The Arthur Guinness Fund has joined forces with Sile Seoige, Alan Brogan, Baz Ashmawy, Jamie Heaslip and Shane Horgan, to share the good news of the projects benefiting from the Arthur Guinness Fund. Each of them will follow the progress of a specific project, and report back on a variety of milestones and good news updates via video messages and personal updates on the Guinness Ireland Facebook.
Activities that have already benefited from the Arthur Guinness Fund include:
* Failte Isteach with a national office in Meath has grown from 22 to 33 English language centres in three months
* Speedpak based in Clonshaugh, has provided FETAC level 4 qualifications to 40 people
* Pieta House has opened two new support locations in Limerick and Ballyfermot in Dublin
* GIY Ireland has increased its GIY groups in towns around Ireland by 13 since June to a total of 82 groups
* Growing Locally has recruited their first fifteen people for a yearlong training programme - the programme is underway
* Camara has opened computer recycling centres in Belfast and Galway
Speaking today Jamie Heaslip, who will be reporting back on the achievements of Camara Education, an organisation that reuses computers for educational purposes in Africa, said, “The work these different projects do is so inspiring. It is amazing how one simple idea can benefit a whole generation. I am really looking forward to following the journey of my old PC through Camara’s online tracking system as it makes its way to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia in the coming months.”
Meanwhile, RTE presenter and DJ Baz Ashmawy added “I signed my name in support of the Arthur Guinness Fund to help raise €2.5 million, so I am delighted to have this opportunity to show just where that money is going. My chosen project, Failte Isteach, does fantastic work uniting Irish people with those from other cultures, with the common goal of teaching and learning English.”
Dublin Football captain, Alan Brogan will be providing regular updates on the work carried out by Speedpak. Based in Clonshaugh, this innovative company has developed a Workplace Accreditation scheme, which captures workplace learning and skills development and converts them into a recognised education qualification in the form of a full FETAC level 4.
Meanwhile Irish Rugby star, Shane Horgan will be getting in touch with his green fingers whilst working alongside GIY (Grow It Yourself), a network of online and community based groups from all over Ireland who are committed to encouraging more and more people to grow their own food. The groups meet regularly to share information learn from each other and exchange tips, ideas and produce.
Radio and TV presenter, Sile Seioge who is also lending her support to the Arthur Guinness Fund, will be sharing Anam Cara’s good news. Anam Cara offers help and comfort for bereaved parents and siblings, through their loss. Since receiving the funding, Anam Cara has set up a sibling support group enabling them to deliver a schedule of support presentations nationally for bereaved parents.
The Arthur Guinness Fund 2010 Awardees were:
* Anam Cara – bereavement support service focusing on the needs of parents and siblings
* Camara – re-using technology to tackle global waste and education in disadvantaged areas
* Growing Locally – training people on low incomes to grow their own produce and improve their diet and exercise
* Fáilte Isteach – supporting older people to make a difference especially within migrant communities
* Grow It Yourself – promoting and encouraging food growing skills and the sharing of knowledge
* Kanchi – driving best practice in the inclusion of people with disabilities within society
* Pieta House – service focused on suicide prevention and intervention in a supportive environment
* Rediscover Fashion – recycling textiles establishing a new generation of eco-conscious socially aware consumers
* Speedpak WAM – a social enterprise providing employment and up-skilling for the long term unemployed
* Suas – a Service Learning Programme for young Irish people to help them become the leaders of the future
The Arthur Guinness Fund Globally
The Arthur Guinness Fund, which was born out of Guinness’ 250th celebrations, is a recognisation of the original social entrepreneur of his day, Arthur Guinness. Since establishing the Arthur Guinness Fund in 2009, a total of €7.4m has been invested in the Fund. This figure includes the €2.5m allocated to the Arthur Guinness Fund in Ireland. Guinness has also invested in some remarkable projects in Africa, Indonesia, United States and the UK. Most recently, Guinness announced a global partnership with Ashoka to enable the deployment of the funds to new social entrepreneurial projects around the world.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Arthur Guinness Fund - 'My Good News, My Guinness'
Friday, July 15, 2011
Arthur Guinness Fund: 10 Social Entrepreneurs Awarded €650,000
Ten Irish social entrepreneurs are set to help the unemployed, save lives, improve skills and create a more dynamic, innovative Ireland with the help of a €650,000 investment from the Arthur Guinness Fund. Last Tuesday the ten entrepreneurs were announced as the recipients of the 2011 Arthur Guinness Fund with each of their unique projects receiving financial support and professional business mentoring over the next two years.
The 2011 Arthur Guinness Fund awardees are:
* Jamie Regan - Hand on Heart Enterprises: As a former accountant for St Joseph’s Centre for the Blind in Drumcondra, Jamie saw how difficult it is for blind or low vision people to find meaningful work and has developed a model for supportive enterprise that helps them get into the workplace;
* John Evoy - Irish Men’s Sheds Association: John and his colleagues are helping to create unique environments all over the country where men, particularly those hit by unemployment, can recover their self-esteem through a unique mix of education, up-skilling and health promotion;
* Robin Blandford - Decisions for Heroes: Robin has combined a background in digital media engineering with his work as a volunteer cliff rescuer to create a unique software application that enables rescue workers to spot trends and patterns in accidents and thus target their missions more effectively;
* George Boyle - The Fumbally Exchange (FEx): when the news came that her employer’s company had been liquidated, George moved fast to establish FEx, a new design hub in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties in which entrepreneurs, the unemployed, sole traders and small businesses can come together to share not just office space but ideas, energy and innovation.
