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Questions For Workshops on June 1st 2005
It is 2015.
For each scenario, start by answering the following questions:
In 2005, the west side of the High Street in Kilkenny had the following shops and services (plus a few inventions):
- Hibernian Hotel, converted from an old bank
- Irish Nationwide Building Society
- Kerrigans Bar, plus at least one more bar further down the street.
- AIB
- Whytes Pharmacy, plus another three locally-owned chemists further down
- Greetings card shop
- Carraig Donn, a chain tourist shop, mostly sweaters
- Mannings Travel Agent
- Book Centre, a good, large bookshop
- Marie Murphy clothes, plus six other locally-owned clothes shops further down
- Pauls Department Store
- Grahams Shoe Shop plus two other locally-owned shoe shops further down
- O’Connors jewllers, plus two other locally-owned jewellery shops further down
- Metro Coffee shop and deli
- Uncle Sam’s Takeaway, plus another burger takeway (Supermac’s) two shops down.
- Spectra photo
- Ulster Bank
- Pound shop, plus another rther down
- Heartbeat City record shop
- Sherwoods Electric, a big electrical appliance dealer
- Kilkenny People, the local newspaper
- Estate Agent/Auctioneer
- Monsoon, a chain clothing store
- Boots
- Argos,
- Permanent TSB
- Jerry Grace Hairdressers
- Local optician
- Gift shop
- Emerald Gardens Chinese takeway
- Oxfam
- Dunnes Stores,
- Hennessy Sports – trainers and sports-type clothing
- Bookmakers
- National Irish Bank.
- Thai Resteraunt
- Newsagents
- Hardware shop
- Accountant
- Post Office
- Who is still there now and have their services changed?
- What has replaced those that are no longer there?
- Who is doing well, who is doing badly?
- Have these changes affected the net energy consumption of the street?
Working in Sectorial Groups write short newspaper articles or advertisments on the following topics.
Energy
- What do you wear in your living room at home on a cold winter’s night?
- Write about the investment opportunities in energy production for small investors? If so, how? Note: they could invest in commercial, community or their own domestic projects.
- Do people invest much in energy saving in the home? If so, how?.
- Do SMEs invest much in energy saving? If so, how?.
- Is energy being generated from waste?
- What is the biggest challenge for the ESB?
- Write a review of "The Hydrogen Economy".
- Looking back to 2005, what aspects of the energy sector then have proved to be impediments to its development over the past ten years? What aspects have helped it progress? What are its strengths today and what are its weaknesses? Where, with hindsight, should the government have intevened and what should it have left alone?
- Write an advertisement to recruit a new CEO for your organsation, or, if you do not work in the energy sector, for the CEO of Eirgrid.
Transportation
- Prepare an advertisment for the local paper offering cheap trips to Dublin from Kilkenny.
- Prepare an advertisment for the local paper offering a week’s holiday.
- Prepare an advertismentfor a commuter service into Kilkenny from the outlying areas?
- Write up the opening of a new business service. Include reference to other areas of transport. Why is this new service starting? Is it expecting to win new business from other sectors?
- Write an article on a critical problem for the transport sector.
- Where, with hindsight, could the government have intevened and what should it have left alone?
- Write an advertisement to recruit a new CEO for your organsation or, if you do not work in the transport sector, for the CEO of the Dublin Transport Office..
Retail & Services
- Write a review of the hotel business in Kilkenny in 2015. In 2005, The Irish Times reported that Kilkenny was in the midst of a hotel building boom, with so many projects under way that the number of rooms would more than double. What has happened to all these hotels since?
- Where, with hindsight, should the government have intevened and what should it have left alone?
- What are the most and least popular courses for 3rd level students in Kilkenny.
- Where will these 3rd level students be studying?
Primary Production
- List the traders at the Farmer's Market?
- What are they selling?
- How often are they open?
- Who is buying there?
- In 2005 "the Agri-business sector continues to be Kilkenny's biggest industries". Is this still true?
- Nationwide, what crops, flocks and herds have increased in importance and which have decreased.? Remember to think about nonfood crops too.
- An old family farm of 120 acres has come on the market. Who will the likely purchaser be? Is farm size still increasing? Have farming techniues changed?
- Is Ireland still importing a lot of organic produce?
- What effect have the changes in energy prices had on the fishing industry and fish farming?
- Where, with hindsight, should the government have intevened and what should it have left alone?
Manufacturing
- Write an article about the successes Glanbia has had in 2015
- Write an article about the problems facing Kilkenny Beer
- Write a press release about a new manufacturing business started in the town? What do they make? What methods do they use? Are they replacing another business? Who is their main competition?
- What is the new hot technology for 2015?
- Is ‘Just in Time’ still fashionable?
- Where, with hindsight, should the government of the EU have intervened and what should it have left alone?
- Write an advertisement or press release for your company’s latest product..
Construction
- Write an ad for a new house, suitable for a young family, highlighting its main selling points.
- Write about the plans for 2016 for a local construction company. How busy are they? Which sectors are they focusing on? Infrastructure/housebuilding/offices and commercial buildings/public buildings/extensions and alterations (including those related to improving energy efficiency).
- Which construction methods and materials have become more important? Which have lost ground?
- Write a recruitment ad for skills that are in short supply?
