NIALL Saul, director of personnel at Waterford Crystal, told the annual conference of the Irish Hotels Federation in Cork this week that the company is diversifying into the catering business. (Should he have told the Stock Exchange first?)

Waterford is installing a 200-seat restaurant in its visitor centre at the Kilbarry plant. The visitor centre is now Ireland's fourth-largest tourist attraction and an important source of sales for Waterford Crystal.

Now the coachloads will be able to eat as well as buy glass. In the darkened hall of the Fitzpatrick Silver Springs Convention Centre Saul may not have noticed some furrowed brows in the audience: hoteliers consider they already have enough competition in the catering business.