* Michael Hallissy and John Hurley, H2 Learning: building on years of experience in the e-learning field, Michael Hallissy and John Hurley have set up H2 Learning and a new virtual learning platform called AdultMaths, which helps those who may be uncomfortable about returning to traditional adult education to up-skill in this critical field;
* Oisin Scollard Turn2Me - driven by the many challenges within the Irish mental health system, and prompted by a personal experience, Oisin founded Turn2Me, an online interactive community comprising of 3,500 people who help and support each other in a peer-to-peer environment.
* Stephen Plunkett - U-Casadh: A former prison officer, Stephen established U-Casadh to help former prisoners re-integrate into the workplace. The programme provides sheltered training and employment to build structure, confidence and self-esteem;
* Stuart McLaughlin:Fundit – keenly aware of the enormous challenges around employment opportunities in the creative sector, Stuart has developed a new web platform that gives the public an opportunity to ‘fund’ ideas they like in return for creative rewards;
* John Kearney - West Cork Rapid Response: by more efficiently using local voluntary resources, John and his colleagues bring to rural areas the same standard of intensive care drugs, monitoring equipment, diagnostics and skills found in the best hospital resuscitation rooms in Europe;
* Denis Roche - Vivartes – recognising the problem of anxiety and depression in care facilities, Denis has designed a web platform which enables patients to remain connected with their families, friends and the outside world.
Speaking at the announcement, Tanya Clarke, Marketing Director, Diageo Ireland said, “Arthur Guinness, the original philanthropist, provided the inspiration for the Arthur Guinness Fund and the Guinness brand is delighted to be in a position to continue his philanthropic legacy today through the Arthur Guinness Fund. Through the fund, we have encountered some amazing people who possess a business head and a social heart. In the face of a tough economic environment, they are pushing ahead and playing their part to help bring about positive social change in the communities in which they operate.”
The Arthur Guinness Fund received 450 applicants from social entrepreneurs all over Ireland. The thorough assessment process was conducted by Diageo employees, a representative from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and a panel of external judges from the Irish social enterprise and business sectors.
Sean Coughlan, Chief Executive, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland commented: “The quality and diversity of applicants is a testament to the value of the initiative and also an indication of the strong will that is out there to come up with innovative, impactful and sustainable initiatives that the benefit communities right across Ireland.”
For further information see here or visit www.guinness.com or www.facebook.com/GuinnessIreland
Monday, April 18, 2011
Arthur Guinness Fund: Camara And Jamie Heaslip
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Applications Open For The Arthur Guinness Fund
As I said back in August when I first wrote about the Guinness 250 Years Celebrations, "Unless you've been hiding under a stone lately, you'll be well aware that this September 24th marks the first Arthur’s Day." So back in September on a Thursday evening the country took a break and celebrated the birth of Guinness (the signing of the Guinness lease at St. James’s Gate), and across Dublin hundreds of people enjoyed a spectacular evening's music. Arthur's Day wasn't just about music and pints though. To celebrate the birth of Guinness, Guinness announced the setting up of the Arthur Guinness Fund.
The fund represents up to €2.5m that will be made available to Social Entrepreneurs. The fund is seeking to find and support up to 25 Social Entrepreneurs over a two-year period within Ireland. These 25 Social Entrepreneurs will gain financial support (€100,000 per project) and practical support and advice from the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Alumni network.
Sean Coughlan, CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland said, "We were delighted to support Guinness believing, as we do, that this initiative could have a very significant impact for social entrepreneurs and the communities they support and have agreed to be their partner in the development of the fund."
The big news is that applications are now open for the Arthur Guinness Fund.
So what next? Well, for more information on the Arthur Guinness Fund and how to apply, click here.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Guinness: Arthur's Day - Paints The Town Black App
Over €30,000 for Arthur Guinness Fund
I've posted a lot about Arthur's Day, and will probably post some more, but this is definitely one of my favourite things happening around Arthur's Day this year. Today the Guinness Storehouse launched a brand new Facebook application that allows fans to paint a pixel on a canvass in the digital world that will trigger the spray painting a huge canvass in the real world action in the Guinness Storehouse to reveal an Arthur’s Day message.
The app also helps raising funds for charities as, for each pixel painted, Guinness will donate €5 to the Arthur Guinness Fund, generating in excess of €30,000 for the fund on completion of the painting.
Each pixel correlates to an area on the canvass that is hanging on the 1st floor of Guinness Storehouse. With 6600 pixels to paint, it is estimated that the final image will be created by midday tomorrow (Wednesday 26th September).
