Displaying items by tag: Howth Fishery Harbour Centre

2nd March 2023

Marine Minister Officially Names New €10m ‘Fishing Pier’ at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre

Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue today (Thursday 2 March) officially named the new €10m ‘Fishing Pier’ at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre, one of the six State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres.

The works comprised the construction of 134 metres of new quay wall, dredging, stabilisation and infill of subsea material which covers a greatly enlarged area of 6,500 sqm.

The additional berthing space created relieves vessel congestion issues and enables greater segregation between the activities of fishing vessels and the marine tourism and leisure activities which are mainly concentrated on the West Pier.

Works on the site commenced in October 2020 and were completed in April 2022 at a cost of €10 million.

Howth's new fishing pier - The works comprised the construction of 134 metres of new quay wall, dredging, stabilisation and infill of subsea material which covers a greatly enlarged area

This major redevelopment project was funded through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme.

Officially opening ‘The Fishing Pier’, the minister said: “It is an integral part of my department’s overall strategy to provide dedicated, stand-alone fit for purpose facilities for the fishing industry in Howth.

“The newly redeveloped ‘Fishing Pier’ facilitated the moving of vessels from the West Pier onto this redeveloped pier. I must also acknowledge our main contractor, John Sisk, and consulting engineer Malachy Walsh and Partners who overcame COVID-19 restrictions and supply chain delays to deliver a first-class structure.”

Bird’s eye view of the new Fishing Pier at Howth

In 2021, almost 90% of all fish landed into Ireland was into the six State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres. At Howth, these landings were valued at c.€12.9 million.

Minister McConalogue noted: “The six Fishery Harbour Centres are critical infrastructure for our seafood industry. By attracting increased fish landings, we will deliver the raw materials to drive and maximise the opportunities for primary and secondary processing and ensure a strong Irish seafood processing industry. The importance of these primary and secondary food production activities is reflected in the Government’s Food Vision 2030 policy“.

The new pier adds extensive and much-needed quay space of 6,500m2 in a seasonally very busy harbour

HOWTH DREDGING PLANS

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine says it has plans for further significant investment with a dredging and reclamation project for Howth Fishery Harbour Centre and planning permission for this project is currently under consideration by An Bord Pleanála.

After unveiling the plaque, Minister McConalogue said: “In addition to the fisheries and seafood production industries, the Fishery Harbour Centres are accommodating an ever-increasing amount of diverse marine commercial business, including commercial cargo traffic, cruise liners, restaurants and other leisure, tourism, and social activities.

“All of these activities complement the critical economic activity generated by our fishing industry and help to maintain the vitality of these coastal communities.”

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3rd August 2022

Public Consultation on Passenger Vessel Licence Policy for Howth Fishery Harbour Centre

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has launched a public consultation on developing a policy for passenger vessel licensing at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre.

The number of licences issued by the department has remained unchanged for many years. Some existing licence holders have expressed an interest in acquiring additional licences, while other vessel owners have shown an interest in operating from the harbour.

There is a facility for vessel owners to apply to operate a passenger service from a Fishery Harbour Centre (FHC) but there is no policy to guide how to manage the current licences, or how to award additional licences, the department explains.

A review has been undertaken by harbour management on the capacity of the passenger pontoon at Howth FHC and the nature of potential additional activity it could accommodate. The review indicates that there is scope for a small increase in the number of passenger vessel licences that are currently in place.

The next step in the process towards developing a policy is to hold a public consultation with interested parties and members of the public. Views are sought from stakeholders on the following areas:

Renewal of existing licences
Issue additional licences
Timeslots & Scheduling
Changes to Vessel Sizes
Change of Ownership
Operation of Single-Entry Vessels

The public consultation is open now Friday 16 September. All relevant and necessary documents can be found on Gov.ie.

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Howth Fishery Harbour Centre

2nd August 2022

Invitation to Tender for West Pier Leasehold at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine invites tenders for a 35-year lease of 6 West Pier in Howth Fishery Harbour Centre.

The lease for the site is offered for a term of 35 years with five-yearly rent reviews. The tender documentation is available from the Harbour Office and can also be viewed or downloaded from Gov.ie.

Applicants should contact the Harbour Office, Howth Fishery Harbour Centre by phone on 01 832 2252 between 9am and 5pm on workdays to view the tender documentation or to make an appointment to view the site.

The closing date for receipt of tenders is noon on Thursday 29 September.

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Howth Fishery Harbour Centre

15th June 2022

Request for Tender to Reconstruct Storm-Damaged Building at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is inviting suitably qualified contractors to submit a tender package to re-construct a boat shed destroyed by storm action in 2018 at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre.

This tender also includes roof repairs and waterproofing works on the adjacent department buildings located on the East Pier. Tenders are to be submitted in one lot via eTenders.

The main structure is a single-storey infill build between two existing buildings The tender calls for construction work in reinforced concrete to rebuild the existing combination masonry/concrete/timber-roof structure.

Subject to available funding, this tender award is expected in August with works required to commence no later than September.

The RFT can be viewed on the eTenders website under reference RFT 216175.

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30th March 2022

Request for Tender for New Repair Bays at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre Boatyard

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine invites suitably qualified contractors to submit a tender package to construct up to two reinforced concrete boatyard repair bays within the existing DAFM Boatyard located on the West Pier of Howth Fishery Harbour Centre.

The repair bays will be around 500 sqm each, with works to include surfacing, installation of draining pipework, gullies and manholes (of a depth not greater than 2m) and more.

The successful contractor will also be expected to excavate and dispose of existing life-expired asphalt surfacing off-site at a licensed facility.

This tender award is expected in late May or early June with works to commence in June or July, and is awarded subject to available funding.

The RFT is in one lot and can be viewed on the eTenders website under reference 210774. The deadline for responses to this tender is noon on Wednesday 4 May.

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Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.