Here’s a quick, but loaded, question: Do you prefer Barry’s or Lyons?
The Great Irish Tea War is the most intractable rivalry in the country. While Munster and Leinster have been known to put their differences aside for the sake of Irish rugby glory, tea drinkers are not so easily appeased.
Mention a preference for the “wrong” tea and you can expect strong words at best – and definitely no biscuits. At worst, tea drinkers will go cup to cup in pitched battles, kettles angrily steaming, while insults like curdled milk sour friendships and family relationships.
It’s more than just a battle of the brews. Barry’s Tea was founded the Rebel City in 1901 and is still one of Cork’s most famous brands. Lyons is originally from Dublin.
Do you prefer Barry’s to Lyons? The yellow Snack or the purple one? Tayto or King Crisps? Cork or Dublin? Really, it is all a matter of taste… But there are many great reasons why anyone looking for a new job, or a whole new life, should consider a move to Cork.
Dublin may be the country’s economic engine, but Cork is thriving. Ireland’s south-west has also had significant job creation in recent years. Unemployment across Cork and Kerry is under 5 percent – one of the lowest rates across Ireland.
The digital sector, tourism and pharma are particularly buoyant. Cork’s digital economy is worth an estimated €1bn, while the tourism is close behind, at around €850m. Multinationals that call Cork home include AbbVie, Apple, Amazon, Boston Scientific, DellEMC, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Marriott Group, Pfizer and Siemens.
The area around Cork is home to a number of pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical companies, particularly in Little Island and Ringaskiddy. GE is developing a ‘BioPark’ in Ringaskiddy. In May, Eli Lilly announced plans to expand the company’s Kinsale manufacturing site, creating hundreds of jobs. More recently, in October, Janssen Sciences Ireland UC announced an expansion to its Ringaskiddy facility with an investment of more than €300 million and the creation of 200 jobs.
Investec, the specialist bank, believes that Cork is “Brexit-ready” and in an excellent position to benefit from multinational companies relocating from the UK. This is due to ongoing investment in infrastructure, along with lower office rental costs. Cork offers companies the same tax breaks as Dublin, but prime office space costs about half as much.
County Cork has some of the best farmland in the country. As a result, it also has a reputation of producing high quality food, particularly from small producers. Some of the most popular include the Alternative Bread Company; Ballymaloe Relish; Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheese; Clonakilty Black Pudding and Eight Degrees Brewing. Served together, those would make a great meal!
Then there’s the Old English Market. This foodie heaven stocks produce from small traders and has an emphasis on organic products. The Market is also home to the Farmgate Café, which specialises in fresh local food.
Cork has a slew of award-winning and highly regarded restaurants. These include the lovely Jacques Restaurant, the vibey Market Lane and Cafe Paradiso, generally agreed to be the best vegetarian restaurant in the country.
Cork has been the European Capital of Culture; the city is regarded as a must-see tourist destination, and it has a wonderful laid-back vibe. There's a busy live music scene, a variety of theatres and the “Heritage Pub Trail” – although we don’t recommend completing this in one night!
A recent study by the European Commission – the ‘Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor’ – gave Cork the top spot for “cultural vibrancy.” This measures the vibe of a city, cultural infrastructure and how often the public engage with cultural events. The rest of the top five were Paris, Florence, Lisbon and Copenhagen. Cork’s win is down to the variety of venues, performances, exhibitions and festivals taking place annually.
Cork’s annual Jazz Festival is famous around the world and has been running since 1978. Live at the Marquee hosts musical and comedy stars every summer. This year, Eddie Vedder, Emeli Sandé, Elton John, Tommy Tiernan and Chirsty Moore were amongst the performers. Then there is the Cork Folk Festival, the French Film Festival, the World Book Fest and many more.
Cork’s coast is part of the “Wild Atlantic Way” and this part of the country offers rugged beauty. There are also a number of blue flag beaches, including Garretstown, Inchdoney and Barleycove.
The best news is that you will actually be able to afford to go out. This October, figures from Sherry Fitzgerald found that Dubliners spend a whooping 55 percent of their take home pay on rent. In Cork, the average is a far more reasonable 37 percent.
If you are thinking of making the move, or looking for your next career challenge, call in to Jobs Expo Cork. The event takes place on Saturday 25 November at UCC's Devere Hall, Aras na Mac Leinn. Entrance is free. Register for your ticket here.
We are proud to announce that An Garda Síochána will be exhibiting at Jobs Expo Cork. The event takes place on Saturday 25th November at UCC's Devere Hall, Aras na Mac Leinn.
An Garda Síochána is the national police service of Ireland. Their mission is to deliver professional policing and security services with the trust and confidence as well as support of the people they serve.
Following the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, the Dublin Metropolitan Police merged with the recently established An Garda Síochána in 1925.
An Garda Síochána is a community based organisation with over 15,200 Garda and civilian employees. As a result, there are police officers in every county in Ireland, listening to, acting and working with the community.
The Headquarters of An Garda Síochána is in the Phoenix Park, Dublin 8.
The current Acting Commissioner is Dónall O'Cualáin.
Budget 2018 has provided sanction for the recruitment of 800 trainees as well as 500 civilians. The budget for 2018 goes a long way in helping to realise the long-term plan of increasing police staff to 21,000 by the year 2021.
A career with the police will be challenging, but also extremely rewarding. The roles are exciting, always presenting different and new experiences. Fighting crime is an evident function within the gardaí. However, roles also involves a great level of communication and partnership with all communities with the goal of keeping the peace and increasing the quality of life.
