The new addition to the facility was launched this week and its officials said that space will be large enough to accommodate 12,000 travellers per day.

Airport authorities have claimed that the move will generate twenty additional jobs which are currently being created in the restaurant site. The renovated departure lounge at the airport is part of a broader 6million Pound investment to the terminal.

In nearly three weeks, George Best Belfast City Airport is set to unveil a new security zone and airport management said it will contribute to reduce queuing times.

Brian Ambrose, the Chief Executive at a George Best Airport, said passengers will see a remarkable difference.

He said that this key private investment will improve the customer experience as the air facility tries to stay ahead in the airport sector in terms of being able to deal with increasing passenger numbers.

Mr Ambrose further said that the rest of the refurbishment work would be completed during the month of March 2010.

The new lounge located on the first floor of the terminal is able to handle 12,000 daily customers.

Representative of designers BDP Doug Pilkington, said security changes had modified and improved the functionality of the airport.

During the recession, passenger numbers in both North America and Europe overall have stabilised. The few years proceeding the recession had seen record years in terms of passenger numbers. Today, Asia is leading the way out of the economic downturn for air traffic.

The event, celebrating the exciting Jewish culture, consists of a series of talks, concerts and exhibitions.

As a group they may be small in number, official results from the last census poll indicate only 400 members of the Jewish community live in Northern Ireland, but are very keen on celebrating their identity.

Katy Radford, the coordinator of Jews Schmooze said since the 1800s, Northern Ireland’s Jewish population has contributed to educational and cultural vibrancy establishing theatres and schools and supporting arts events in the community at large.

Ms. Radford said that Jews Schmooze offers a chance for the community to persue that work and strengthens its commitment to partner with various communities in Northern Ireland to encourage cultural diversity and counteract anti-semitism and racism.

The programme of events kicked off on Tuesday at the synagogue in north Belfast with the participation of Belfast’s lord mayor, Councillor Naomi Long.

The synagogue will be the venue playing host to several of the events organised through out the month of October and November.

A concert of sephardic music will be performed by the band Los Desterrados as part of the Belfast Festival at Queen’s.

Local schools may visit an exhibition celebrating and showing the Jewish lifestyle and can also sit in on a play – This is what we sang – which has been commissioned by the Kabosh theatre company with music by Neil Martin.

For cinema enthusiasts, the festival offers a screening of a film titled Circumcise Me, which charts the life of US comedian Israel Campbell Hochstein and will be followed by talks involving journalist Matthew Kalman and actor Dave Schneider targeting cultural identity.

Culture Minister Nelson McCausland applauded the Jewish Community of Belfast on their community-wide project which promotes the building of understanding and enhances public awareness.

Mr. McCausland said that events like Jews Schmooze connect the Jewish culture to a broader audience and gives the community in its global sense the opportunity, via the medium of art, to foster understanding and appreciate the wealth of contribution the Jewish culture has provided to the people of Northern Ireland.

This building is the second Lyric on the same site. The first one was built in the 60s, at the cost of £80,000.

The new theatre, at a budget of £17.85m, will be ready for opening in 2011 and even if construction is now underway, there’s still an additional £800,000 to be raised to finish the building.

Before the original Lyric was constructed its founders, Mary and Pearse O’Malley who were huge fans of W.B.Yeats, used to stage plays in their home on the Lisburn Road.

In 1952 the couple bought a larger house on Derryvolgie Avenue and a small auditorium capable of seating 50 spectators was built from the stables in the rear of the property.

At that time, Mr Heaney was a regular at the Derryvolgie house as junior member of a tribe of up and coming poets.

Mt Heaney said that it used to be a small and intimate place. He added that it was the kind of theatre that Yeats wanted.

He claimed that theatre may not be capable to prevent society’s malign development, but it resolutely works against them.

Upon the construction of the original Lyric In 1965, Mr Heaney had taken the opportunity to recite a new piece, Peter Street at Bankside, a poem specially penned for when the foundation stone was to be laid. A stanza from this work has been engraved in the Threshold Stone, which will decorate the entrance to the new theatre.

Nelson McCausland, claimed the Ministry for the Arts had contributed more than £9m for the new theatre.

He said that this will take part to a cultural renaissance.

Activities for all ages are scheduled for the biggest event of its kind in Ireland this year.

Four days of festivities, from funfairs to fireworks, are planned to celebrate the amazing finale of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge of 2009.

The event will gather more than 30 of the World’s greatest sailing vessels docking in Belfast from August 13 to 16.

To be seen from Custom House Square to Pollock Dock, the formerly used as the Stena terminal for the Odyssey, Belfast’s waterfront will undergo a real metamorphosis which will create ‘city within a city’, with a focus on fun.

Entertainment will feature magic, music, markets, watersports, comedy, walking tours and street theatre.

However, the centerpiece of the event will be the Tall Ships.

Each of the three evenings will feature fireworks displays when the tall ships are docked in the city.

Chairman of the Belfast Tall Ships company, Dr Gerard O’Hare, said: “The Port of Belfast and waterfront will look amazing.

“Whether you stand at the Odyssey or Clarendon Dock, looking north or south, you will see spars, masts and rigging, all the way up and down the water’s edge.”

More information is available on the Tall Ships Festival; brochures are available from numerous outlets across Northern Ireland.

You may also visit the Belfast Welcome Centre in Donegall Place or simply call (028) 9024 6609 or at www.gotobelfast.com.

We would like to thank www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk for quotes used in this article.

Belfast riverside will be buzzing with visitors and activities. There will be music, magic, street theatre, market stalls and much more along the river. There will be a display of fireworks on each evening that the ships are Belfast.

The emphasis during the event is on fun and there will be an area dedicated to family friendly fun at Clarendon Dock. Kids can enjoy activities such as wall climbing and arts and crafts.

The chairman of Belfast Tall Ships Company Gerard O’ Hare stated that “The Port of Belfast and waterfront will look amazing. Whether you stand at the Odyssey or Clarendon Dock, looking north or south, you will see spars, masts and rigging, all the way up and down the water’s edge.”

Information about the Tall ships can be found in brochures in outlets across Northern Ireland and on www.gotobelfast.com.

Thanks to the Belfast Telegraph for the quotes above. For more information on this story visit their website www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

This is the second consecutive year that the Northern Ireland Parades Commission has not put restrictions on the parade.

Organisers gave assurances on Monday to the quango over stewarding as well as to the behaviour of all the people participating in the event.

Two years ago there was much controversy when a person involved in the parade carried a sign which Christians found highly offensive.

Rena Shepherd the chairwoman of the Parades Commission said “We respect the views of those who are organising the Pride parade and those who wish to express their opposition,”and “Just as with any other parade where there is disagreement the commission believes it is paramount that all concerned treat each other with respect and show tolerance towards the view of wider society.” “We welcome the assurances we have received in regards to the stewarding of the parade and the general conduct of the participants.”

The chairwoman also stated that the gay pride parade in Belfast was a “welcome addition to the city and it is a colourful and positive celebration of all lifestyles which co-exist in Belfast”.

Thanks to BBC news for the above quotes, for more on this story visit their website at http://news.bbc.co.uk