According to Lisa Fitzsimons, Marketing Manager of the Guinness Storehouse, ‘We are delighted that we are able to involve thousands of people in the creation of the real-world canvass at Guinness Storehouse. Fans of Guinness and the Guinness Storehouse can play their part in the creation of this canvass while continuing Arthur Guinness’ philanthropic legacy and generating funds for the Arthur Guinness Fund benefiting many worthwhile social entrepreneurs in Ireland.’
Visitors to the Guinness Storehouse can interact with the application through teams of staff with iPads to claim their pixel and fans throughout Ireland can do so through their Facebook profile. Those who wish to see the real-world reveal can witness it on the 1st floor of the Guinness Storehouse.
The ‘Paint The Town Black’ can be found on the Guinness Ireland Facebook page and was developed by Tribal DDB London. Matt Oxley, Head of Creative Technology, Tribal DDB, London, said ‘This is a truly innovative campaign that blends technology and creativity to bring to life a traditional medium in a modern way’.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Guinness 250 & An Age Of Reciprocity
There aren't very many brands that turn 250 years old, and there are even fewer brands that have an entire nation is willing to stand up and applaud, both for their heritage and for their synonymy with their own culture. Guinness is in many ways the epitome of Irish-ness, the prime example of who we are as a nation - hard-working, everyday folk with a strength of character to see us through. As a brand, Guinness is surely one of the best. A globally recognised powerhouse of advertising, design and innovation. Guinness extends beyond a simple beverage and has developed itself into sport and the arts. Guinness has done what many brands not only fail at, but never even realise to try. Guinness gives back.
In a changing modern digital world where the consumer is savvy and they have realised that the power to effect corporations and businesses is their's, Guinness have embraced change and strived to promote what I call 'an age of reciprocity'. The question is not how do I make you buy my product, the question is what can I do for you so that you love my brand. In a market where consumers will travel, bargains will be hunted for, and there is always an alternative, it is more important then ever to understand that the educated consumer can be either your friend or foe.
Social Media has opened up the world, democratised data, and given every single one of us the power to speak our mind and broadcast our opinion. Those with their thinking caps firmly in place, however, have come to realise this is in fact a good thing. The modern consumer is not naïve, they understand the buyer/seller relationship and they are, in most instances, happy with it. So long as everyone keeps their word, what is paid for is received, and the status quo of the relationship remains even, happiness will prevail.
As a brand though, it is easy to take this equilibrium and subtle sway it in your favour. Not by any underhandedness but simply by going that bit further, providing the little bit extra, by doing more to ensure that the customer is more then just happy. Of course, being a savvy shopper, this is noticed, and as long as the motives are clear, this will be looked on very favourably by the consumer. We like to feel that our patronage is being rewarded. We like to feel that we are part of the process. We like to feel special.
The nature of Reciprocity is that while there is a clear understanding that the buyer buys and the seller sells, there is also a deeper understanding that both parties are appreciative of the other. This relationship is by its nature symbiotic. Without one the other can't exist. So with that knowledge in hand, the seller goes a little step further. The best example that I have seen to date was Arthur’s Day. To celebrate 250 years of business and to thank the public for 250 years of patronage, Guinness put on a huge event filled with music and entertainment to a scale that had simply never been done before in Ireland. While the gigs/events weren't free, they were very reasonably priced, and the money that was taken in in ticket sales went to charity. So the public get to have a great time, they get to donate money to charity, and Guinness get to give back to the community. And sure, there were thousands upon thousands of pints of Guinness drank that day, but that's nothing to complain about.
Reciprocity is more then a passing trend in my opinion. Reciprocity is the natural evolution of the consumer/supplier relationship. Reciprocity is what has happened to the market through the prevalence of Social Media, the explosion of mobile technologies and the expansion of always-on, super-fast broadband. Reciprocity is a cultural revolution of consumerism. Above all though, Reciprocity is a great thing.
In the case of Guinness, however, the question now becomes where to next?
Well it just so happened that earlier today, Guinness announced details of a spectacular live TV ad to be broadcast on RTÉ 1 at 17:59 on New Year’s Eve, marking the end of the 250th anniversary celebrations and the establishment of the Arthur Guinness Fund.
The 60 second spectacle will feature a visual recreation of Arthur’s famous signature in a dramatic way, which will not be revealed until the broadcast at exactly 17:59 on New Year’s Eve.
In this instance, Reciprocity is simply going beyond the standard advertising message. It is the innovativeness to be creative, the daring to not directly push a product, it is the doing what the other guy isn't because it's exciting.
John Kennedy, Managing Director, Diageo Ireland commented, “New Year’s Eve marks the end of a very special milestone for the Guinness brand, from 1759 when Arthur signed the 9,000 year lease on the St. James’s Gate brewery to today, where Guinness is a truly iconic brand, enjoyed in 150 countries around the world. It was remarkable to see so many people participating in Arthur’s Day, the peak of the 250 celebrations. Guinness & Co also want to thank all the people who went to their local pub to lend their support and more importantly, their signature to the Guinness “Signature” campaign, which helped to create a €2.5 million Arthur Guinness Fund.”