We are proud to announce that PE Global will return to Jobs Expo Cork on Saturday 25th November 2017. The event takes place at the UCC Devere Hall, Aras na Mac Leinn.
PE Global is a 100% Irish-owned resourcing company. They specialise in offering tailored recruitment solutions. PE Global works with both companies and organisations in domestic as well as international markets. Since 2005, they have provided customised recruitment services to projects of all sizes. They form successful long-term partnerships with clients. As a result, they can give them innovative and cost-effective solutions.
PE Global understands the technologies and technical requirements of the industries that they work in. This is due to the quality and experience of their people.
This is because their recruitment consultants are committed to working to stringent guidelines. They are also focused on continual service enhancement.
Furthermore, they are an award winning recruitment agency. For a fourth consecutive year, they have won a Supplier Excellence Award from Kelly Services, Inc. This was due to PE Global’s performance as a leading recruitment agency.
PE Global’s clients include SMEs as well as multinational corporations. They work with leading international companies in the following sectors:
PE Global has offices in London, Dublin and Cork.
We are proud to announce that Innopharma College of Applied Sciences are taking part in Jobs Expo Cork on on Saturday 25th November.
Innopharma College of Applied Sciences is an award winning global institute dedicated to applied sciences. The college offers industry-led technology, education and training programmes in the pharmaceutical, medtech and food industries. Innopharma College of Applied Sciences offers world-recognised qualifications up to Masters’ degree level in the pharmaceutical, medtech and food sectors.
The college offers the highest quality facilities. In addition, they have developed strategic collaborations with a number of Ireland’s most established higher-level education institutions.
Innopharma offers a number of courses on their campus in Sandyford in Dublin. Others courses are run in conjunction with the Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT) or Griffith College in Dublin, in addition to strategic locations throughout Ireland. Finally, the College runs a selection of online courses too.
Innopharma College of Applied Sciences offers an education team with extensive industry experience. Many lecturers have held senior management positions with blue chip multinational companies. As a result, the college has an extensive network of contacts to connect students with industry and academia. They also have an exceptional reputation for post-graduate employment. Over 70 percent of their graduates gained employment or advanced further their careers within 6 months of graduating from an Innopharma course.
The college works closely with companies to develop and deliver bespoke programmes. These have business outcomes in mind. They offer practical and hands-on education to give students an intense, challenging and industry relevant learning experience.
We are delighted to announce that SOLAS will be joining Jobs Expo Cork on Saturday, 25th November.
Established in 2013, SOLAS is an agency of the Department of Education and Skills. SOLAS aims to create a world-class, integrated Further Education and Training (FET) sector that is responsive to the needs of learners and the requirements of a changed and changing economy.
SOLAS manages, co-ordinates and supports the delivery of integrated Further Education and Training by the Education and Training Boards. The organisation monitors delivery and provide funding based on reliable data and positive outcomes. They also promote FET provision that is relevant to individual learner needs and national skills needs. This includes the needs of business and future skills requirements. They support the development of an innovative, flexible and demand-led FET sector. This is to ensure the economic and social well-being of Ireland.
SOLAS manages a number of initiatives. These include:
Ireland has a rich and diverse range of Further Education and Training options. SOLAS' challenge is threefold. First off, they aim to ensure that every learning opportunity offers individuals the opportunity to gain new skills or to advance their personal development. Secondly, they are responsive to the needs of enterprises. Businesses must have access to particular skills if they are to grow. Finally, they must consider the needs of civil society. All citizens must experience parity of esteem and equal opportunity.
SOLAS also aims to ensure that Further Education and Training is inclusive. They recognise that all citizens have the potential to develop their skills if they have the opportunity and support to do so.
We are proud to announce that global pharmaceutical leader, AbbVie will be exhibiting as well as recruiting at Jobs Expo Cork. Our Cork event takes place on Saturday 24th November at the UCC Devere Hall, Aras na Mac Leinn.
AbbVie addresses some of the world’s greatest health needs. AbbVie has the expertise of a pharmaceutical leader, as well as the focus and passion of an entrepreneur and innovator. As a result, the company has the ability to discover and reach all corners of the globe with treatment options that can improve people’s lives.
Innovation is the cornerstone of AbbVie’s business as a global biopharmaceutical company. Their focus is on developing medicines that can provide strong clinical performance and measurable patient benefit as well as economic value. They work particularly in areas where there is significant need. These include hepatitis C, neuroscience, immunology, oncology and chronic kidney disease as well as women’s health.
AbbVie began as the pharmaceutical leader, Abbott, which was founded in 1888. Abbott evolved and became a global healthcare leader. On 1 January 2013, AbbVie was founded as a global biopharmaceutical company. They have the focus and capabilities to address some of the world’s greatest health challenges.
In 2013, the company seized a rare opportunity: to build on Abbott’s 125-year experience and heritage in health by infusing the agility, passion and focus of a start-up business.
AbbVie in Ireland delivers world-class discovery, production and supply of critical medicines. They focus on novel and breakthrough therapies for tough-to-treat diseases and unmet medical needs, with a reputation for quality.
The company creates new medicines for chronic, serious health issues by combining advanced science with deep knowledge of diseases. They harness Irish expertise in complex chemical and biological research. In addition, they test discoveries as well as manufacture medicines and delivery devices. As a result, Ireland contributes to every part of the medicine discovery process.
AbbVie has five sites in Ireland. Alongside three manufacturing facilities in Sligo and Cork, they also have two offices in Dublin.