#Galway - Galway Harbour Company has blocked open access to a slipway in Galway Docks weeks after the Buncrana tragedy, as the Connacht Tribune reports.

The move was made a month after five members of the same family, including three children, died after their car slipped into Lough Swilly from the open slipway at Buncrana, Co Donegal on Sunday 20 March.

Galway's docks slipway had been used freely by recreational boaters – but as of last Thursday (21 April) local sailing clubs have been informed that the slipway can only be used with permission.

Access times have also been restricted to 9am-5pm on weekdays and by appointment on Saturdays in what the harbour company says is a move to avoid "risk to life".

But one local user has branded the locking-up of the slipway as "ridiculous" and said "there should have been a more measured response and consultation".

The Connacht Tribune has much more on the story HERE.

#Rowing: The Victor Ludorum Trophy for best school was won by St Joseph’s of Galway at the Irish Schools’ Championships at O’Brien’s Bridge in Clare today. Daire Lynch of Clonmel CBS was the best single sculler. Methodist College, Belfast, won the women’s under-23 eight.

#Galway - The liferaft at Blackrock Diving Tower on Galway Bay is not likely to be reinstated, as Galway Bay FM reports.

Concerns over risks posed by the raft were reiterated at a meeting of Galway City Council earlier this week, following a poor health and safety assessment of the amenity last year.

The raft was removed from the tower in 2014 after it was associated with incidents of falls and near drownings recorded by lifeguards, according to the Connacht Tribune.

Afloat.ie reported late last month on a public consultation regarding long-awaited upgrades and repairs to the iconic diving tower in Salthill.

#Galway - BreakingNews.ie reports that post-mortems on two bodies recovered from Galway waters over the weekend are scheduled for today (Monday 18 April).

Gardaí have confirmed that the body of soldier Private Ben Garrett (21), who was missing since 31 March, was recovered from Galway Docks on Sunday morning (17 April).

Another body was found in Galway Bay on Saturday morning (16 April) in the search for Anthony Henehan, last seen entering the water at Wolfe Tone Bridge in Galway city on 10 March.

A much-admired ongoing restoration project, which had resulted in the full return to original condition of the classic sloop-rigged 26ft South Coast One Design Pegasus, almost ended in tragedy with an explosion aboard the newly-launched boat on the Galway Bay SC moorings at Rinville near Oranmore at the weekend.

What would have been the boat’s second full season after her restoration ended before it had properly begun. She was rigged and ready to have her sails set, but an attempt to boil a kettle resulted in the gas explosion which blew the deck and cabin off the hull, set the hull on fire, brought the mast down, and sank the boat within one and a half minutes.

Fortunately both sailors on board were wearing lifejackets, and despite their burns and injuries, were able to get to a nearby boat. But while one of them was later released from hospital after treatment for burns, the other has been kept in for observation, though it is thought his injuries are not serious.

#Galway - Next Wednesday is the date for a public consultation on planned upgrades and repairs to the Blackpool Diving Tower in Salthill.

As the Galway Advertiser reports, the hearing will take place at the Salthill Hotel from 7pm to 10pm on Wednesday 30 March.

#Search - Galway Bay FM reports that coastal searches resumed this afternoon in Galway for a man who was spotted entering the water last night (Thursday 10 March).

The search began in Galway Docks after the man, believed to be in his 30s, was seen entering the water at Wolfe Tone Bridge over the Corrib, but no trace has been found.

A separate search for a person calling for help on the shoreline near Mutton Island has also yielded no results thus far, and it is not yet known if the two events are related.

#RNLI - Galway's inshore lifeboat has had a €100,000 upgrade, as the Connacht Tribune reports.

The Atlantic 85 RIB has been kitted out with some of the latest in lifesaving technology – and all of it was funded by public donations to the RNLI.

“You’re looking at two new engines, a new navigation system, and a new chart plotter," says Galway RNLI lifeboat operations manager Mike Swan on the boat, named 'Binny' upon its introduction in late 2012.

The Connacht Tribune has more on the story HERE.

#TallShips - The Atlantic Youth Trust is set to host its inaugural conference and gala ball in Galway this March, as the Galway Independent reports.

The sail training tall ship project, which recently hailed its inclusion in the new implementation plan for the Stormont Agreement, will hold the event at the Galway Bay Hotel on Saturday 12 March – in the same city that's prepping a bid to attract the Tall Ships Races in 2019.

Besides hosting an evening of keynote speakers and an afternoon of workshops, the day is also intended to double as a fundraiser for a West of Ireland Bursary Fund for youth sail training along the lines of those already established in Drogheda and West Cork.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the Atlantic Youth Trust proposes the construction of a new tall ship to replace the Asgard II as a symbol of cross-border unity and a practical training vessel to teach adaptable skills for young people.

The Galway Independent has much more on the story HERE.

#Missing - Galway Bay FM reports that emergency services are searching for a woman seen entering the River Corrib in the Galway city around 2.30am this morning (Sunday 31 January).

The missing woman was last spotted entering the water from the walkway between O'Brien's Bridge and Newtownsmith, but so far there has been no trace of her whereabouts.

Update: Galway Bay FM now reports that a body as yet unidentified has been recovered from the water in Galway Harbour.