chambernews Startup Awards The Bank of Ireland Startup Awards 2014 have been opened to start-up companies across Ireland. This year’s awards include regional finals, which will take place across Dublin, the rest of Leinster, Munster and Connacht/Ulster. Regional winners will be shortlisted for the national final taking place in autumn 2014 in Dublin. The closing date for entries into the awards is Friday, 15 August.
Entrepreneur and Startup Awards judge Gavin Duffy, Stephen Dillon, Founder of Startups.ie, Damien English TD and Gerry Prizeman, Head of Enterprise Development at Bank of Ireland.
Eircom Boost
Bitcoin Security Safety deposit box provider Merrion Vaults has formed a partnership with Bitcoin ATM provider BitVendo to provide a secure cold storage service for the digital currency. The partnership will allow Bitcoin owners to store Bitcoin certificates and back up material in a high-quality and secure safe deposit vault in Dublin. Merrion Vaults has also confirmed rugby pundit and TV presenter Brent Pope as their brand ambassador.
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eircom continues to invest in its fibre footprint and is on track to pass 1,000,000 premises during summer 2014 and 1,400,000 premises by 2016, the company said. eircom added that some 103,000 customers had opted to take up its high speed broadband services at the end of March, representing a 13 per cent penetration of the 800,000 premises passed. The firm’s 4G roll-out is said to be ahead of schedule and now covers 50 per cent of the population in Ireland.
Museum Purchase The National Museum of Ireland is acquiring a rare work of art for their permanent collection, a forensic facial reconstruction sculpture depicting a World War One soldier. The portrait bust is of the Irish born Canadian soldier Pte. Thomas Lawless who fell in battle in Avion near Vimy, France in 1915. Lawless’s remains were not discovered until 2003; a positive identification was made in 2011.
Newmarket Expansion Accountancy company Newmarket Partnership has become part of Crowe Horwath. Gerry O’Reilly, who founded Newmarket Partnership 25 years ago with the late David Manley, joins Crowe Horwath as a partner and will be part of the corporate finance and audit team. Newmarket’s Michael O’Scathaill and Nigel Kavanagh also join Crowe Horwath’s audit and tax services.