DMblog » West Cork

Bras for Breast Cancer

Christine — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:26:14 +0000

It’s been a bit of a busy week but I can’t let it finish without writing a quick post on a very special campaign being run by a local shop in Skibbereen. Sean Murray Fashions is looking for the women of Ireland to send him their old bras with a donation to The Irish Cancer Society.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Sean aims to cover the town with bras to raise awareness and round out October with a fashion show in aid of the charity as well as a tug of war with the bras on Main St. The tug of war is a fun event but will symbolise the struggle against breast cancer Irish female sufferers face on a daily basis. Each year more than 2,500 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and although women are more aware of it there is still much to be done.

If any ladies reading this have old bras (which I’m sure you do) lying around the house please send them to Sean Murray, 5 Main St., Skibbereen along with a small donation – the pennies make the pounds (or cents make the euros!). Sean Murray’s is also donating 10% of sales of bras sold throughout October to the Irish Cancer Society as well as giving ladies 10% off for themselves – everyone’s a winner!

Here is a link to TV3’s Midday programme where the ladies speak about the campaign

Sean also hit the national airwaves yesterday morning when he spoke to Hector live on air about the campaign!

Below is a sample of some the coverage from the papers yesterday…

Irish Examiner

Cork Independent

Some things just don’t need PR…

Christine — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:24:57 +0000

Yesterday I was lucky enough to catch the most beautiful sunset in Baltimore – some things are naturally perfect and this was certainly one of them. When something is this good it doesn’t require help with design or PR…luckily for DM, there aren’t many places or things in the world like this!!

100 Years of Wedded Bliss at The West Cork Hotel with €20,000 Wedding Giveaway to Brides and Grooms!

Christine — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:22:42 +0000

It looks like the recession is taking its toll on wedding couples as much as everyone else! DMpr recently carried out a survey for The West Cork Hotel with results showing that 47% of couples have had to reduce their wedding budget, proving that prospective brides and grooms are feeling the pinch for what will be one of the most memorable days of their lives. To alleviate this pressure, The West Cork Hotel, who, as it happens are this year also celebrating 100 years of weddings in beautiful West Cork are giving away over €20,000 worth of prizes to couples getting married in the next 12 months.

One lucky couple will win a wedding to the value of €10,000 and four runners-up will also receive prizes worth more than €2,500 each towards their wedding day in the hotel.

The competition is launching today on the hotel website www.westcorkhotel.com and the West Cork Hotel Facebook page. Couples are being asked to finish the line “Shoulda Booked the West Cork Hotel Because…” tell why you would love to win the prize and attach a pic to your entry form. Five finalists will be chosen where the public will vote for them on Facebook with the winners being announced at a special showcase event in the hotel on Saturday Ocotber 9^th. The competition is sure to attract entries from couples all over the country so the more you can make your entry stand out the better!!

The pictures here were taken by the wonderfully talented Miki Barlok – we had such fun setting up these shots and coming up with the creative and the results speak for themselves. Keep an eye out for more to be used for billboards and advertising in the coming weeks – they are amazing – almost as amazing as the chance to win your wedding for free in the beautiful surroundings of West Cork and its best hotel!

Another Stylish Event at The West Cork Hotel

Christine — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:00:25 +0000

The West Cork Hotel are holding another special beauty event in aid of COPE Foundation on Thursday July 8^th at 8pm. Tickets are €20 and attendees will be tutored on personal style and offered guidance on key fashion trends for the month ahead. Joan Cashman is the image consultant and one of the most widely recognized image advisors in the country.

Joan will focus on colour analysis, key trends and how to dress for your shape, tips on hair and make-up and overall image for women and men.

It’s set to be a great night out and all for a great cause.

Tickets are available from The West Cork Hotel, Designs on Main Street or from the website on www.westcorkhotel.com

A Little Bit of the Med in West Cork

Christine — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:24:20 +0000

Last Saturday The Riverside Restaurant and Café in Skibbereen launched their authentic Mediterranean style deli. The day was also a mini celebration for their recent award from the Restaurant Association of Ireland as one of the Top 5 Chill Out Places to Eat in Munster! The sun shone and Brian Lougheed of Digipix worked his magic on capturing some of these really fun images.

