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New baby at the Mansion House!

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New arrival at the Mansion House!

The Mansion House is delighted to announce that Lord Mayor Naoise Ó Muirí and Lady Mayoress Fionnuala Keane today welcomed baby daughter Caoilfhionn in the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street at 9.13am and weighing 8lbs 4oz.

Baby Caoilfhionn is only the fourth baby known to be born to a serving Lord Mayor and the first since Sinead Mitchell was born in 1976 to Lord Mayor Jim Mitchell and Lady Mayoress Patsy Mitchell. Lord Mayor Richard Smyth and his wife welcomed a baby in January 1824 and in September 1934 Sylvester Louis Byrne, the youngest child of Lord Mayor Alfie Byrne, was born.

Manager of the Mansion House, Fanchea Gibson, said “We in the Mansion House are all very happy to hear of the safe arrival of baby Caoilfhionn. It will be lovely to have a small baby living in the house and is something none of us working here have experienced before. Life is going to change here in the Mansion House! All of us send our congratulations to the Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress and Caoilfhionn’s older siblings Ailbhe and Briona.”

Tickets now available for the Lord Mayor’s Ball 2013

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Lord Mayor Naoise î Muir’ and De puty Lord Mayor Clare Byrne2 Lord Mayor Naoise î Muir’ and De puty Lord Mayor Clare Byrne1The Lord Mayor’s Ball hosted by Lord Mayor of Dublin Naoise Ó Muirí and sponsored by ‘Fire Restaurant and Venue @ The Mansion House’ is back on Dublin’s Social Scene! Relive the days of ball dresses in fancy silks and embroidered handkerchiefs and get yourself a ticket for the Ball of the year in the Round Room on Saturday 6th April at 7pm.

Speaking about the Ball the Lord Mayor of Dublin Naoise Ó Muirí said, “I am reviving the institution of the Lord Mayor’s Ball and bringing it home to the Round Room at The Mansion House. I invite you to don your finery, kick up your heels and join me for a night of magic, music and dance – all in a great cause. Thanks to our title sponsors ‘Fire Restaurant and Venue @ The Mansion House’ for their generosity, which means that all monies raised will go directly to three great charities – Alzheimer Society of Ireland, CRY-Cardiac Risk in the Young and the Marie Keating Foundation, whose invaluable work raises awareness of and supports those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia, sudden adult death syndrome and all types of cancer.”

Speaking about the sponsorship, Sharon Hollywood, Director of Operations for Fire Restaurant and Venue said, “We are delighted to be fully sponsoring the Lord Mayor’s Ball. The return of such a pinnacle event to Dublin’s social scene marks a very positive turn for the city and charities alike who benefit substantially from this event. We at ‘Fire Restaurant and Venue @ The Mansion House’ are only too happy to support such worthy causes as our business continues to grow.”

From the early 18th century when it was held principally for the 24 Aldermen and their wives, the Ball grew to larger affairs to raise monies for charity in 19th and 20th century Dublin. It was a highlight of Dublin nightlife and resulted in a boon for local businesses selling silks and head-dresses and ended in 1889 with a special train laid on from Westland Row at 3.30am to bring guests home!

MC on the night will be Claire Byrne. Claire has recently joined RTE’s Primetime team and is also a regular presenter on RTE Radio One.

Tickets priced €100 each and further information on the Ball is available at www.lordmayorofdublin.ie or at (01)222 6200.

