• Full purchase of the NFT and percentage of each transfer will be donated to DSPCA’s animal shelters

• Two iconic dog memes – Egg Dog and This is Fine Dog – part of first ‘litter’ available to purchase online

The Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), Ireland’s oldest and largest animal welfare organisation, has today unveiled NwooFT, a campaign reimagining viral dog memes as NFT’s (Non-fungible tokens) to generate funds directly for the charity in collaboration with Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive.

The project will see all proceeds go directly to the DSPCA. The full initial purchase of the NFT – and a percentage of each subsequent transfer – will be donated to the animal shelter, generating actual money to help real dogs. You can purchase the NFTs, along with instructions on how to do so, here: https://nwooft.dog/

Each drop of NFTs provide a combination of two iconic dog memes, showcasing a wide array of art styles and aesthetics. The first ‘litter’ is a combination of two of the internet’s greats: Egg Dog and This is Fine Dog. A second wave is set to launch shortly. The number of variations and degree of rarity depends on the size and strength of each ‘litter’.

This is the first NFT collection released by Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive.

As the buzz around cryptocurrency and NFTs grows by the day, so too do the possibilities of what can be achieved in this space. As excitement and intrigue continues to spread online, there is a growing potential for the world of NFTs to become a place to connect and grow cause-based communities in real life and support charitable causes.

The team at Rothco realised their desire to explore and evolve the NFT space was perfectly aligned with the needs of the DSPCA and to help them reach a wider audience. Thus, NwooFT was born – a campaign that sees the agency reimagine some of the internet’s favourite dog memes as NFTs to generate donations for real life dogs in need.

Tobin Nageotte, technology and innovation director at Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive, comments: “NwooFT is really just an experiment. There is so much cynicism around NFTs – they’re speculative, a passing fad, waste of time/money, etc. But decentralisation via Web3 will have a very real and seismic impact on our industry and it’s important that we’re out ahead of the change. Beyond helping out a great cause, what we learned on NwooFT really opened our eyes to the massive creative and strategic opportunities that come with Web3.”

Suzanne McGovern, corporate relations manager at DSPCA, adds: “The DSPCA are very excited about NwooFT as it allows us as a charity to engage with a new online community. We get to reach a wider audience, raise awareness of the work we do for animals and bolster our fundraising efforts in a new and exciting way. Watch this space.”

An Post has unveiled two new stamps to celebrate the centenary of the publication of James Joyce’s celebrated book Ulysses.

Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential pieces of modernist literature, Ulysses was initially published as a series of stories in an American journal and was first published as a complete novel on 2 February 1922 – James Joyce’s 40th birthday. The book chronicles a single day (16 June 1904 – now celebrated as Bloomsday) in the lives of Stephen Dedalus along with husband-and-wife Leopold and Molly Bloom as they meander through the streets and suburbs of Dublin.

The Ulysses 100 stamps from An Post were designed by Amsterdam-based Irish designers, The Stone Twins. The stamp design is intentionally unorthodox, challenging, and unexpected, as well as modernist – exactly what you would expect from Ulysses.

Inspired by James Joyce’s use of the ‘Gilbert Schema’ within Ulysses, the two-stamp design consists of a total of 18 sections, which signify the number of chapters in the book. The stamp design overlays the colours and structure defined in Joyce’s ‘Gilbert Schema’, with photographs captured by renowned photographer JJ Clarke, a doctor from Castleblayney in Co. Monaghan who took vivid images of daily life in Dublin when he was a medical student there between 1897 and 1904. As Ulysses is particularly famous for challenging the conventions of language, the inverted type used in the stamp design was chosen to reflect Joyce’s experimental use of language.

An Post expects strong interest in the Ulysses 100 stamps at home and abroad from collectors, the Joycean community, and those with an interest in literature. The specially designed First Day Cover, a souvenir envelope, features a JJ Clarke photograph of 14-18 Ormond Quay Lower and Swifts Row, taken from the South Quays and featuring the River Liffey. The First Day Cover also features both of the Ulysses 100 stamps and a special cancellation mark.

The Ulysses 100 stamps and a special First Day Cover commemorative envelope are available at selected post offices nationwide and online at www.anpost.com/shop

An Post CEO, David McRedmond said: “The claims for Ulysses as the greatest novel of the 20th Century, and the first great modern novel, remain vibrant. Its 100th anniversary shows something else: that Ulysses is as relevant now as a work of art as when it was written. These stamps reflect the unique mix of modernism and classicism that define the novel.”

Internationally renowned Joycean expert, Senator David Norris said: “Frozen in time the images on these stamps illustrate remarkably the period of James Joyce’s Ulysses in 1904. It is tempting to think that in the world of fiction these stamps might have adorned Bloom’s letter to Martha Clifford. I congratulate An Post on their production to mark the centenary of the publication of Ulysses.”

Alan Cox to step down in Q2 2022 after leading the company for 15 years

Core, Ireland’s largest marketing communications company, has announced the appointment of Aidan Greene as the new CEO of the business. His appointment will be effective from 4 April, 2022. Following a planned succession strategy, Alan Cox is departing Core to launch a software business specialising in the area of business transformation.

