Cork Airport has welcomed the news that Ryanair has added over 330 additional return flights to France, Italy and Spain for its Summer 2019 season.
Cork Airport.
The airline’s new service to Naples, Italy for Summer 2019 will also launch a month early due to high demand.
Over 54,000 extra seats will be added to routes across Barcelona Girona, Barcelona Reus, Bordeaux, Carcassonne and Milan Bergamo, for travel between June and August 2019.
The recently announced twice-weekly service to Naples, originally due to commence in July 2019, will now run from June to August next year, adding over 1,700 seats.
In 2019, 2.6 million passengers are forecasted to travel through Cork Airport.
Over 50 routes will be on offer, including the recent Ryanair announcements of Naples, along with Poznań, Budapest and Malta.
Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport said: “Today’s announcement to extend these very popular summer sun routes underlines the ongoing investment Ryanair is making in their extensive network from Cork Airport.
These destinations offer Ryanair customers in Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford, and the entire South of Ireland region, the opportunity to enjoy a great summer holiday next year while experiencing the award-winning customer service synonymous with Cork Airport.
“We will deliver our fourth consecutive year of growth in 2019 with a further increase of 7%. I am confident of further positive announcements as our business development team is working continuously to make that growth happen.”
Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said: “With the weather getting colder, it’s the perfect time to start planning a summer escape and Ryanair is pleased to launch extra flights from Cork during June and August 2019.
These extra flights at amazing low prices will be quickly snapped up, so we advise early bookings to avoid missing out.
A self-driving passenger bus trial in Scotland will take passengers across the Forth Road Bridge.
Described as a world first, the UK Government-funded trial will see five autonomous single-deck vehicles running between Edinburgh and Fife but regulations mean a driver will remain on board during all journeys.
Funding of £4.35 million was awarded by the UK Government through Innovate UK with additional investment from operator Stagecoach, Transport Scotland and other organisations.
Once complete, the ADL Enviro200 vehicles will operate between Ferrytoll Park & Ride in Fife and the Edinburgh Park Train and Tram interchange.
Buses will operate on-road and using the hard shoulder, as well as using the dedicated public transport corridor across the Forth Road Bridge.
The autonomous services will be capable of carrying up to 42 passengers for the 14-mile journey, with buses running every 20 minutes.
Work on the project is expected to get underway during the second quarter of next year, with services operating from 2020.
£4.35m
Funding awarded by the UK Government through Innovate UK
Scotland’s Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “The deployment of these vehicles in Scotland will bring transformative change to the way we travel and work, as well as having a positive impact on the economy, the environment and safety.
“This collaborative trial, using one of the country’s most iconic transport corridors, shows Scotland is very much open for business in this innovative sector.
“I very much welcome the strong Scottish contingent in the bid team and I look forward to following this project with great interest.”
In the short-term, buses will be used in autonomous mode only within the depot environment, to carry out movements such as parking and moving into the fuelling station and bus wash.
Using self-driving vehicles within depots more widely could help improve safety, efficiency and space utilisation within the depot.
Gibraltar’s chief minister Fabian Picardo has said he is willing to discuss directly with the Spanish government their bilateral relations after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.
But Mr Picardo warned on Thursday that the sovereignty of the British territory at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula is non-negotiable.
Spain has never dropped its claim of jurisdiction over the rocky outcrop, and its government has baulked at the possibility of its post-Brexit future being decided between London and EU authorities without direct Spanish involvement.
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has threatened to vote against the planned Brexit agreement unless Spain’s misgivings are addressed.
Mr Picardo told Gibraltar’s parliament that as long as issues such as sovereignty, jurisdiction and control of the territory are off the table, he is happy to discuss close cooperation with Madrid.
The Central Bank is introducing measures to help consumers make savings on their mortgage repayments.
It is introducing changes to the Consumer Protection Code to make it easier for people to switch their mortgage, and provide additional protections for them.
It will see standardised mortgage switching information being introduced and more transparency from lenders.
Love Island viewers turned on Adam Collard as he looked poised to ruin another romance for unlucky in love Dr Alex George.
The A&E doctor has struggled to find love on the ITV2 reality series, ending up in a friendship couple with Samira Mighty and then having his hopes for a relationship with Megan Barton Hanson dashed when she picked Eyal Booker over him.
