Further Media Operational Notice - State Visit to Ireland by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh

Further Media Operational Notice

State Visit to Ireland by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh

17 – 20 May 2011

Accreditation

Media organisations are reminded that accreditation for the visit by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh to Ireland is by on-line application.  The final deadline for receipt of applications is midday on 11 May and it will not be possible to accredit after this date.  Pool positions will be allocated from those applications for accreditation received within the specified time limit.

Press Centres

The main Press Centre will be located in Dublin Castle.   There will be a separate press centre at the Cork School of Music.

The Dublin Press Centre will be open for accredited journalists from 09.00 hours on Monday 16 May and will remain open each day during the visit.  Notification of accreditation will be transmitted to journalists in the days preceding the visit. Badges will be available for collection from the Dublin Press Centre from 09.00 on Monday 16 May.  Accredited journalists are strongly advised to collect their badges on that day.  Journalists are also advised to arrive early on 17 May in order to clear security checks in good time.   

Services will be provided in the ‘Printworks’ section of the Dublin Press Centre (details below).  There are no services available within the Coach House, Edit Cabins or Grattan Stores sections of the Castle complex. 

The Press Centre in Cork will be open from 07.00 on Friday 20 May and will remain open that day.  Accredited local media can collect their badges in advance from a specially-provided desk at the Passport Office in Cork from Thursday 19 May. 

Secure transport will be organised from the media centres for pooled media to and from each event. 

Media are reminded that, for security reasons, journalists arriving independently at venues will not be given access and no local facilities will be provided. 

There will be information desks at both Press Centres to handle media queries, and press packs will be provided with details of the venues and events.  There will be additional help-desks providing local information and information on Ireland.  There will also be a number of off-site events organised around the visit in both Dublin and Cork that will be open to the media, details of which will be available in the Press Centres. 

Refreshments will be available.  

Pool feed of events

A pool broadcast feed of all events, both sound and vision, will be provided. For further details please contact:

Press Centre Dublin:       Ken McAllister – kwmcallister@eircom.net

Press Centre Cork:          Colm Crowley (RTÉ) – colm.crowley@rte.ie

Pooled photography will be provided by the host photographer and will be available online. 

The following additional technical facilities will be provided in the Press Centres:

-              Approximately 600 workstations (no fixed network points) in Dublin Castle

                (‘Printworks’) and 200 workstations in Cork (some fixed network points);
-              Wi-fi (High speed/ High capacity up and down);
-              Large screen coverage of events;

A limited number of fax machines, printers, copiers, phones and ISDN lines will be available.  Broadcasters who wish to have access to a dedicated ISDN line can arrange for this to be put in place at their own cost by contacting:

                Press Centre Dublin:  Mr. Paul Finlay – pfinlay@eircom.ie

               Press Centre Cork:  Mr. Gerard Culley - gerard.culley@cit.ie  

Live broadcast positions and editing cabins – Dublin Castle

A limited number of live broadcast positions and editing cabins will be provided at the media centre in Dublin Castle. These broadcast positions (stand-ups) will be allocated on request. Broadcasters wishing to secure a stand-up position and/or edit rooms/cabins should contact Ken McAllister or Stephen Hayden - sxhayden@justice.ie / kwmcallister@eircom.net

Satellite/edit vehicles – Dublin Castle

Limited parking is available for satellite/edit vehicles at Dublin Castle. Broadcasters wishing to avail of parking, and who have not already done so, should forward details to Ken McAllister or Stephen Hayden - sxhayden@justice.ie / kwmcallister@eircom.net

All vehicles will be subject to Police (Garda) check and security clearance.  Once in place vehicles will remain in-situ during the visit. Vehicles which leave Dublin Castle will not be readmitted. There is no parking available for broadcast vehicles in the immediate environs of Dublin Castle other than that provided at the Press Centre.

CONTACT NUMBERS

For further information, journalists may contact the media accreditation office of the Department of Foreign Affairs at +353 1 4082051/2052/2054 and by e-mail. 

ENDS++
9 May 2011