Since his appointment as Deputy CEO in 2014, Aidan has worked alongside Alan to lead a team who have transformed Core from a number of media agencies, to a growing business providing full-solution services to the marketing communications sector. This established integrated approach offers expertise across eight practices which provides unrivalled insights and allows for greater creativity for clients. Core has also been successful in retaining significant media accounts, while also growing brands through their work in Creative, Research, Sponsorship, Strategy and Data.

Aidan’s appointment as CEO marks a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation and development of Core as a multi-service agency with a commitment to deliver the highest standards of client service while driving tangible business results. Aidan will also continue his ongoing work with the Senior Management team to continue developing a culture of collaboration in the workplace which has led to Core consistently being awarded a ‘Great Place to Work’ accolade for over a decade.

Speaking on his departure, Alan Cox said:

“I have enjoyed my time in Core immensely. It has been a great privilege to work with so many wonderful people within the organisation itself and across the clients, media owners and other partners that I have collaborated with over the last 15 years. I am delighted that the Board has chosen Aidan Greene to take over; he is an exceptional practitioner and will be a brilliant CEO. The company has a very exciting future ahead.”

Aidan Greene added:

“Working with Alan has been an invaluable experience. He is an incredible leader whose expertise and friendship I have valued over the years. His understanding of the ever-changing media industry landscape and his passion for learning and development to meet the needs of our clients and team is something I will continue. I’m looking forward to this new role and am confident that alongside Core’s established and experienced leadership team, we are in a unique position to offer clients a truly collaborative, more powerful solution.”

Patrick Coveney, Chair of Core’s Board of Directors, said:

“On behalf of the Board of Core, we are delighted to appoint Aidan as our new CEO. In addition to his outstanding leadership skills, he has a wealth of media industry and agency experience as well as a significant track record in organisation building, strategy, talent development, fostering diversity, and change management.

“Working alongside Alan over the past decade, Aidan has been central to the extraordinary transformation of Core. We all look forward to working with him as CEO to lead Core into the next phase of growth and development. Aidan is also just a super person, with the values, drive, humility and followership to be a great CEO.

“Of course, I would also like to thank Alan for his extraordinary commitment, skill and contribution to building the Core of today over the past 15 years. It has been a privilege and pleasure to work with him and we wish him every success in his future endeavours.”

With nearly three decades of experience, Aidan was previously the Managing Director of media planning and buying agency, MediaVest (now called Spark Foundry). He launched the direct response media agency, Clear Blue Water, in 2005, before taking the reins of MediaVest in 2007. He has also worked in Ogilvy & Mather and Carat. Aidan spent two years as President of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners of Ireland (IAPI) and is currently Chairperson of the Board of the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival. He has lectured in the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Fitzwilliam Institute.

Core employs a team of 330 people and consists of eight practices – Creative, Data, Investment, Learning, Media (comprising of Mediaworks, Spark Foundry, Starcom, and Zenith), Research, Sponsorship, and Strategy.

www.onecore.ie

@Core_IRL

Christmas FM, the popular radio station that is seen by many as the official soundtrack to the festive season, is delighted to announce that it has raised €331,515 for Barnardos, their chosen charity for 2021.

This figure has well surpassed the original goal of €250,000, which will go directly towards Barnardos’ mission of working to give vulnerable children living in disadvantaged communities a better chance – because childhood lasts a lifetime.

Listener donations raised for Barnardos will be used to provide targeted and intensive support for over 6,800 children most in need – providing nutritious food, support with education, and therapeutic services with their trained support teams.

The 2021 fundraising figure brings to over €3 million the total amount the radio station has raised for a range of charities since its inception in 2008. The costs of running Christmas FM are covered by various sponsors, ensuring that all on-air fundraising and donations go directly to the charity partner. The station is run each year by a core management team and more than 100 volunteers on-air, who devote hundreds of hours of their time.

Paul Shepherd, Co-founder of Christmas FM, says: “We are delighted to have raised just over €331,515 for Barnardos this year. We couldn’t have done it without our loyal listeners who tuned in and donated so generously to Barnardos. We’re also thankful to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland for granting us the license to broadcast and our premier FM sponsors for the year – Cadbury, Coca-Cola, and An Post. We would also like to thank askpaul.ie who kindly donated the studio this year. As ever, we are so grateful to the team and the volunteers who help make Christmas FM happen by assisting with the day-to-day running of the station – we couldn’t do it without each and every one of you!”

Suzanne Connolly, CEO, Barnardos, says: “We were so honoured and humbled to be chosen as the 2021 Christmas FM charity partner, and have been overwhelmed by the incredible support of the public for the Christmas FM Give the Gift of Childhood appeal for Barnardos. Raising a phenomenal €331,515 throughout December to support our vital services throughout, we can now provide over 6,800 children with access to nutritious food, support with education, or therapeutic services with our trained support teams. We can’t thank the Christmas FM team, donors, supporters, and everyone involved in this campaign enough – thanks to you we can change the lives of over 6,800 children living in poverty. It’s never been more important to support vulnerable children, and thanks to your help we can continue to be there for those that need us most. Thank you all.”