Lord Mayor Naoise î Muir’ and De puty Lord Mayor Clare Byrne2

Lord Mayor Naoise î Muir’ and Deputy Lord Mayor Clare Byrne

Film Festival starts with Gala Screening

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The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival opened with a bang yesterday, 14 February 2013, presenting the Gala screening of Broken, with stars Tim Roth and Cillian Murphy in attendance, along with director Rufus Norris, writer Mark O’Rowe and producers Dixie Linder, Tally Gardner and Nick Marston. The very special event also saw Cillian Murphy present a Volta, the festival career achievement award, to Tim Roth before the screening, celebrating Roth’s roles in some of the most iconic films of his three decade long career.
Commenting at the beginning of the 11 day celebration of cinema, Festival Director Gráinne Humphreys said:-“As an international festival, we aspire to champion emerging film makers, recognise established talents and celebrate the independent spirit of film makers the world over – fighting to bring their stories to audiences in their own way. Broken is a very special film – a beautiful story with a wonderful cast, delicate direction and its subtle bittersweet echoes of To Kill a Mockingbird – it’s an honour to bring its key players to Dublin for our Opening Night”
Speaking at the launch, Pat Magee, Managing Director Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, commented:- “2013 marks the 11th anniversary of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival which is growing from strength to strength and is a world class example of how a great sponsorship can bring real value to all parties.  Jameson are delighted to support the festival this year with an exciting new TV, outdoor and on-line campaign which will  greatly enhance the profile of the festival  with Irish consumers and we are particularly pleased to announce that Danny Devito will be present for a special Jameson Cult Film Club screening of L.A. Confidential’
Director of Broken Rufus Norris, who attended the premiere, commented: “it’s a wonderful compliment for us that Broken has been invited to open this Festival, and I am totally delighted to be part of such a great event. This is doubly so for the fact that so much of the film was created here. Mark O’Rowe and I argued back and forth over the script for days on end in various cafes around the city, and the care he gave it and education he gave me were the foundations of the piece. I hope you folk like it – its body is English but the bones were made in Dublin.”
The festival continues until 24th February, with special guests including Danny DeVito for the Jameson Cult Film Club screening of LA Confidential and a Volta presentation by Brendan Gleeson after the screening of The War of the Roses; actor James D’Arcy who will attend the screening of Cloud Atlas; director Costa-Gavras who will attend the screening of his new film Capital along with actor Gabriel Byrne; iconic Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne who will attend the screening of Shampoo; Borgen screenwriter Tobias Lindholm who will attend the screening of his new film A Hijacking; Top Gun casting director Margery Simkin who will give a talk on her phenomenal career and Academy Award nominee Dario Marianelli who will present a very special concert featuring a selection of his famous film scores.
About BROKEN:
Norris’ multi award winning Broken is a powerful, captivating and heartbreaking exploration of love in all its many forms: idealised, unrequited, and, ultimately, unconditional. With some light comic touches and a brilliant central performance from newcomer Eloise Laurence, this coming of age story deals with the tumultuousness of growing up in a world where the happy certainties of childhood give way to a fear-filled doubt, and where a complex, broken world fills the future. Featuring a great cast including Tim Roth, Cillian Murphy and Rory Kinnear. Broken will be in Irish cinemas on 8th March.
About the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival:
The 11th Jameson Dublin International Film Festival will take place from the 14th – 24th February 2013. The full programme is available via the festival website jdiff.com. Tickets can be booked via the website, facebook, Entertainment.ie or in person at the Festival Hub in Filmbase from 24th January, or at Ticket Offices in Cineworld or the Light House from 4th February.
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival would like to thank its funders and sponsors: Jameson, The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board, Cineworld, Renault, The Merrion Hotel, The Irish Times, RTÉ, Windmill Lane, Wells Cargo, Entertainment.ie, Film Base and The Church.
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
Ticket Office: Filmbase, Curved St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Phone: 01 687 7974
Facebook: Jameson Dublin International Film Festival – /Dublinfilmfestival
Twitter: @DublinFilmFest

 

More stars confirmed for film festival

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In addition to the already jam packed line up, the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival are delighted to announce an exciting array of actors and filmmakers who will come to Dublin for the festival, which takes place from14th – 24th February 2013.
Actor James D’Arcy (Hitchcock, W.E.) will take part in a post screening discussion about his part in the adaptation of David Mitchell’s multi-layered epic, Cloud Atlas. Nicholas Jarecki will attend the screening of his auspicious directorial debut Arbitrage (which stars Susan Sarandon and Richard Gere, nominated for a Golden Globe for the role), and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum, Contagion) will be on hand to talk about his screenplay for Steven Soderberg’s last film Side Effects.
The 11th Jameson Dublin International Film Festival will take place from 14-24 February 2013. The full programme is available via the festival website jdiff.com. Tickets can be booked via the website, facebook, Entertainment.ie or in person at the Festival Hub in Filmbase from 24th January, or at Ticket Offices in Cineworld or the Light House from 4th February.
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival would like to thank its funders and sponsors: Jameson, The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board, Cineworld, Renault, The Merrion Hotel, The Irish Times, RTÉ, Windmill Lane, Wells Cargo, Entertainment.ie, Film Base and The Church.
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
Ticket Office: Filmbase, Curved St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Phone: 01 687 7974
Facebook: Jameson Dublin International Film Festival – /Dublinfilmfestival
Twitter: @DublinFilmFest

Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 14-24 February

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TDR The Liffey

Many well-known film stars will be in town for the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival when it starts later this month.