Kennedy continued, “The ‘Here’s To You’ campaign and the live TV ad will not only mark the end of a remarkable year for the brand, but it’s also a gesture to Irish people who helped to create the Arthur Guinness Fund, the next philanthropic step from Guinness & Co., which will help to create sustainable community projects around the country from 2010.”
And it is on that sentiment that I can happily raise a glass to a man and his legacy; to Arthur!
Don't forget to check out the following links for more Guinness information:
Guinness Facebook Page
The Arthur's Day on-line petition
The Arthur Guinness Fund
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Guinness: Arthur's Day 2012
This week Guinness hosted a special media launch and announced the details of Arthur's Day 2012. Scheduled to take place on 27th September, Arthur's Day 2012 will see a massive expansion of the day's activities coming to every corner of Ireland with local pubs being placed at the heart of the celebration.
So what does this mean? To start with, there will be no tickets to buy this year. Instead, Arthur's Day will take place in 500 pubs across the 32 counties with live music provided in all of them. So it'll simply be a case of grabbing some mates and getting down to one of them for an evening of free Arthur’s Day music and craic.
Of course that's not the end of it. Aside from hundreds of home grown Irish artists, Arthur’s Day will also be a night full of surprises. This year you will have the chance to vote to bring internationally renowned artists such as Example, Tinie Tempah, Ellie Goulding, Mika, Professor Green, Fatboy Slim, Texas and Amy Macdonald to one of the 500 Arthur’s Day pubs near you.
Voting opened on the 15th August and will run until the 16th September To make things as exciting as possible the winning pubs will remain a secret to the public until the night itself, so you never know who might walk through the door.
Arthur’s Day artist Tinie Tempah, who has recently had four top 5 singles in the Irish charts, said, “I played Arthur's Day back in 2010 so I know all about the magic of it. I'm honoured to be invited back to Ireland for 2012 and couldn't be more excited about playing a pub gig for a small, surprised crowd! We'll be kick starting the global celebrations in Ireland on September 27th - hope to see you all there!”.
Stuart Kinch, Guinness Marketing Manager, Diageo Western Europe said, “Arthur’s Day has always been about people coming together for unique and remarkable music experiences in pubs and venues around the country. This year, we wanted to do more and give everyone the chance to experience the magic of Arthur’s Day by making all events free and giving the public a chance to vote and help bring a headline artist to their local! Apart from the change from 38 ticketed music events last year to over 500 free Arthur’s Day music events this year in pubs in all 32 counties, we anticipate many more pubs will also be organising their own celebrations around the country so it promises to be the biggest Arthur’s Day yet with the Arthur Guinness Fund also directly benefiting from the celebration”.
Through the Arthur Guinness Fund, Arthur’s Day supports social entrepreneurs in Ireland and around the world who are in the business of changing communities for the better. This year, for every ‘check-in’ by people to the Arthur’s Day Facebook event, a €5 donation will be made to the Arthur Guinness Fund by Guinness. Check out details on how to RSVP and ‘check-in' on the Guinness Ireland Facebook page.
Stay tuned though, as this isn't the end of the Arthur's Day story. There will be further exciting announcements made in the coming weeks. So whether you're in Dingle or Derry, this will be one Thursday night not to be missed! To Arthur!!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Arthur Guinness Fund: 1,400 Computers For Reuse In Education
Diageo have just announced that Camara Education will be one of the companies to benefit from the Arthur Guinness Fund. Similarly to last year, the fund will be used to recognise the work of social entrepreneurs from all over Ireland. The aim being to highlight the positive and sustainable impact that these people are having on Irish communities.
For Camara Education the fund will be sourcing 1,400 used computers from all areas of Diageo business in Ireland to be reused by the company for educational use in disadvantaged areas both at home and in Africa. The machines, which had reached the end of their lives from a Diageo business perspective, will be cleaned and reconditioned with educational software before being shipped to African countries including Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zambia and Uganda.
Earlier this year, €1 million was awarded by the Arthur Guinness Fund in Ireland and in 2011 funding of up to €1 million will again be made available as well as a comprehensive two year support programme for the awardees. The support programme includes additional expertise and practical support from Diageo Ireland and Social Entrepreneurs Ireland’s alumni network.
Applications are now sought for this second phase of the Arthur Guinness Fund and will remain open until Wednesday, 10th November, 2010. Interested applicants can download an application form here.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Arthur's Day 2010
Back in June I posted about the return of Arthur's Day this September. With ticket sales well under way (and sold out in many cases! - but check www.ticketmaster.ie for full details) it looks like the 23rd September is going to be just as huge as promised. The biggest news so far, for most people, was probably the announcement that The Killers’ Brandon Flowers will be topping the list of the 20 or so artists that have been added to the star studded line-up. The list (below) is a whopper one too, and includes the likes of Newton Faulkner, Plan B, KT Tunstall, José González, The Magic Numbers and Kelis, as well as homegrown talents like Snow Patrol and Paolo Nutini.
The main difference with this year's celebrations is a focus on making the pub the heart of the celebrations. This is being done by using 28 different pub venues to host an artist to kick off the celebrations after the toast to Arthur Guinness at 17.59. Basically this means that Pub ticket holders will get to see a great artist in the comfort of their favourite pub, however, there will also be a surprise performance from one of the studio artists too. For Studio ticket holders there will be up to five international and Irish artists performing at each studio venue.
