Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme – Seascapes, writer and broadcaster Norman Freeman on playwright Eugene O’Neill; we congratulate Emeritus Professor Tony Lewis who is honoured by the French with the Chevalier des Palmes Académiques; first this week we hear from the recent Sail Training Ireland for Youth Development Awards in the Mansion House in Dublin in a moment we’ll hear from the Chairman of the charity Seamus McLoughlin and from the Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service Hugh Tully and Shauna Gillen of Safehaven ; we’ll also be talking to Ross Biggane who sailed on the Norwegian square rigger “Skoleskib Danmark “ to Brasil last year and to sail trainee Roisin Hackett .... First to the Chairman of Sail Training Ireland Seamus McLoughlin ...
From Seamus McLoughlin to Shauna Gillen of Safehaven who talked about the award they and Spirit of Oysterhaven received from Sail Training International ‘Small vessel operator of the year’
Next to Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service – Commander Hugh Tully
Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service Commander Hugh Tully next on Seascapes we hear from trainee Ross Biggane who talked to us about how he came to sail to Brazil on a Norwegian square rigger during last Summer’s Olympic Games ...
From Ross Biggane to this courageous young lady Roisin Hackett....
The other winners were
Trainee of the year: Ross Moore ; Special Contribution Award:
Victor Springbok ; Perpetual “Asgard” Award: Cork Life Centre ;
Watch Leader/ Mentor of the Year: Louise McGrath ;
Volunteer of the Year: Geraldine Lewis
and outstanding Achievement Award: Tim Baker
Ten days of sail training between Scotland and Northern Ireland changed the life of Belfast man Tim Baker.
Tim was presented with an outstanding achievement award from Sail Training Ireland and is now fulfilling his dream and training as a volunteer technician for Lagan Search and Rescue.
The ‘Trip of a Lifetime’ that changed Tim’s life was on board the Tall Ship ‘Maybe’ -and was organised by Sail Training Ireland in conjunction with Belfast City Council and the European Erasmus+ Programme.
Tim who is 25 said “After seeing a poster advertising last year’s Tall Ships sail training I hesitated about applying because it was so far outside my comfort zone and I wasn’t sure how I would feel sharing a 22 metre Tall Ship with people I didn’t know.
Tim was accepted as a Trainee Search and Rescue Technician by Lagan Search and Rescue in Belfast.
He now volunteers with Belfast City Council at its dinghy sailing and education event at Belfast Marina and having recently moved to a new job Tim said: “I wouldn’t have done any of these things without the self-confidence boost provided by the Sail Training voyage.
Now to writer and broadcaster Norman Freeman on playwright Eugene O’Neill....
Norman Freeman whose latest book is published by the Liffey Press – The Lure of Far Away Places – talking there about playright Eugene O’ Neill.......
Next Thursday in Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club you can hear about” 2016 Offshore Racing in France-A Steep Learning Curve" , An illustrated lecture by Solo Offshore Sailor Tom Dolan will take place on Thursday 16th February @ 20:00hrs at the Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club in Ringsend, There is an entry fee of €5 in aid of the RNLI.
The works of the acclaimed Belgian artist Eugeen Van Mieghem went on display to Irish audiences for the first time this week, when a major new exhibition opened at Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane on Thursday, Supported by Dublin Port Company as part of its Port Perspectives arts commissioning series, the exhibition “Eugeen Van Mieghem: Port Life” provides a fascinating visual account of the pulsating life of the Port of Antwerp at the turn of the 20th century.
In the series, Van Mieghem illustrates the harsh labour conditions of dockers, porters and sack-sewers at the time of mechanisation, empathises with the plight of refugees under German occupation, observes the colourful characters that frequented his parents’ quayside café/tavern, and documents the social life of the city including the elegant cafés of Belle Époque society and promenades along the Scheldt. The artist’s personal life is also revealed through drawings and paintings documenting his first wife, who became ill with tuberculosis and died at the age of just 24.
Next to Angling and new from Inland Fisheries Ireland
Shore anglers have been very busy in the last week and they have reports from Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Galway and Donegal.
Menapia Anglers fished Knocknasilogue through the night and had 6 species including codling to 42cm. The top anglers had between 20 and 30 fish each. The Bannow Bay Anglers fished Cheekpoint on a beautiful spring day catching mostly flounders and whiting. Whiting, coalies and flats made up the catches for the West Cork and District anglers fishing in the dark on Broad Strand.
The catches were said to be that good that anglers didn’t notice their gear freezing about them! Tralee Bay Sea Angling Club put Fenit Pier to the test for the John Lacey Memorial. Catches weren’t great but some good coalfish and flounders helped keep interest going. Galway Bay SAC reports that the fishing is really picking up there as shoals of coalies along with flounder, dogfish and rockling are patrolling the surf. Donegal Bay is producing the goods for the Killybegs Mariners – good flounder fishing and some fine sea trout just under the rod tips too…
The canal in Athlone produced big bags for the Madcap anglers again at the weekend. Despite a very cold start to the day over 200lb was amassed by the 13 anglers fishing their league final. The newly developed stretch and Emlagh near Donamon on the River Suck continues to prove the value of the work there as all swims produced good returns of mostly roach with the odd hybrid thrown in for the Connacht Match Anglers.
Congratulations to Emeritus Professor Tony Lewis of UCC who has this week been honoured for what is described as – “his invaluable contribution to the offshore renewable energy sector across Europe, Mr. Jean-Pierre Thébault, Ambassador of France to Ireland presented Professor Lewis with the grand honour of Chevalier des Palmes Académiques. Originally a decoration founded by Napoléon to honour eminent members of the University of Paris the Chevalier des Palmes Académiques is a national order of France for distinguished academics and figures in the world of culture and education. Dubbed the ‘father of ocean energy’, Professor Tony Lewis has dedicated his entire career to marine renewable energy and has been one of the most active members of the Ocean Energy community for the past four decades.
Paulo Mirpuri got a step closer to realising Portugal's first entry in the Volvo Ocean Race 2020 thanks to Ireland's Green Dragon VOR 70 now a training boat for Mirpuri's campaign. Last month the Portuguese crew made a successful ocean crossing in the former Galway–backed Green Dragon. Ashore in Bridgetown, skipper Mirpuri said: 'My debut on an ocean crossing taught me a lot, especially the importance of the spirit and unity of the crew we’ll be hearing more about this in coming weeks.....
That’s it for this week here on Seascapes, on the Sound Desk this week Niall O’ Sullivan .......next Friday night on your maritime programme we meet Cork County Council Heritage Officer – Conor Nelligan and hear about a new Exhibition on The Aud on Spike Island in Cork Harbour ; we talk river cruising with Alan Lynch , Managing Director of Cruisescapes .....and meet Danny Giles of Norwegian Cruise specialists Hurtigruten at the recent Holiday World Exhibition , all that and much more until next Friday night, tight lines and fair sailing”.
