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Coastal Development in Ireland
Ireland's Waters Meet Minimum Standards But Many Lose Top Ranking
#CoastalNotes - More than 97% of Ireland's bathing areas meet the EU's minimum standards for water quality in new figures announced today 2 May - though 21 waters have been stripped of the top ranking. The latest figures for 2012…
Second annual Irish Sea Maritime Forum Conference
#IrishSeaForum – The second Irish Sea Maritime Forum Conference will be held at the Tall Ship at Riverside, Glasgow on 21 May. The success of the forum follows last year's inaugural conference held in Belfast last June. The organisers invite…
Lusitania Return Dive Likely After Minister's Endorsement
#Lusitania - The owner of the Lusitania may get his wish for a return dive to the wreck of the ill-fated passenger liner after the Minister for Heritage endorsed plans for a fresh investigation into its sinking. The Irish Times…
'Wild Atlantic Way' Coastal Tourism Route Launched
#CoastalNotes - Minister of State for Tourism & Sport Michael Ring today (23 April) unveiled the final route for the Wild Atlantic Way, a new coastal tourism route running from Donegal to Cork. The minister joined Fáilte Ireland to present…
Tánaiste Signs New Maritime Boundary Agreement
#MaritimeBorder - Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore has signed a new agreement that establishes a fixed maritime boundary between the UK and Ireland's offshore areas, as The Irish Times reports. Gilmore put pen to paper on the…
Brussels Wants Answers From State Over Seismic Surveys
#SeismicSurvey - The Irish Times reports that the European Commission has demanded an explanation from the State regarding the absence of environmental impact assessments for seismic surveys off the west coast. The action comes following a complaint lodged in Brussels…
Beware The British Isles' & Ireland's Hazardous Headlands
#Headlands - Boaters in the British Isles beware - as Motor Boats Monthly has listed some of the most fearsome headlands around the British and Irish coastlines. This photo gallery details some of the most challenging spots for coastal cruisers…
New Dublin Bay Cruises to Launch Dun Laoghaire-Howth Excursion Trips
#DublinBayCruises – In addition to news of a boost in Dun Laoghaire Harbour in attracting up to 14 cruise callers this season, a new excursion operator Dublin Bay Cruises are to run trips to and from Howth Harbour, writes Jehan…
Begnet’s Boat-Building Currach Project Bound for Dalkey Island
#Begnet'sBoats – A community-led project to build a pair of currachs in Dalkey, Co. Dublin is gaining momentum as locals participate in a goal to launch the boats from Coliemore Habour on 1 June, writes Jehan Ashmore. The Begnet's Boats…
'Whale Vomit' Could Be Worth Thousands To Clare Surfing Pair
#Ambergris - The idea of 'whale vomit' is surely off-putting to most, but to high-end perfume companies it's worth more than gold - much to the delight of two Irish surfers who believe they've found a lump of the stuff.…
Doolin Pier Gets Green Light from An Bord Pleanala
#doolinpier –  Clare County Council today (Wednesday, 6 March 2013) welcomed the announcement by An Bord Pleanala of its decision to give the go ahead for the construction of a new pier in the North Clare coastal village of Doolin.…
New Irish Sea Observation Tower Opens In UK
#IrishSea - A new observation tower on the Lancashire coastline with views over the Irish Sea has opened a year after construction began. BBC News reports that the Rossall Point Observation Tower, which reaches a height of 14 metres (46ft),…
Windy City Premiere For Short Film Shot in West Cork
#CoastalNotes - A new Irish short film shot on location on the south-west coast will have its premiere in Chicago this weekend, as the Southern Star reports. The Blow-Ins is a 15-minute adventure comedy that was shot in Courtmacsherry, Kilbrittain…
Fastnet Oil Takes Option On 'Deep Kinsale Prospect'
#Oil - Fastnet Oil & Gas has executed its exclusive option agreement to farm into its Deep Kinsale Prospect beneath the Kinsale Head Gas Field. The option agreement with Petronas subsidiary Kinsale Energy is confined to geological formations below 4,000…
Display of Napoleonic Cannon Balls to Fire Campaign for proposed Balbriggan Maritime Museum
#MuseumCampaign – Fisherman who donated four 28-pound cast iron cannon balls of over 200 years old, are in need of a 'permanent' home as the Balbriggan Maritime Museum is currently based out of a local tourist office , writes Jehan…
Dublin Bay Oilwatch Q&A Information Workshop
#DalkeyIslandPROSPECT – An Oilwatch Q&A Information Workshop, about the issues of drilling for oil and gas in Dublin Bay will be held this Sunday (3 February) between 1-5pm in the Kingston Hotel, Dun Laoghaire. A panel of speakers will present…

Coastal Notes Coastal Notes covers a broad spectrum of stories, events and developments in which some can be quirky and local in nature, while other stories are of national importance and are on-going, but whatever they are about, they need to be told.

Stories can be diverse and they can be influential, albeit some are more subtle than others in nature, while other events can be immediately felt. No more so felt, is firstly to those living along the coastal rim and rural isolated communities. Here the impact poses is increased to those directly linked with the sea, where daily lives are made from earning an income ashore and within coastal waters.

The topics in Coastal Notes can also be about the rare finding of sea-life creatures, a historic shipwreck lost to the passage of time and which has yet many a secret to tell. A trawler's net caught hauling more than fish but cannon balls dating to the Napoleonic era.

Also focusing the attention of Coastal Notes, are the maritime museums which are of national importance to maintaining access and knowledge of historical exhibits for future generations.

Equally to keep an eye on the present day, with activities of existing and planned projects in the pipeline from the wind and wave renewables sector and those of the energy exploration industry.

In addition Coastal Notes has many more angles to cover, be it the weekend boat leisure user taking a sedate cruise off a long straight beach on the coast beach and making a friend with a feathered companion along the way.

In complete contrast is to those who harvest the sea, using small boats based in harbours where infrastructure and safety poses an issue, before they set off to ply their trade at the foot of our highest sea cliffs along the rugged wild western seaboard.

It's all there, as Coastal Notes tells the stories that are arguably as varied to the environment from which they came from and indeed which shape people's interaction with the surrounding environment that is the natural world and our relationship with the sea.