Speaking at the Arthur’s Day announcement, Orla Flanagan, Guinness Brand Manager said “We are delighted to add more fantastic artists to our Arthur’s Day line up. Studio tickets to last year’s Arthur’s Day celebrations last year sold out in one hour so we are anticipating huge interest again tomorrow morning. With the great acts who are involved in Arthur’s Day this year, the 23rd of September looks set to be another remarkable celebration of Arthur Guinness and his lasting legacy. I’m really looking forward to raising a glass to the man himself on the day”.
Studio tickets and the outdoor Galway music event will cost €10 and the 28 pub venues will cost €5 with proceeds from all Arthur’s Day ticket sales benefiting the Arthur Guinness Fund.
Arthur's Day ArtistsStudio Artists
Snow Patrol
Paolo Nutini
José González
The View
We Have Band
The Hoosiers
Slow Club
The Maccabees
The Magic Numbers
Sharon Shannon
Brandon Flowers
Eliza Doolittle
Example
Fortune
Kelis
KT Tunstall
Newton Faulkner
O Emperor
Plan B
Tinie Tempah
Carbon/SiliconPub Artists
The High Kings
The Chapter
The Dirty 9s
Heathers
The Milk
Broken Records
Mick Flannery
The Rags
John Spillane
Dirty Epics
A Band Called Wanda
Butterfly Explosion
Director
Duke Special
James Vincent McMorrow
Johnny Flynn
Molotov Jukebox
Pilotlight
RoySeven
Simon Fagan
Sparrow and the Workshop
The Boy Who Trapped the Sun
The Shoos
Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band
Arthur’s Day Venues*Dublin
Studio Venues
St James’s Gate Brewery
The Academy
Vicar Street
The Village
Olympia Theatre
Pub Venues
The Bank
Odeon
Bruxelles
Oliver St. John Gogarty’s
Dakota
The Baggot Inn
Hogans
The Stag’s Head
O’Donoghue’s
The Temple Bar
The George
Doheny & Nesbitt
Sinnotts
Whelans
Fitzsimons
The Brazen Head
Pygmalion
The Palace Bar
Flannery’sGalway
Outdoor Music Event
Folan Quay at Galway Harbour
Pub Venues
Róisin Dubh
Kelly’s
Tíg Cóilí
TaaffesCork
Studio Venue
Savoy
Pub Venues
The Old Oak
Crane Lane Theatre
Reardons
The Pavilion
Soho
*Subject to licence
Previous Arthur's Day and Guinness 250 Celebration posts:
- Guinness 250: New Year's Eve
- Guinness 250 & An Age Of Reciprocity
- Guinness 250: A Final Cheers For Arthur
- Applications Open For The Arthur Guinness Fund
- To Arthur!
- The Arthur's Day Petition
- Countdown to Arthur's Day
- Guinness 250 Years Celebrations: Update 2
- Guinness 250 Years Celebrations: Update
- Guinness 250 Years Celebrations
Friday, June 4, 2010
The Return Of Arthur's Day
Last September saw the birth of what has now been confirmed as an annual event: Arthur Guinness Day. This is the newest annual 'holiday' in the Irish calendar and a celebration of one of Ireland's most famous people, Arthur Guinness. To celebrate the man responsible for creating the world's most famous stout last September saw Dublin transformed into an epicentre of music, celebration and excitement. Literally thousands of people all came together to enjoy live music in over 33 venues across Dublin; including a special concert at St. James’s Gate brewery. Judging by yesterday's launch event at Bruxelles Bar on Grafton Street, this September 23rd will be no different.
Not only have Guinness confirmed that Arthur's Day is back this year but they also announced an expansion of the events to include Cork and Galway, as well as other festivities happening throughout the country. This year there will be one-off performances in unique locations from some of the world's biggest recording artists, with over 40 amazing bands to be announced during the summer months. To top this off, Arthur's Day will also be looking for 100 up and coming Irish acts to be part of the Arthur's Day line up in other Irish cities. So for every Thursday from mid July through to early August, Guinness will be running music events, called 'Our Thursdays', in pubs across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, giving emerging Irish music acts the opportunity to showcase their talents. Full information on the selection process is available on the Guinness site.
As before all proceeds from Arthur's Day ticket sales will be donated to the Arthur Guinness Fund. Full ticket information will be announced in mid July and I'll have all details here as soon as I hear them.
Previous Arthur's Day and Guinness 250 Celebration posts:
- Guinness 250: New Year's Eve
- Guinness 250 & An Age Of Reciprocity
- Guinness 250: A Final Cheers For Arthur
- Applications Open For The Arthur Guinness Fund
- To Arthur!