Things were looking up when new girls Ellie Brown and Zara McDermott arrived during Sunday night’s episode and the boys made sure Dr George was on top of his game and ready to make an impression.
“I’m with a loud bunch of boys. Five wing men. I’ll be lucky to get any words in but they’ve all got good intentions,” he said.
He appeared to hit it off with both girls and said McDermott ticked “so many boxes for him”.
But seconds later it is revealed she had also caught Collard’s roving eye.
The contestant, who has been called out for his womanising ways in the past, confessed in the Beach Hut: “Zara fits the type of girl that I do fancy, so I would be lying if I said that she wasn’t an attractive girl.”
Fans of the show were fuming at Collard’s comments, branding him a “snake” and saying he had no intention of being Dr George’s wing man.
“Adam finds any girl that breathes “his type”,” said one viewer on Twitter.
Many fans of the programme said they would be upset to see Dr George miss out again.
One person quipped: “I promise you if Adam steals a girl from Alex than we all have to make a pact that we Egg him every time he goes to club appearances.”
I promise you if Adam steals a girl from Alex than we all have to make a pact that we Egg him every time he goes to club appearances #loveisland
— Elisha Georgia Melrose (@elisha_keyz) June 17, 2018
“Swear down if Adam ruins Alex’s chances, I’ll book a flight over and knock him out,” joked another.
The consoles have been powered down and the doors of the convention centre have closed to the more than 69,000 attendees – E3 2018 is now consigned to the history books.
From Call Of Duty to Fifa 19 and The Last Of Us Part II, some of the industry’s biggest names were on show during the three-day trade show.
Here’s a look at some of the show’s biggest moments.
1. Cyberpunk 2077 revealed at Xbox
Ahead of E3 there had been lots of rumours about CD Project Red – the studio behind the critically acclaimed The Witcher series – and its next game.
Talk of a game based on the classic tabletop game Cyberpunk 2020 had caught the imagination, but as Xbox boss Phil Spencer started giving his closing remarks it seemed as if it wasn’t to be this year.
But then the Xbox stage appeared to be hacked – thoughts for a moment turned to a possible new Watch Dogs game – before it suddenly appeared in front of us. Night City, the setting of Cyberpunk 2077.
The first trailer showed a dystopian future world full of gangsters, neon and opportunity.
2. Andrew W.K. opens Bethesda’s showcase
Bethesda has a reputation for being big, bold and loud when it comes its E3 event, and in 2018 it decided to push that even further when showing gameplay from Rage 2 for the first time.
To provide a live soundtrack to the footage for those in the crowd was singer Andrew WK, whose wild rock performance was the perfect accompaniment for the frenetic post-apocalyptic shooter.
As a way of grabbing the attention at the start of a video game reveal, it also worked a treat.
Check out the opening few minutes of the video above and you’ll get the idea.
3. Sony goes immersive for The Last Of Us Part 2
Anticipation for Sony’s E3 announcements was understandably high – triple AAA adventures Ghost Of Tsushima and The Last Of Us Part 2 were both expected to be part of the announcements.
What unfolded at the event was much more unexpected however, as PlayStation opted for an immersive theatre approach, making attendees stand in a replica of the church that appears at the beginning of The Last Of Us trailer.
Sony are taking us on something of a journey - from the church that featured in the Last of Us trailer now through a garden and into another tent for the next preview... pic.twitter.com/urvInYCY0d
As a way of immersing viewers in the room into a game’s universe it was a potent few moments, until the waves of cameras and smartphones appeared above heads, blocking the view for anyone not at the very front of the room.
4. Fortnite on the Switch
For all that is happening in the world of gaming, few titles are grabbing more headlines or expanding its fanbase in the way that Fortnite is.
The now infamous Walmart Canada leak earlier this year suggested the battle royale game would make the jump to the Nintendo Switch this year, and at E3 the Japanese gaming giant confirmed the news.
What followed was a rush of downloads – two million people downloaded the game on the Switch in its first 24 hours of availability.
But there was also some controversy as Sony were criticised for not supporting cross-play capabilities between the PS4 and Nintendo Switch – meaning gamers on PS4 currently aren’t able to carry their progress between the two platforms, something which is possible between the Xbox and Switch systems.
5. Ubisoft’s Just Dance flashmob
Another way to grab the attention when you’re opening a press conference is to use a fancy dress flashmob.
