or Sceilg Mhichíl in Irish. He said his judgment entails no finding whatsoever on whether the outcome of the tender process allows the OPW to confine the right to land passengers on Sceilg Mhichíl to the 15 successful tenderers for a five-year period. The proper interpretation of the request for tender and associated documentation, and the legal consequences of the tender process, remain open for debate at the trial of the action, he said. The judgment, he said 'goes no further' than deciding that the execution of concession contracts does not result in the crystallisation of a contractual right on the part of the successful tenderers to exclusive landing rights for the 2026 and subsequent seasons. He said the significance of this finding is that the unsuccessful tenderers are not relegated to a claim for certain damages in respect of the 2026 and subsequent seasons. The only right which the OPW seeks to translate into a concluded contract, before the determination of the full High Court challenge, is confined to the 2025 landing season, the judge said. He said he was listing the substantive action for the alleged breaches of the public procurement legislation in July.