- The Arthur's Day Petition
- Countdown to Arthur's Day
- Guinness 250 Years Celebrations: Update 2
- Guinness 250 Years Celebrations: Update
- Guinness 250 Years Celebrations
Friday, September 28, 2012
Guinness: Arthur's Day
Over 600 International and home grown artists perform across Ireland for Arthur's Day
Mumford & Sons, Tinie Tempah, Ellie Goulding, Example and more make Guinness 2012 Arthur's Day celebration the biggest yet
September 28th - Yesterday saw a record number of GUINNESS® lovers worldwide come together to celebrate Arthur’s Day 2012. Fans from 55 countries across the globe, spanning six time zones, raised a toast to the founder of the legendary stout, Arthur Guinness.
The global events kicked off on 27th September across Europe. Spanish festivities were led by the former lead singer of popular rock band Pereza as 1,200 GUINNESS fans raised a toast to Arthur. While in Germany and Italy, Revolverheld and Max Gazze continued the Arthur’s Day celebrations.
An hour later, GUINNESS lovers at Senate House in London were treated to an exclusive gig from music icon Tom Jones performing a one-off collaboration with R&B superstar Wretch 32. To top off the evening, a silent disco and an impressive light projection of the St James’ Gate brewery in Dublin allowed fans to feel like they were almost at the home of GUINNESS. GUINNESS lovers at Senate House in London were treated to an exclusive gig from music icon Tom Jones performing a one-off collaboration with R&B superstar Wretch 32. To top off the evening, a silent disco and an impressive light projection of the St James’ Gate brewery in Dublin allowed fans to feel like they were almost at the home of GUINNESS.
Simultaneously, surprise gigs from the likes of Mumford & Sons, Professor Green, Example, Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Fatboy Slim took place in pubs across Ireland giving fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close to these renowned music stars for a truly remarkable evening.
Ellie Goulding shot a music video using audience participation at her Arthur’s Day TV Special in Cork’s Crane Lane while Mika did a unique performance of some of his songs with Dublin Gospel Choir.
Irish Highlights
· Texas surprised locals with an early performance in Smyth’s Bar, Denmark Street, Limerick before heading for a late gig in a local pub in Galway city
· The Coronas played a surprise gig in Geary’s Bar, Charleville, Co Cork
· Mumford & Son’s performed to a packed Toner’s pub, Baggot Street, Dublin
· Primal Scream turned up at The Silver Granite, Palmerstown, Dublin
· Mika showed up at The Graduate, Dun Laoighaire, Dublin
· Tinie Tempah played to a surprised audience in Whites Tavern, Belfast city
· Fun Lovin’ Criminals turned up at Kazbar in Waterford City
Celebrations will continue in countries including Singapore, Malaysia and Australia over the next 24 hours with performances from Asian superstars such as Shin, Della Ding Dang and Paul Wong.
Example who performed at the celebrations in Dublin commented; “Well, what better way to come back to Arthur’s Day than with my mates P Money, AlunaGeorge and the boys from Rudimental in tow. I was excited to see where we would all be playing and loved meeting all you Guinness fans! Thanks for having me back Ireland.”
Fatboy Slim said, “27th September only means one thing…Arthur’s Day! I knew it was going to be a big day for Ireland and the fantastic Irish crowds didn’t disappoint. Thank you for having me!”.
Fun Lovin’ Criminals, commented “Wow THANK YOU Ireland. We put on a spectacular little show for those of you who were lucky enough to be in the right pub. To Arthur!”
Nearly €8 million has been donated to the Arthur Guinness Fund to date thanks to Arthur’s Day and other GUINNESS projects. Contributions were made on behalf of people who “checked-in” to Arthur’s Day events via Facebook, so that this year, the celebrations continued the philanthropic legacy of Arthur Guinness and were true to the long standing tradition of the brand, to support those who are in the business of doing good.
With the 2012 festivities celebrated in style across the globe and a record number of people raising a toast to Arthur Guinness, plans are already beginning to ensure Arthur’s Day 2013 provides yet another night to remember for all those involved.
Ellie Goulding said, "Wow – what an incredible experience Arthur's Day was… Cork you were unbelievable! It was a night full of surprises all across Ireland – a great way to bring the whole country together in celebration of one incredible man. To Arthur!"
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The Script Talk About The Arthur Guinness Fund
In just a short week's time applications will have closed for The Arthur Guinness Fund for 2010. The Arthur Guinness Fund has already pledged up to €1 million in funding to projects that are making a positive impact on their community, including the great work that I already posted about. So with only a week to go, do you have a project happening or even just a great idea which could fit benefit from the fund?
To see how The Arthur Guinness Fund could help you, click here (before Wednesday November 10th). For now though check out the guys from The Script talking about the great work social entrepreneurs do...