That’s exactly what Ubisoft did to reveal Just Dance 2019 – with a vibrant marching band led by a panda dancing their way to the stage to confirm the upcoming game.
There was no gameplay shown – but that’s arguably beside the point when it comes to Just Dance – instead, everyone just had a good time.
Tournament organisers admitted they went “too far” with the set up of Shinnecock Hills after a day of “carnage” in the 118th US Open.
Only three players broke par in the third round and scores of 66 early in the day were enough to lift Tony Finau and Daniel Berger from a tie for 45th to a share of the lead on three over par with defending champion Brooks Koepka and overnight leader Dustin Johnson.
England’s Justin Rose is a shot off the pace after a 73, with Henrik Stenson a shot further back and Masters champion Patrick Reed and Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk on seven over alongside Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, whose 68 lifted him from joint last to a tie for seventh.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Rafa Cabrera Bello summed up the feelings of the majority of the players after a tough day on the course.
Painful finish with a 7 at the last that ruins a pretty decent day. Regardless, it was not a fair test of golf. Greens were unplayable, with unnecessary pin positions. @USGA found a way to make us look like fools on the course.A pity they manage to destroy a beautiful golf course
There has to be joint winners after Daniel Berger and Tony Finau both took advantage of good early conditions to shoot 66 and move from joint 45th into a tie for the lead.
“We will admit there were some aspects of the set up where we went too far, in that well-executed shots were not rewarded and in some cases penalised.” – USGA chief executive Mike Davis takes the blame for the course set up.
STATISTIC OF THE DAY
Daniel Berger and Tony Finau started the third round 11 strokes behind. They will be the final pairing in the final round. Crazy.
The 15th played as the toughest hole for the first time this week, thanks largely to a questionable pin position on the rock hard green. Justin Rose made one of just three birdies but 22 bogeys, 10 double bogeys and a triple bogey added up to a scoring average of 4.627.
EASIEST HOLE
For the third day in succession, the fifth hole played as the easiest with an average of 4.716, offering up one eagle and 26 birdies.
ON THE UP
Shinnecock Hill’s water bill after the carnage on day three led to extensive watering of the course ahead of the final round.
ON THE SLIDE
Phil Mickelson’s reputation after he admitted deliberately hitting a moving ball on the 13th green to gain an advantage – and then told critics of his move to “toughen up.”
Croatia took the early initiative in Group D as they saw off Nigeria 2-0 in their World Cup opener at the Kaliningrad Stadium.
With Iceland having held Argentina to a 1-1 draw earlier on Saturday, Croatia took full advantage.
An own goal from Oghenekaro Etebo, set to play at Stoke next season, broke the deadlock just after the hour, with a penalty from captain Luca Modric with 20 minutes left securing three points for Zlatko Dalic’s men.
Croatia had the better of the opening exchanges, with Andrej Kramaric’s long-range effort drifting wide of the right-hand post.
The deadlock was broken in the 32nd minute in somewhat fortunate circumstances.
Modric’s corner was flicked on by Ante Rebic. Mario Mandzukic’s tame diving header looked to be going wide, before the ball was deflected in off midfielder Etebo.
Croatia, though, welcomed their slice of good fortune – and almost added a second just before half-time when Kramaric’s header dropped onto the roof of the net.
The Super Eagles, who played England in a warm-up match at Wembley, regrouped at the interval.
Mandzukic was in the right place in his own penalty area to block Leon Balogun as the defender aimed to head in from a corner.
Chelsea midfielder Victor Moses then fired a low shot wide at the near post.
Croatia should have doubled their lead in the 56th minute, when Ivan Perisic whipped the ball across the Nigeria penalty area from the left channel, only for Eintracht Frankfurt winger Ante Rebic to send his close-range volley wide.
Moses claimed for a penalty when he went down in a heap under a challenge from Ivan Strinic, but Brazilan referee Sandro Ricci waved away the appeal.
With 20 minutes left, Croatia were awarded a spot-kick after Mandzukic was man-handled by Bursaspor defender William Troost-Ekong at a corner.
Modric made no mistake with the penalty, sending goalkeeper Francis Uzoho the wrong way as the Real Madrid midfielder tucked the ball into the bottom left corner.
From there, it looked a tall order for Nigeria to find a way back into the match.
And so, after the first round of games in Group D...