Tim Roth, Gabriel Byrne, Frank Langella, Olivier Assayas, Costa-Gavras, Joss Whedon, Robert Towne and Danny DeVito have all confirmed for the 2013 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival which runs from 14 – 24 February 2013 

The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival is delighted to welcome a stunning array of filmmaking talent to Dublin this February for the 11th edition of the festival, which takes place from 14th – 24th February.

Featuring acting legends such as Danny DeVito, Tim Roth, Gabriel Byrne and Frank Langella, directing powerhouses, Olivier Assayas, Costa-Gavras and Joss Whedon, as well as events showcasing the art of screenwriting with Tobias Lindholm (Borgen) and Robert Towne (Chinatown, Shampoo), and casting with Margery Simkin (Top Gun, Erin Brockovich). Featuring over 130 feature films, alongside shorts, masterclasses and a myriad of special events hosted in the dedicated Hub and Club spaces, the festival will also welcome over 100 Irish and international guests to light up an amazing 11 days.

Exciting young Irish actors Killian Scott and Kelly Campbell, who will both feature in films screening at the festival – Black Ice and The Good Man, launched the festival programme on 23rd January.

Speaking at the launch, Festival Director Gráinne Humphreys said: “The year long search for the most original voices in contemporary cinema will finally be unveiled next month. It’s a festival jam packed with screenings, workshops and masterclasses, and I am genuinely humbled by the guests who will join us: Olivier Assayas, Costa-Gavras, Danny DeVito, Joss Whedon, Margery Simkin and Frank Langella, it is a honour to welcome them and the rest of our cast list to Dublin.”

The highly anticipated Jameson Cult Film Club will this year feature the classic LA Confidential, with Danny DeVito in attendance for a unique interactive event screening. “Our association with film began in 1998 and I am very proud to say that, today, Jameson is involved with some of the most dynamic and successful film festivals around the world. At the heart of our film association is our sponsorship of JDIFF, which has grown from strength to strength since 2002. In support of this, we have once again developed an integrated marketing campaign consisting of TV, print, radio, outdoor, online and extensive in-bar and retail promotions around Dublin,” said Anna Malmhake, CEO & Chairman, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard.

The festival will bring unexpected stories to audiences throughout the 11 days. Iconic actor Tim Roth will showcase his gentle side at the opening gala, a screening of compelling family drama Broken, directed by Rufus Norris and written by Irish screenwriter Mark O’Rowe both of whom will attend the screening along with Roth. Creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and director of Avengers Assemble Joss Whedon will mix the modern and classic with a retelling of the Shakespeare comedy Much Ado About Nothing; and Frank Langella will transform from Nixon (after his iconic role in 2008’s Frost/Nixon), to a retired burglar in Robot & Frank!

Exciting Irish talent will be showcased in the line up of Irish features, which will encompass the caper that is The Hardy Bucks Movie; Kieron J Walsh’s black humourous Jump, Mary Harron’s visually lush The Moth Diaries starring Sarah Bolger, documentary maker Kieran Evans’ powerful debut feature Kelly + Victor, and the intriguing Irish co-production Call Girl.

In the year of Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union, the festival are delighted to present a focus on European film, welcoming acclaimed filmmakers Olivier Assayas (Apres Mai/Something in the Air), Costa-Gavras (Capital), Pascal Bonitzer (Looking for Hortense / Cherchez Hortense) and Tobias Lindholm (A Hijacking) to Dublin for the festival, as well the concert of film scores by Academy Award winning Dario Marianelli, a collaboration between the festival, the National Concert Hall and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

Documentaries will be centre stage, with the festival closing with the world premiere of Blood Rising, director Mark McLoughlin and artist Brian Maguire’s searing indictment of the Mexican authorities of Juarez and the women it has forgotten – part of the Arts Council Reel Art documentay programme. The festival will also present Claire Dix’s Broken Song which follows three hip-hop artists from north Dublin, and Paul Duane’s NATAN, the captivating portrait of controversial but overlooked French film pioneer Bernard Natan.