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Guinness: Arthur's Day - Mumford & Sons, Primal Scream or Fun Lovin' Criminals at Your Local
- Mumford & Sons
- Primal Scream
- Fun Lovin’ Criminals
- Example
- Tinie Tempah
- Ellie Goulding
- Mika Professor Green
- Fatboy Slim
- Texas
- Amy MacDonald
- Rubberbandits
- Delorentos
- Royseven
- Key West
- Little Green Cars
- Picturehouse
- We Cut Corners
- The Shoos
- Jerry Fish
- The Hot Sprockets
- Mundy
- Walking on Cars
- Dove
- The Vals
- The Rapparee
- The Bonnevilles
- The Heads of State
- Ard Ri
- Midnight Graffiti
- Fiddlers Geen
- Ruaile Buaile
- Willie Byrne
- Gentry Morris
- The Muldoons
- Shane Butler
- Jaker
- Hush Warley
- Ghost Estates
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Countdown to Arthur's Day
16th September, 17:59 - the countdown is really on now folks. In just one week’s time, Dublin will be transformed into the epicentre of music, celebration and excitement for Arthur’s Day. Across Ireland thousands of people will be coming together to enjoy live music in over 33 venues across Dublin; including a special concert at the St. James’s Gate brewery itself.
coupled with a digital countdown clock
To get into the spirit of the occassion, people all over Ireland have been adding their names to an on-line petition. The petition was born out out of the Guinness 250 Facebook page, where the suggestion was put to the public - make Arthur’s Day a national holiday!
The Facebook page already has 26,795 fans and the online petition has 6,618 signatures.
So do you know what that means?
Only a quarter of Guinness 250 fans want Arthur's Day to become a national holiday! Seriously folks, what's up with that? Get to the page and get signing now!
Now I'm more then willing to tip my hat to all the loyal fans who already joined the fan page, lets face it, there's been one fan joining every 30 seconds. That's three fans in the time it takes your favourite pint to be poured ;)
So come on fans - sign the petition, who doesn't want another public holiday, especially in honour of such a great man.
Arthur's Day 2009
So where will you be at 17:59 on 24th September? Where will you be for this once in a lifetime moment, to raise a pint of Guinness to Arthur. In fairness, Arthur Guinness and his family were responsible for some of the most well known acts of philanthropy in Ireland and to honour and continue this legacy Guinness have established the Arthur Guinness Fund. The Fund is to enable and empower individuals with skills and opportunities to deliver a measured benefit to their communities. So Guinness & Co. are donating €6 million to the Arthur Guinness Fund. Could there be any better reason to toast the Arthur Guinness?
So all you need to do to join in the Global Toast to Arthur at 17:59 on Thursday 24th September, is get to one of the following venues or pubs (if you want to enjoy world class music), or just get down to your own local, pause a moment, and raise a pint of the black stuff to a truly great man.
To Arthur!
Pubs and Venues
This is the full list of artists that are publicly confirmed for each pub or venue. Now I say publically confirmed because each Pub will also feature 1 or 2 surprise special guests that won't be announced. The only way to know is to be there! Get on to ticketmaster now and get yourself a ticket.
The Academy
Fionn Regan, Imelda May, Paolo Nutini, Richard Hawley, The Kooks
Tripod
Calvin Harris, Jamie Cullum, Mongrel, Soul II Soul, Republic of Loose, Roots Manuva
Vicar Street
Black Swan Effect, OK Go, Razorlight, Reverend and The Makers, Sugababes, The Blizzards, The Magic Numbers
Whelan’s
David Gray, The Hot Rats, Lisa Hannigan, Noah and the Whale, The Enemy, The Undertones, The Wombats
Bruxelles
Jay Jay Pistolet, Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club
Hogans
Born Blonde, Oppenheimer
Sin É
Concerto for Constantine, Dirty Epics
South William
David Kitt, The Infomatics
Brogans
Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club, Cherbourg
Café en Seine
Leopold, White Belt Yellow Tag
Pygmalion
Hoarsebox, The Chapters
Spy
Oppenheimer, The Infomatics
Dicey Reilly's
The Chakras
The Baggot Inn
Leopold, Nat Jenkins
The Auld Dubliner
Jay Jay Pistolet, Lumiere
The Palace Bar
Fiona Melady, Sharon Shannon
The Church
Spring Break
The Village
Golden Silvers, The Coronas
The Odeon
Dirty Epics, General Fiasco
Oliver St John Gogarty
Born Blonde, David Kitt
The Temple Bar
Johnny Flynn, Lumiere
Flannery's
Cherbourg, Concerto for Constantine
Dakota
The Chakras, The Chapters
O'Donoghue's
Sharon Shannon, The High Kings
Market Bar
Golden Silvers, Mick Flannery
The Foggy Dew
Noise Control
Eamonn Dorans
White Belt Yellow Tag, Noise Control
The Stags Head
Johnny Flynn, General Fiasco
Mulligan’s
Fiona Melady, Mick Flannery
Doheny & Nesbitt
Eoghan Colgan, Nat Jenkins
The Bank on College Green
Hoarsebox, The Coronas
The Brazen Head
Eoghan Colgan, The High Kings
Monday, August 23, 2010
Arthur's Day 2010: More Bands, More Artists & More Tickets
The last time I posted about Arthur's Day 2010 I was able to confirm venues and artists but the specifics weren't available. Since then not only have tickets gone on sale, and sold out!, but all the venues obviously had their respective artists finally confirmed. Unfortunately though, as I said, ticket sales were exceptional and many venues sold out almost straight away. Today, however, I am happy to pass on the very good news that Guinness has announced that a limited number of additional Arthur’s Day tickets for all studio venues will be released for sale at 9am tomorrow (Tuesday, 24th August) via Ticketmaster.
