Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
A Co Clare couple have invested €850,000 to transform a derelict site in the centre of Kilkee into a seafood destination. Robert and Elaine Hayes recently opened Naughton’s Yard, a development which includes apartments, a café, an art gallery and…
Bumper Fireball Fleet Get 2024 Season off to a Great Start at Munster Championships at Monkstown Bay
23rd April 2024 Fireball
The 2024 Fireball Munster Championships were held on April 20th/21st at Monkstown Bay Sailing Club (MBSC) in stunning weather conditions writes the club's Chris Bateman It had seemed like a long time coming, but alas, the wait was finally over,…
Government ministers have announced Ireland’s first marine national park involving some 70,000 acres of Kerry’s land and sea. The new park, Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí, is centred around Corca Dhuibhne in Co Kerry and includes the Conor Pass, the…
The 32-metre high-performance superyacht Sorceress berthed in Dun Laoghaire on Monday, April 22nd, following a voyage to Ireland from Spain. The Marshall Island flagged yacht was the first of a new series of cruisers launched by Southern Wind in May 2017. …
Royal Ocean Racing Club Publish 2025 Admiral’s Cup Notice of Race (Downloadable here!)
23rd April 2024 Admiral’s Cup
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) has published the 2025 Admiral’s Cup Notice of Race, setting out the conditions under which the prestigious regatta will be run. Expressions of interest have been received from 14 different countries (including Ireland), with…
Transat CIC Is Coming to America With Race Finish Set for Heart of New York City
23rd April 2024 Class40
The Transat CIC is set to bring solo ocean racing’s biggest, most modern IMOCA and Class40 fleet to the very heart of New York City. The city of New York is inextricably linked to the long history of solo ocean…
Rosslare Europort and Source Galileo Sign Memorandum of Understanding
23rd April 2024 Power From the Sea
Rosslare Europort and Souce Galileo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the aim of achieving the common goal of developing the port as a key facilitator in the delivery of large-scale offshore wind farm projects in Irish coastal…
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) says it is continuing to investigate a significant fish kill near Ballingarry, Co Tipperary in which up to 500 fish may have died. The pollution incident occurred on the upper reaches of the Kings River, a…
The 2024 edition of the iconic Liffey Descent will take place on Saturday 11 May. Racing the classic 32km route, tackling 10 weirs and taking in the stunning scenery that the counties of Kildare and Dublin have to offer, the…
The ever-changing need for compliance has forced Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) to position seven high-tech marks, and some changes in colour requested by members have meant that the familiar old chart of the bay needs a refresh. To identify the…
Viking Venus Anchors in Dublin Bay as Dun Laoghaire Welcomes First Cruise Liner of the Season
23rd April 2024 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
This morning, the Viking Venus cruise liner anchored off Dun Laoghaire Harbour, marking the beginning of the 2024 cruise season that runs from April to October. The season includes 80 visits by cruise liners to the south Dublin town. The…
Mixed Results for Irish Sailors on the Opening Day of French Olympic Week
22nd April 2024 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
French Olympic Week kicked off on Monday, 22nd April 2024, at Hyères (Cote D'Azur). More than 800 sailors from 90 nations competed, including a full Irish squad just months before the Olympic regatta. The week-long event is the last major…
Maiden has won the McIntyre Ocean Globe Race, taking first in IRC handicap rankings against a 14-strong fleet of very experienced and committed sailors. And Maiden’s sailors have also been written into the history books as the first ever all-women…
Emotions Run High as ‘Legend’ Kayaker With Motor Neurone Disease Completes Nationwide Challenge
22nd April 2024 Kayaking
After being diagnosed two years ago with motor neurone disease, which has taken away much of his physical ability, experienced kayaking and outdoor “legend” Adrian Harkin turned his attentions to supporting crucial medical research into the condition. The culmination of…
Tourist Rescued From Cold Waters After Attempting to Swim from Howth Head to Ireland’s Eye
22nd April 2024 Rescue
A tourist was rescued from the waters off Howth in North Co Dublin at the weekend after attempting to swim from Burrow Beach to Ireland’s Eye. As RTÉ News reports, the man in his 20s was discovered clinging to a…
“The families of those who died in the Whiddy Island Disaster, are steadfast in their pursuit of justice and are not going away,” the Irish solicitor who represents the French/Irish Association of Relatives and Friends of the Betelgeuse has told…
Ireland's First Marine National Park - Irish Lights Welcomes Inclusion of Inishtearaght & Skellig Michael Lighthouses
22nd April 2024 Lighthouses
Ireland’s inaugural Marine National Park, Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara,Ciarraí, has been unveiled today and Irish Lights is delighted to announce the inclusion of Inishtearaght and Skellig Michael lighthouses, which have been in operation since the early 1800’s. The significant announcement…
Peel Ports Introduce Hydropower at Eastham Dock in Its Drive to Bring Net-Zero Ambitions Forward
22nd April 2024 Ports & Shipping
The UK's second largest port operator, Peel Ports Group, has today announced its Queen Elizabeth II Dock at Eastham, England, will utilise energy from hydropower. It’s the latest move to drive forward Peel Ports’ ambition to become net-zero across its…
Naval Service Could See Two More Patrol Vessels Back Operating Within Weeks
22nd April 2024 Naval Visits
Since the start of the year, the Naval Service, which was only able to have in operation a single patrol ship within Irish waters, could have two more vessels made available within a matter of weeks. Due to a combination…
Not content to bask in its 140th-anniversary glory, Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) will experiment with using the latest yacht race technology this season to deliver the largest racing programme in Ireland. DBSC Commodore and Race Officer Ed Totterdell, who…