Other fascinating subjects explored in featured documentaries include:-

Oscar winner Alex Gibney’s Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, the dark history of sexual molestation of deaf children by the Catholic Church in the late ’50s

Nick Ryan’s gripping account of Irishman Ger McDonnell’s tragic expedition to K2, The Summit

Sophie Fiennes’ controversial exploration of what psychoanalysis can tell us about cinema The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema.

The festival will also present cinematic portraits of legendary drummer Ginger Baker, graphic designer Pablo Ferro, Magnum photojournalist John G. Morris, dancer Colin Dunne, band The Frames and famed children’s author Tomi Ungerer.

The programme will feature a broad and diverse range of award winning films from across the world, including Kim Ki-duk’s Venice winning Pieta, Taviani Brother’s Berlinale winner Caesar Must Die, Foreign language Oscar nominee Beyond the Hills (Cristian Mungiu) and Rob Savage’s Raindance winning first feature Strings. Other attractions will include highly anticipated titles White Elephant (Pablo Trapero), Post Tenebras Lux (Carlos Reygadas), With You, Without You (Prasanna Vithange), Gangs of Wasseypur (Anurag Kashyap), Stoker (Chan-wook Park), Easy Money I & II (Daniel Espinosa and Babak Najafi), Arbitrage (Nicholas Jarecki), The Look of Love (Michael Winterbottom) and Cloud Atlas (Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Lachowski).

The Out of the Past season will this year feature classics such as Kieslowski’s Blind Chance, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Blvd. and Jerry Schatzberg’s Scarecrow, as well as Fritz Lang’s 1928 Spies, with a live accompaniment by Günther Buchwald, and a tribute to Irish filmmaker Kieran Hickey hosted in association with the IFI. The IFI will also present a celebration of the work of Jem Cohen and the Irish premiere of Museum Hours.

The 11th Jameson Dublin International Film Festival will take place from the 14th – 24th February 2013. The full programme will be available to view from the festival website jdiff.com at 7pm on 23rd January, with online booking open from 11.59pm. Tickets can be booked in person at the Festival Hub in Filmbase from 24th January, or at Ticket Offices in Cineworld or the Light House from 4th February.

Jameson Dublin International Film Festival has many funders and sponsors including Jameson, The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board, Cineworld, Renault, The Merrion Hotel, The Irish Times, RTÉ, Windmill Lane, Wells Cargo, Entertainment.ie, Film Base and The Church.

Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
Ticket Office: Filmbase, Curved St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Phone: 01 687 7974
Web: www.jdiff.com
Email: info@jdiff.com
Facebook: Jameson Dublin International Film Festival/Dublinfilmfestival
Twitter: @DublinFilmFest

Jamieson Dublin International Film Festival programme 2013 by

Pat Hickey gives Olympic Torch to Dublin City Archives

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Lord Mayor accepts Olympic Torch on behalf of Dublin City Council

On Tuesday 5th February 2013, at 12 noon in City Hall, Dame Street, the Lord Mayor, Naoise Ó Muirí will be presented with an Olympic Torch by Pat Hickey, President of the Olympic Council of Ireland as a ‘thank you’ to Dublin City Council for their support in hosting the Olympic Torch Relay in Dublin last year.

The Olympic Torch will go on display at the Dublin City Sports Archive, Pearse Street Library, Dublin 2, from Wednesday morning, 6th February for the month.

Admission is free. Opening hours:

Monday – Thursday 10.00 am to 8.00 pm
Friday & Saturday 10.00 am to 5.00 pm

The Lord Mayor said “The 6th June 2012 was a very special day when the true spirit of the Olympic Games came to the streets of Dublin. In a break from tradition the Olympic Torch Relay travelled outside of Greece and the Host Country to visit Dublin. 41 Torchbearers from sporting legends to unsung heroes carried Olympic Torches through the streets of Dublin where cheering Dubliners lined the route from Croke Park to St. Stephen’s Green. Dublin City Council, An Garda Síochána, the City’s business community and transport providers, the Irish Government and the Olympic Council of Ireland all worked together to make a special piece of history. I am delighted that one of these Olympic Torches is being presented to the Dublin City Archives for permanent display to mark the day, not only for those who experienced it firsthand but for generations to come.”

