Tom MacSweeney
Tom MacSweeney writes a column for Afloat.ie. He is former RTE Marine Correspondent/Presenter of Seascapes and now has a monthly Podcast on the Community Radio Network and Podcast services
Ireland is on course to become the first country in the world to complete seabed mapping. The mapping of the seabed off the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher on the Clare coast will be one of the keynote topics…
The Spirit of Kinsale, which has operated cruises in Kinsale Harbour for over 20 years, is being sold. Owner and operator Jerome Lordan has decided to retire. A former fisherman with experience in Ireland and overseas, he left that industry…
The organisation, which has launched two hundred small sailing boats to cross the Atlantic Ocean, fostering interest in the sea and developing cultural links amongst nations, intends to develop the project further following a particularly positive response from a coastal…
Irish MEP Calls for "Use It, or Lose It" Principle for EU Fishing Regulations
4th April 2024 Fishing
Following the announcement by EU Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius that he has ordered a “full evaluation” of the Common Fisheries Policy and reports that 43,000 tonnes of fish were uncaught by Member States, other than Ireland, European fishing regulations under…
Sailing is in a very healthy state the President of Irish Sailing told the organisation’s annual general meeting in the Royal Cork Yacht Club at Crosshaven in Cork Harbour. “We’re growing the membership and participation on the water in Ireland…
Another Record Achievement for Galway Ocean Rower Gavan Hennigan — This Time on Foot in Alaska
22nd March 2024 Coastal Rowing
Gavan Hennigan, a 42-year-old native of Galway who completed a solo row of the Atlantic in 2017, has become the first Irish person to not only complete but win a 1,000-mile foot race in Alaska. This was achieved while experiencing…
Crosshaven in Cork Harbour is getting another sail loft. Cork sailor ‘Nin' Nicholas O’Leary has announced that the former ‘Old Sunday Market’ building across the road from the Royal Cork Yacht Club in the village will be his base. This…
'Stop Finning – Stop the Trade' - EU Seeks Public Opinion on Shark Protection
18th March 2024 Sharks
The European Commission is consulting the public about improving ways to protect and manage sharks and related marine ecosystems. The consultation aims to gather the public's views to ensure an informed follow-up to the 2023 European citizens’ initiative ‘Stop Finning…
The national sailing organisation is proposing to raise club affiliation fees and will be asking for approval at the annual general meeting in the Royal Cork Yacht Club at Crosshaven on Tuesday week (March 26th) The proposed increase is 15%,…
Two Cobh to Blackrock Yacht Races Likely in Cork Harbour This Season
14th March 2024 Cove Sailing Club
There are two interesting changes planned in Cork Harbour racing this season, for cruisers and dinghies. Two separate Cobh-Blackrock Races are planned, and the Cork Harbour Cruiser Joint Clubs league will be reintroduced. The Cobh/Blackrock Race is a big traditional…
What significance is there in the first arrival of a basking shark in Irish waters this year being spotted on the West Coast? It is not the earliest date of arrival of a basking shark. It ranks as the third…
CLdN, headquartered in Luxembourg, has chartered two 962 TEU lift-on / lift-off (LoLo) cargo vessels, M/V Pavo J and M/V Andromeda J) to sail new services between its recently acquired Distriport terminal in Rotterdam, Dublin and Cork. It says this…
Frank Godsell's Unequalled Sponsorship Commitment for 42 Years at Kinsale Yacht Club
7th March 2024 Kinsale
The 42nd annual Frank Godsell League kicks off this Sunday at Kinsale Yacht Club, located on the South Cork coastline. The cruiser league will run for three weeks, with two more races to follow after Sunday's opening. The next race…
A preliminary list of cruiser racing events on the Cork coastline lists the Kinsale YC Spring Series set for an Easter Monday start, April 1. At the RCYC in Crosshaven, evening racing is set for a start on Thursday, May…
There is a very strong interest from the owners of Whitetail yachts for this year’s Volvo Cork Week, according to the Royal Cork YC organisers. Keelboats Rear Admiral Rob Foster says the “level of interest in Non-Spinnaker/White Sail classes is…
Brittany Ferries has introduced pet-friendly cabins for the first time on its ferry Armorique, which has restarted the twice-weekly Cork Harbour-Roscoff service. There are 18 ‘pet-friendly’ cabins which, the company says, have been introduced to “significantly enhance capacity for passengers…
What Will Be The Effects on Watersports of Government Plans for Marine Protection?
14th February 2024 Tom MacSweeney
“It is not good enough to designate parts of the marine environment as conservation areas without talking to the people, groups and businesses which use and depend on an area for their livelihoods and recreation.” That comment from the Campaign…
Oireachtas Committee Discussing River Barriers to Fish Migration
13th February 2024 Inland Waterways
The 14-member Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment and Climate Action is meeting at 11 this morning (Tuesday) to discuss barriers to fish migration in Ireland. Representatives from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), the Atlantic Salmon Trust and the Rivers Trust…
Captains Cook and Bligh and Their Place in Valentine's Day Maritime History
14th February 2024 Historic Boats
February the 14th is mostly known as Valentine’s Day, but it has a significance in maritime history far removed from romantic exploits – other, of course, than the romanticism of sailing the seas…..! In 1813, it was the day when…
The Chief Executive of Cork Port is leaving after four years in the post. Eoin McGettigan announced his intention to step down from his role in May today. “This is not a decision I’ve taken lightly as it has been…