Cupcakes at the Riverside!

On the water at The Riverside

THE FUREYS AND DAVEY ARTHUR TO PERFORM IN WEST CORK HOTEL, SUNDAY 2nd MAY

Christine — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:46:35 +0000

Nationally renowned Irish artists, The Fureys and Davey Arthur are to perform in Skibbereen’s West Cork Hotel on Sunday May 2^nd as part of the hotel’s May Bank Holiday celebrations. The concert will mark the beginning of the summer season in West Cork and is the first of a number of events happening in the hotel in the coming months.

The Fureys and Davey Arthur have been performing to audiences all over the world for the past 32 years with their music, songs and stories and are one of the most respected and best loved Irish traditional institutions in the country. They will perform all their hits on the night including I Will Love You, When You Were Sweet 16, The Green Fields of France, The Old Man, Red Rose Café, From Clare to Here, Leaving Nancy and more.

The West Cork Hotel also have special offers for the May Bank Holiday including 2 nights B&B and a three course dinner for just €124pps.

Tickets for The Fureys and Davey Arthur are priced at €25.50 and are available directly from The West Cork Hotel on 028 21277

Picture This – A Successful PR Campaign

Christine — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:20:25 +0000

The Importance of Creative Photography

One of the most important elements for an effective PR campaign is good photography. I constantly tell my clients this and encourage them to book my photographers of choice. We are lucky to have some really talented photographers in Cork who can follow a brief and come up with their own creative ideas just the same. This is priceless in the hunt for a great photographer.

Eyecatching photographs can turn a ‘maybe’ story in to a “we have to use this” story. I always like to come up with some creative concepts for photocalls rather than portray the usual model shots or the corporate ones of the subject looking in to the distance with their arms folded. It is all part of the job to present the client with something really different and by building good relationships with photographers, it ensures that an idea can be brought to life.

Announcement of CSO's 1812 Concert (Miki Barlok)

One should never skimp on photography either for their corporate literature or website as you will be stuck looking at it along with the rest of the world every time you open your brochure or log on to your site. It pays to spend a little extra for what you want rather than just make do with it for now as it can save you a lot in the long term.

For newsdesks it is extremely important to ensure that the photographer you choose has a good relationship with the target publications, that they will embed the captions, distribute to the correct picturedesk addresses and follow up on them for you – most picturedesk editors don’t like or have the time to speak to anyone who isn’t in the know!

Donncha O' Connor and Colm Cooper pull together to support the resumption of the Cork Swansea Ferry as the West Cork Tourism Co-Op battle to raise €3m for the cause. (Don MacMonagle Photography)

Sometimes you may have to try a little harder to land the pics so if you can be flexible with a release date it usually helps and many photographers are able to guide you as to what day may not be as busy.

Overall, the more creative the better – don’t be afraid to do something a little different. You need to stand out from the hundreds of other pictures that editors must trawl through every day – if not for yourself, then at least give them something exciting to look at for a few seconds – you might just put a smile on their face and they’ll put your face on their pages…which is the name of the game!

Launch of the Grandmother's Recipe Competition in conjunction with A Taste of West Cork and Ballymaloe. (GMC Photography)

Here are some of my favourite pictures from photocalls and assignments I have worked on in the past while – with thanks to Miki Barlok (Cork Symphony Orchestra photo), Gerard McCarthy/GMC Photography (Darina Allen and West Cork Tourism photos), and Don MacMonagle (footballers photo). Each of these stories achieved incredible media coverage across the national and regional papers, due in no small part to the eye catching pictures. These guys are always great to work with and more of their amazing work can be seen on their sites;

http://www.barlokphoto.com/

http://www.germac.ie/

http://www.macmonagle.com/

http://www.corksymphonyorchestra.com/

Arrival of the MV Julia to Cork as she sails past Blackrock Castle. (GMC Photography)