Pat Hickey, President of the Olympic Council of Ireland, said “The welcome that Dubliners gave to the arrival of the Olympic Torch in our capital city was immense – and set the tone for Ireland’s very successful medal challenge at the London Games. Dublin City Council, at all levels, played a key role in the planning and delivery of the Torch visit, and deserves our heartfelt thanks for doing a superb job for our city and our country on this important and unique international occasion”

City Archivist Dr. Mary Clark said: “We are thrilled to have this Olympic Torch for the Dublin City Sports Archive, where our aim is to inspire Dubliners of all ages to love and play sports by recording the achievements of sporting heroes, past and present. For us, this torch will symbolize passing on this proud tradition of sporting excellence for which Dublin is noted.”

Dublin has free wifi!

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The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Naoise Ó Muirí is launching Dublin Free WiFi today at 11am at Barnardo’s Square, Dublin 2 (beside City Hall Dame Street). This new service will offer both Dubliners and visitors to the city access to free WiFi, 24/7, at key locations around the city. The rollout of free public WiFi contributes to the Digital infrastructure in the city.

Uniquely the WiFi hotspots will be identified by wall mosaics which will feature “digidub” characters, modern and historical. Fourteen different characters will be rolled out , with a Viking, a street cleaner, a tourist, a rockabilly girl and pyjama girl being visible on 31st January.  These signs are a fun and attractive way to advertise the city’s WiFi hotspots and Dubliners will be invited to suggest additional characters.

“Our future economic success, our ability to attract talent and investment and our competitive branding internationally means we have to use and apply digital technologies now.  I am delighted to be here today to launch Dublin Free WiFi. This project is one of the milestones that will deliver on our Digital Dublin Initiative. By June of this year Dublin will have a Digital Masterplan.   The aim of the plan is to develop Dublin as a world centre of digital excellence” said the Lord Mayor of Dublin.                                                 

In launching Dublin Free WiFi the Lord Mayor has thrown down a challenge. “I am asking Dubliners to identify and suggest different uses which can be made of the availability of free wifi in terms of developing services, encouraging people connecting, and making the city more attractive.”

To mark the launch the public is invited to take part in Dublin Free WiFi Day from 11am to 5pm, at Barnardo’s Square.

Free WiFi is an initiative of Dublin City Council. It is provided, at no cost to the Council, by  Gowex, a Spanish company that has provided similar services globally.

The service is free and provides a download speed of 512Kbps and an upload speed of 128Kbps. Users also have the option to purchase a higher download speed of up to 6 Mbps if required. Once registered, the user will have access to all Dublin city hotspots and other Gowex networks in cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Paris and Buenos Aires. To celebrate the launch of this initiative, Dublin Free WiFi will be upgraded from 512Kbps to 1Mbps for 2 months from today.

“We are very proud to be working in Dublin alongside the City Council to offer free WiFi to all Dubliners and to all visitors. We think that Dublin is the European technological capital and having free WiFi in its streets will be a new attractive aspect for the City” said Jenaro García, CEO at Gowex. Thanks to this WiFi service, Dublin City Council is laying the foundations for the deployment of a Wireless Smart City, providing infrastructure for the future delivery of smart municipal services.

From Thursday the service will be available at the Civic Offices Amphitheatre, Wood Quay, St Patrick’s Park and Barnardo’s Square. The service will be rolled out over the coming weeks to other key city centre locations including Smithfield Square, Grafton Street, Henry Street, O’Connell Street and Temple Bar Square.

You can view the full set of “digidub” characters and find out where you can go digital at www.dublingowexfreewifi.ie

Book now for Film Festival

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Book your tickets now for Dublin’s 3rd Chinese New Year Film Festival 1 – 9 February 2013

The Dublin Chinese New Year Film Festival opens on 1 February at the Light House Cinema in Smithfield with the Chinese version of the renowned novel ‘Dangerous Liaisons’, bringing a story of passion and betrayal to the big screen.