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) grants Christmas FM a 30-day temporary sound broadcasting license, which enables the station to broadcast on a range of frequencies throughout the country.

Celene Craig, BAI Deputy Chief Executive, said: “The BAI was delighted to have been in a position to award a temporary sound broadcasting contract to Christmas FM again this year. The temporary radio service continues to be very popular with audiences, spreading festive cheer and goodwill. On behalf of the BAI, I would like to congratulate the station’s volunteers and its listeners on their collective efforts in raising significant funding for this year’s charity partner, Barnardos.”

This year, Christmas FM was generously sponsored by the premier FM sponsors Cadbury, Coca-Cola and An Post. Christmas FM was broadcast from the askpaul.ie offices, who kindly donated the studio space.

Christmas FM is also available online at

www.christmasfm.com

You can follow the station on social at

@christmasfm

Christmas FM – Bringing You the Magic of Christmas

• An Taoiseach Micheál Martin unveils new office at 1 Horgan’s Quay in the heart of Cork City
• Three Irish offshore wind projects planned by DP Energy and Iberdrola will generate enough green electricity to power 2.6 million homes

DP Energy, one of Ireland’s leading developers of renewable energy projects, and global energy leader Iberdrola have officially opened their new Ireland Offshore Wind Joint Venture Office in Horgan’s Quay, Cork City. The new 1,300 sq. ft facility at 1 Horgan’s Quay on Waterfront Square in Cork City was officially unveiled by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

This is the second DP Energy office in Cork, with their global headquarters based in Buttevant. The Irish offshore team currently consists of 17 people based in Cork, with plans to expand the team throughout the various stages of project development.

Micheál Martin, An Taoiseach, said: “It is a great honour to open this brand new state-of-the-art office in the heart of Cork City for one of Ireland’s leading developers of renewable energy – DP Energy. It is a tremendously exciting time for the company and for the region of Cork to be able to do their critical work at this world-class base. Renewable energy will play a significant role across the island’s future as we look to prosper and grow in a truly sustainable manner. I look forward to seeing DP Energy’s progress at home and abroad as we look to work together for a green future for the entire nation.”

Simon De Pietro, CEO at DP Energy, said: “We are  delighted that An Taoiseach Micheál Martin joined us today to open this office facility in the heart of Cork City. DP Energy has for many years carried out renewable energy developments (wind, solar and ocean energy) globally from its headquarters in Buttevant. This new office is a significant milestone in our aim  to complete offshore wind projects in the seas around Ireland alongside our Joint Venture partners Iberdrola. We have built up a significant amount of global expertise in renewable energy over the past 30 years and we are delighted to be in a position to bring this to Ireland to help the country achieve its Climate Action goals and support the battle against climate change. It has been truly exciting to see our team grow both in Ireland and internationally and this new office in Cork will provide a springboard for continued success, while also contributing to the local Cork economy.”

Commenting on the milestone, Charlie Jordan, Iberdrola UK and Ireland Offshore Wind Director, said: “Ireland can be at the forefront of Europe’s offshore wind sector, and benefit from billions of euros of investment and the creation of thousands of highly skilled jobs. We are delivering major offshore wind projects all over the world, and it is clear to Ireland has excellent conditions to grow this new clean energy sector. DP Energy is one of Ireland’s renewable energy pioneers and our new office facilities are a sign of a shared commitment to deliver new offshore wind projects here. We were delighted to welcome the Taoiseach today to discuss our plans for the years ahead.”

DP Energy entered into a Joint Venture with Iberdrola in February 2021 for a 3GW pipeline of offshore wind projects. As one of the world’s largest renewable energy producers, Iberdrola has substantial experience in offshore wind development and, importantly, shares DP Energy’s commitment to a sustainable and ethical approach to development.

DP Energy and Iberdrola have submitted Investigative Foreshore Licence Applications for three off-shore wind projects around the Irish Coast:

• Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park, off the coast of Cork and Waterford (floating)
• Clarus Offshore Wind Farm, off the coast of Clare and Kerry (floating)
• Shelmalere Offshore Wind Farm, off the coast of Wicklow and Wexford (fixed)

Once operational, the three off-shore wind projects will generate enough green energy to power the equivalent of 2.6 million Irish homes. Delivery of these schemes, hoped to be operational between 2028 and 2030, will significantly contribute to Ireland’s Climate Action Plan target of 80% renewable electricity by 2030. Supporting post-2030 Government aspirations of 30GW of offshore renewables, the DP Energy / Iberdrola joint venture will also be responsible for developing future offshore wind pipelines in Ireland.

Further information is also available on the project websites www.inisealgamarineenergypark.com, www.clarusoffshorewindfarm.com and www.shelmalereoffshorewindfarm.com.

www.dpenergy.com

Twitter – @energy_dp | LinkedIn – DP Energy Group