Waterways Ireland is continuing its public consultation on its Shannon tourism masterplan but has urged members of the public to respond online. The cross-border authority has published its draft masterplan and associated environmental report as part of an 18-month strategy…

The Irish Ocean Literacy Network has published a list of useful supports for individuals and communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. The network, which aims to achieve an ocean literate society across the island of Ireland, has appealed to communities to…

An Irish renewable energy company has partnered with French energy major Total to develop one of the world’s largest floating wind projects off the Welsh coast. Marine Renewables Industry Association (MRIA) chairman Peter Coyle has described the Simply Blue Energy…

The Doonbeg golf resort owned by US President Donald Trump has been refused permission to build a ‘sea wall’ of coastal defences, as RTÉ News reports. An Bord Pleanála’s decision published on Wednesday (18 March) said planners were not satisfied…

Due to the current situation regarding Covid-19, upcoming public events on the National Marine Planning Framework planned for Kinsale next Monday 23 March and Wexford on Tuesday 31 March have been cancelled. Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government says…

Three wildlife trusts in the north-east of England have been boosted with a £300,000 (€345,000) award from a major grantmaking charity for efforts to protect marine wildlife and habitats in the Irish Sea. As the Chester Standard reports, the Esmée…

Update on Wednesday 11 March: Due to concerns over COVID-19/coronavirus, the decision has been made to postpone the two lecture evenings until a later date during the Newport 300 celebrations. To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Newport in Co Mayo,…

Twenty-five Transition Year (TY) students from Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, Clare, Kildare, Carlingford, Dublin and Sligo were welcomed to the Marine Institute’s sixth annual TY week programme following the recent midterm break. From 24-28 February, students had the opportunity to learn…

Waterways Ireland has been urged to work with farmers who are facing serious flooding on the Shannon, as the agency initiates a new tourism masterplan for the river. IFA Connacht chair Pat Murphy said that it would be a “win,…

The vital role of the ocean, climate change, and actions to safeguard it for future generations were the focus of conversations between The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Marine Institute during the royal couple’s first official visit to…

Waterways Ireland has announced the opening of a public consultation on the Draft Shannon Tourism Masterplan and Environmental Report today, Wednesday 4 March. The consultation documents will be available to the public both online and in the 10 county council…

Coastal litter caused by drinks containers has halved in one year, but macro and micro debris is still plentiful around the Irish coastline. As Afloat reported earlier, results from 541 survey areas recorded by a team of Coastwatch Ireland volunteers…

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) is seeking a new sponsor for its “pioneering” WhaleTrack Ireland project. Previously backed by Ryanair, WhaleTrack Ireland seeks to understand how the large marine wildlife — especially humpback whales — are using Irish…

There has been a dramatic halving in the number of drinks containers littered around Ireland’s coastline. But the dumping of tyres to trap crabs for angling bait is among the persisting issues noted in the latest Coastwatch Ireland survey report,…

The Marine Institute in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade launched the Network of Arctic Researchers in Ireland (NARI) last Friday. NARI aims to create, maintain and develop an informal all-island network of Arctic researchers in Ireland…

Calls have been made for people rescued from the water while going against safety advice and weather warnings to be “handed the bill” for their rescue, after two surfers were saved off the Sligo coast during Storm Jorge at the…