What could make this news any better? Guinness have also announced over 15 additional artists that have been added to the Arthur's Day line up including Manic Street Preachers, David Gray, Cathy Davey and Oscar-winning actor turned musician Tim Robbins & The Rogues Gallery Band. There have also been several new talents added to the line up such as Ty, The Courteeners, Biffy Clyro and Bitches with Wolves.
Speaking about Arthur’s Day, Manic Street Preachers said, “Some of our greatest gigs have been in Ireland; we really do have very special memories of playing there. From a tiny show for our first label Heavenly to playing Slane Castle and everything in between. The atmosphere will no doubt be amazing and we’re proud to a part of what is fast becoming one of Ireland’s biggest days of the year”.
While David Gray commented that "Coming back to Ireland is always a great experience for me and the band, particularly being back in Galway! It was amazing to be part of the celebrations last year and to support the Arthur Guinness Fund. We are really looking forward to getting the chance to play some of the new tunes as well as some old faves in such an amazing location. Cheers Arthur!"
New additions to the Arthur’s Day line up:
| Studio Artists Manic Street Preachers David Gray Tim Robbins & the Rogues Gallery Band Biffy Clyro The Courteeners Ty Cathy Davey | Pub Artists David Kitt Oliver Cole Fight Like Apes Keywest Bitches with Wolves Ryan Sheridan Carly Connor |
New Arthur's Day ArtistsOrla Flanagan, Guinness Brand Manager said, “We are excited about the new acts added to the line up. We wanted to hold back some tickets so that fans of our newly announced artists including Manic Street Preachers and David Gray got an opportunity to see their favourite bands. The real magic of Arthur’s Day is that all the studio artists will also make a surprise appearance in an Arthur’s Day pub venue. Fans that purchase pub tickets will not only see great pub artists but also see artists like Brandon Flowers, Snow Patrol or Paolo Nutini play in a pub for €5 which is an exciting element of Arthur’s Day”.
The Arthur's Day celebrations will begin at 17:59 at St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin on 23rd September. The celebration will then continue with activities and events at various locations in Ireland and throughout Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and North America. The full line up now stands as follows:
| Studio Venues | Artists |
| St James’ Gate | Snow Patrol Manic Street Preachers Biffy Clyro Our Thursdays Winner |
| The Academy | Brandon Flowers Plan B José González Slow Club Tim Robbins & The Rogues Gallery Band |
| Olympia Theatre | Carbon/Silicon Cathy Davey The Chapters Our Thursdays Finalist |
| Vicar Street | The Maccabees The Hoosiers Eliza Doolittle The Courteeners |
| The Village | Kelis Tinie Tempah Example We Have Band Ty |
| Folan Quay, Galway Harbour | David Gray Newton Faulkner The Magic Numbers Sharon Shannon Our Thursdays Finalist |
| Savoy, Cork | Paolo Nutini Kt Tunstall The View Fortune O Emperor Our Thursdays Finalist |
| PUB VENUES | Each pub will also welcome a surprise performance on the night from a studio artist |
| Dublin | |
| The Baggot Inn | Heathers David Kitt |
| The Bank | Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band |
| The Brazen Head | The Shoos Sparrow and the Workshop |
| Bruxelles | Sparrow and The Workshop Heathers |
| Dakota | The Milk Bitches with Wolves |
| Doheny & Nesbitt | John Spillane The Boy Who Trapped the Sun |
| Fitzsimons | Pilotlight Ryan Sheridan |
| Flannery’s | Molotov Jukebox |
| The George | Bitches with Wolves Dirty Epics |
| Hogans | RoySeven |
| Odeon | Oliver Cole Butterfly Explosion |
| O’Donoghue’s | David Kitt The Chapters |
| Oliver St. John Gogarty’s | The High Kings Oliver Cole |
| The Palace Bar | The Boy Who Trapped the Sun John Spillane |
| Pygmalion | The Dirty 9s The Rags |
| Sinnotts | Fight Like Apes Pilotlight |
| The Stag’s Head | The Rags Ryan Sheridan |
| The Temple Bar | Broken Records The High Kings |
| Whelans | Dirty Epics Butterfly Explosion |
Galway | |
| Kelly’s | Duke Special |
| Róisín Dubh | A Band Called Wanda Plus Special Guest |
| Taaffes | Johnny Flynn Plus Special Guest |
| Tigh Cóilí | A Band Called Wanda Johnny Flynn |
Cork | |
| Crane Lane Theatre | Carly Connor Keywest |
| Old Oak | Director Simon Fagan |
| The Pavilion | Mick Flannery Simon Fagan |
| Reardens | Mick Flannery Carly Connor |
| SoHo | Keywest Director |
Further Information: Arthur Guinness Fund
The Arthur Guinness Fund supports the emerging sector of social entrepreneurship in Ireland. In April this year, Guinness assigned €1 million to ten social entrepreneurs with each of their projects receiving €100,000 and additional support and expertise from Diageo Ireland and Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. A further €1.5 million will be used to support future Irish social entrepreneurs in the coming years.
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