This year’s Dublin Festival, brought to you by Dublin City Council and Kildare Village Chic Outlet Shopping, in conjunction with access>CINEMA and the Light House Cinema, runs from 1 – 9 February.  There will also be screenings in other locations across the country including Cork and Galway.

The selected films celebrate Chinese cinema through a variety of themes and bring to the screen the fascinating world of Chinese culture. From the dark financial world of ‘Life without Principle’ to the romance of ‘Love is Not Blind’ to the closing film, the dynastic martial arts tale ‘Tai Chi 0’, this year’s Film Festival aims to celebrate and entertain a wide range of audiences during this Chinese Year of the Snake.

The 2013 Dublin Chinese New Year Film Festival will include many other features including a lecture series and animation programme for children.

The full programme and booking information is available now at www.cny.ie

This Dublin Chinese New Year Film Festival promises to celebrate the best of Chinese cinema and culture, and is an appetiser for the Dublin City Council Chinese New Year Festival which begins in the capital on 8 February 2013.

Details at www.cny.ie

 

Visitor numbers break all records at Dublin Zoo

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Biggest year ever with record breaking numbers visiting in 2012

Dublin Zoo is delighted to announce they have yet again broken their record for the number of visitors welcomed through the gates last year. The final footfall figure for 2012 surpassed last year’s 1 million reaching an all-time high of 1,029,417. The Dublin Reporter was lucky enough to visit the Zoo twice last year and enjoyed the experience immensely each time. A visit to the Zoo is a lovely walk with loads of camera ready opportunities!

 

This increase of 2.5% confirms Dublin Zoo’s status as the most popular family visitor attraction in Ireland with over 95% domestic visitors.

Leo Oosterweghel, director of Dublin Zoo said:- “We are absolutely thrilled to have welcomed even more visitors than last year. We would like to thank all our friends and supporters, old and new, who helped us achieve this new record. Reaching 1 million in 2011 was fantastic but to do it again and add to that number is phenomenal.

“Our success can be attributed to the dedication and hard work of the team at Dublin Zoo. The team continuously strives to enhance the animal habitats and at the same time ensuring that visitors have an unforgettable experience which is value for money.

“We are delighted to say that the Zoo is more popular than ever. We are extremely proud to be in a position to say that after a decade of continuous development that Dublin Zoo is amongst the best Zoos in the world.”

Mr. Oosterweghel continued:-“The Zoo belongs to the Irish people who have a great pride in such a world-class facility and we share our success with the generations who continue to support us.”

2012 was an extremely busy year and saw the opening of the Asian Forest, celebrated baby gorilla Kituba’s first birthday and welcomed many new arrivals including a rare Eastern bongo calf, a tapir calf, two red panda cubs, two meerkat pups, two snowy owls and a sea lion pup, not to mention many new births at the Family Farm and a visit from international superstar Jennifer Lopez who enjoyed a day out at the Zoo with her family in October.

Among the new arrivals and for the first time ever Dublin Zoo introduced two young Asian lionesses and a bull elephant, Upali, to the collection of animals.

Upali, the bull elephant, joining the group of females was a momentous development for both the Zoo and the international breeding programme. It is expected the elephants will mate and double the size of the Dublin Zoo herd over the coming years.

In 2012 the extremely popular TV show ‘The Zoo’ aired for 10 weeks on RTÉ One and ‘The Zoo Christmas Special’ was watched by an average audience of 429,000 viewers. In addition, increased marketing, public relations and social media activity contributed hugely to the success of Dublin Zoo.

In 2013 and beyond, Dublin Zoo plans to continue to develop its offering, further enhancing the visitor experience and ensuring visitors continue to receive the best value for money.

Mr. Oosterweghel continued, “Over the past two decades Dublin Zoo has transformed into a world-class centre of learning about wildlife and conservation. It is also an integral part of more and more European breeding programmes for endangered species.”

Dublin Zoo, a not for profit organisation, is open seven days a week from 9.30am to 4.30pm in January. For further information on Dublin Zoo visit www.facebook.com/dublinzoo, www.dublinzoo.ie