Fancy golfing with the cream of the crop?

Do you see yourself as the next Rory or Darren?
Well, get practising your swing because Dale Farm is giving three golfers across Northern Ireland the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in a Pro-Am team with a leading professional, as part of the 2012 Irish Open.

Three competition winners will play 18 holes with a European tour winner on their Pro-Am team during the prestigious tournament, which is returning to Northern Ireland for the first time in half a century.

If you're up for the challenge or know someone who would be, nominate yourself (or nominate someone) by emailing dalefarmirishopen@morrowcommunications.com with the entrant's name, club name, contact details, official handicap and a 100 word explanation of what winning the prize would mean to them. 

Closing date 22nd June 2012. Note - entrants must be at least 15 years old on June 22nd 2012 and in possession of an official single figure handicap.

Glass half full for local pubs

With the sun shining and thirsty consumers everywhere, global brewer Molson Coors couldn't have picked a better week to encourage local publicans about the future of our pub sector.
Molson Coors Ireland, which has bases in Belfast and Dublin, unveiled the results of a study into local consumer and pub trade trends at an event in The Dark Horse, Belfast, this week.

Guests from across the sector as well as business, consumer and drinks trade media joined Molson Coors at the Cathedral Quarter venue to hear the results of the study and sample a bespoke beer & food matched menu.

So, what's going down at your local? The study concluded that despite pubs across Northern Ireland closing at a rate of one to two each week, the majority of publicans (62%) are determined to survive the recession and are digging-in through innovation and investment in their businesses. This tenacity also exists despite the fact that 49% of Northern Ireland pubs have lost sales over the past two years.

Are we still in love with our pubs? Molson Coors' research also showed that 56% of NI pub goers go to their local less than they did two years ago, but 85% (85.2%) would visit their local more frequently if pubs offered features such as free WiFi and better food and entertainment.

Speaking at the event, Country Manager for Molson Coors Ireland Niall Phelan commented on how pubs in Northern Ireland are leading the way with their tenacity, optimism and innovation.. and announced that a £125,000 fund will be announced in the next month by Molson brand Carling to help pubs implement changes identified in the research that would positively impact their business and the consumer experience.

Where HR and PR Meet

Morrows supported the recent Annual HR Conference - Inspiring Employees in Tough Times - with Director Kieran Donnelly delivering a plenary session on the importance of consistent internal and external communications.

Attended by senior HR Directors, legal experts and other specialists from across NI the event delivered by Legal Island, Penna and Carson McDowell, discussed the challenges faced by both public and private sector organisations in keeping employees engaged and motivated. Among other things it offered an interesting insight into the need for consistent and coherent communications during these difficult economic times and in particular the need for closer co-ordination between HR and communication functions.

European Ombudsmen Gather in Belfast

Senior Ombudsmen from across the British Isles and Europe gathered in Belfast recently to discuss the growing role of Ombudsman services in delivering accountability in both emerging and mature democracies.

The British and Irish Ombudsman Association (BIOA) annual meeting was hosted in NI for the first time and was attended by approximately 150 senior representatives from Ombudsman and Commissioner offices across Europe.

Northern Ireland Ombudsman Dr Tom Frawley CBE, who has partnered with BIOA to host the AGM, was delighted to welcome this prestigious international event to Belfast.

“It was a real honour to play host to an event of this standing, particularly given the profile of the attendees. We were especially delighted with the wide ranging content of the workshops which covered topics such as ‘engaging with the media’, ‘data protection’ and ‘performance management’. With panel speakers including Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioner, Professor Michael O’Flaherty, and Richard Thomas, Chair of the UK Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council, exploring the link between Ombudsman and Human Rights and the Administrative Justice landscape respectively, the workshops and plenary sessions were first class.”

The event has also attracted the attention of international officials including European Ombudsman P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, Gibraltar Public Services Ombudsman Mario Hook and Catalan Ombudsman Rafael Ribó - which was particularly significant for BIOA and for Belfast as the host city. Read more.

Morrows Raise a Glass to New Partnership with Global Brewer

Morrow Communications are proud to now represent Molson Coors in Northern Ireland. Working in partnership with Slattery Communications, a Dublin based consultancy, Morrows will be helping drive the corporate and consumer profile of this global brewer in NI, whose beer portfolio include Cobra, Carling, Coors Light and Corona. The business opened direct sales and marketing offices in Belfast and Dublin in 2010.

Northgate Recognised For ‘Outstanding Service To Business'

Newtownabbey based Northgate Managed Services (Northgate), one of the UK’s leading ICT service providers, is celebrating its success having scooped the ‘Outstanding Service to Business’ gong at the prestigious Belfast Telegraph Business Awards, at a gala ceremony held in Belfast’s Ramada Hotel.

The award recognises Northgate’s successful business to business relationships which enhance the business efficiency and productivity of its clients. Customers benefit from interacting with highly skilled technical teams allowing strong, valued partnerships to be formed.

Commenting on the award, Andy Ross, Chief Executive, Northgate Managed Services said, “This award is a fantastic achievement for the company, especially when you consider the calibre of the other applicants. It recognises the tremendous effort made by everyone involved in helping to position Northgate as one of Northern Ireland’s most successful and innovative companies."

Leading local bakery gets royal seal of approval to mark centenary

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall paid a special visit to Irwin’s Bakery in Portadown on Friday 27th April, as part of their two day visit to Northern Ireland. The royal couple enjoyed a tour of the family-owned Irwin’s Bakery, which is this year marking its 100th year in business, tried their hand at ‘flipping’ their famous soda farls and sampled some of Northern Ireland’s finest baked goods. They then spent time meeting staff and representatives from charity, sporting and community groups who have been supported by Irwin’s; before unveiling a commemorative plaque and cutting a celebration cake.

Now in the third generation of the Irwin family, Irwin’s Bakery is headed up by brothers Brian and Niall, who were thrilled to welcome such special guests, “We are extremely honoured and proud that Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visited Irwin’s Bakery as part of their time in Northern Ireland this week,” said executive chairman Brian Irwin. “It is particularly special that this visit took place during our centenary year. The visit created a wonderful sense of excitement and morale for our valued team of staff, as well as representative customers, suppliers, charity and community groups. A company cannot exist and thrive without the support of all these groups - particularly our staff.

“There was a great interest from the couple in the fact that we are a family-owned business and how we have grown since our beginnings in 1912. By taking a tour of the bakery floor, we were able to demonstrate how we combine years of baking expertise with modern technology to create our wide range of breads,” Brian added. “Prince Charles was particularly interested in hearing how we make our soda bread and we had a nice chat about our family recipe – but that will stay between us,” Brian said.

Prince Charles was so impressed by the company’s soda and wheaten bread that he specifically requested extra loaves of each product to bring home with him - now that's a right royal seal of approval.