#InlandWaterways - An urgent health-and-safety audit of Shakey Bridge in Cork have been called for amid fears the iconic city structure could be one shake from collapse.

As the Irish Examiner writes, historian and city councillor Kieran McCarthy said it was shocking to see one of the city’s best-known landmarks and tourist attractions — the city’s only suspension bridge, famous for its wobble — decay to such a dangerous state.

“Urgent action is required before we have to make the sad call to close it off to the public completely,” he said. “That would be a shame.”

As talks continue over the city’s 2019 budget, he plans to ask the city council’s chief executive, Ann Doherty, to urgently identify and set aside funding to repair the bridge which was officially opened 90 years ago.

Daly’s Bridge is a 48m-span wrought-iron suspension pedestrian bridge which was built by a London-based company over the northern channel of the River Lee in 1927 to a design by former Cork City architect Stephen Farrington.

To read much more on this story including photos of the rusting bridge's lattice-work structure, click here.

#portofcork - Along the River Lee is where an expected stink is to eminate in the coming days as the Port of Cork dredges the riverbed.

As the Evening Echo writes, every three years the Port of Cork carries out dredging work in the harbour and the quaysides to maintain the shipping channel. The work disturbs the riverbed, dragging up sediment and releasing gases like hydrogen sulphide. While the gases are safe, they are responsible for the eggy smell that could hang over the river in the coming days.

In 2014, Barrack Street, MacCurtain Street, Shandon, North Main Street, Patrick’s Street and Merchant’s Quay were all affected by the smell as a result of dredging. However, it was thought the lack ro rain and warm temperatures exacerbated the situation at that time.

The current dredging scheme is expected to last until the end of October but the city quays portion is planned to be completed by October 9, limiting the smell in the city centre. The Port of Cork said it is taking measures to limit the impact.

For more on the dredging by clicking here. 

#RiverLee - Divers have found a car submerged in the River Lee in Cork just hours after it was seen entering the water this morning (Friday 6 May).

BreakingNews.ie reports that a member of the public spotted the vehicle near the Lee Rowing Club with its boot sticking out of the water around 6am, prompting an immediate search and rescue response.

The car was subsequently located after a search of the river and divers from Haulbowline are assessing the scene, as RTÉ News reports.

In other news, a young tourist is recovering after he was swept onto rocks by an unexpected wave at Doolin in Co Clare yesterday (Thursday 5 May).

The 25-year-old American sustained multiple injuries after the wave knocked him off the shoreline at the popular beauty spot, according to BreakingNews.ie.

#Cork - The search for a homeless man seen falling into the River Lee in Cork city ended in his arrest, as The Irish Times reports.

Valentia Coast Guard co-ordinated the search and rescue operation for the man, who was witnessed falling into the water after 7am yesterday morning (Saturday 21 March).

However the man was quickly discovered by emergency personnel on a support beneath Parnell Bridge, refusing to come out.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

#Drowning - Three drownings over the weekend have underlined the importance of safety on the water during the current sunny spell.

In Galway, residents of Moycullen were mourning the loss of a Lithuanian man who drowned while swimming with friends in Ballyquirke Lake on Saturday evening 8 June, according to Galway Bay FM.

And RTÉ News reports of a similar incident in Cork in the early hours of this morning 10 June, in which a 21-year-old man drowned after getting into difficulties in the River Lee near Ballincollig.

The young man is also believed to have been swimming with friends after another hot day across the country, according to The Irish Times.

Elsewhere in Cork, RTÉ News says a 17-year-old has died after drowning in the River Blackwater.

Earlier it was reported that the teen was in a serious condition after getting into difficulties while swimming with friends at a bathing spit known locally as Lisheen Bridge, and had been in the water for some time before he was recovered.

#COBH TITANIC 100  - Following President Michael D. Higgins visit to Cobh to commemorate the centenary call of RMS Titanic to Queenstown, the town yesterday hosted a Naval Service review that included the Royal Navy's HMS Mersey.

The President as supreme commander of the Defence Forces boarded the Naval Service 'flagship' L.E. Eithne which passed the guest-ship, a River class patrol vessel which headed a line of vessels which lay at anchor of Cobh's waterfront, they were the L.E. Aoife, L.E. Aisling and L.E. Niamh

The historic event which marked the pinnacle of the Titanic 100 Cobh centenary week will continue as part of a year-round programme of events. For information visit www.titanic100.ie. On the homepage the L.E. Niamh features again, where on this occasion marine photographer Jehan Ashmore captured the vessel underway as she powered her way at high-speed through a misty Dalkey Sound.

Among the many places throughout Cobh where thousands of tourists have flocked since the Balmoral docked on Monday to retrace the liner's maiden voyage, has been the White Star Line pier.

From this pier were the last passengers to depart Queenstown on board the tenders PS Ireland and PS America to the ill-fated Titanic that struck an ice-berg. On her Irish call 123 passengers were transferred to the Titanic which lay outside Cork Harbour, while 7 passengers disembarked from the liner and headed ashore.

What remains of the pier which is not accessible to the public and is in danger of collapsing, there has been calls to raise funds to save the structure, as previously reported.

Also in attendance during yesterday's historic proceedings, was the excursion passenger tender Spirit if the Isles which is operating on her second season since starting Cork Harbour cruises last year. They run between Cork city quays and downriver along the Lee to Cobh.

In the 1980's the tender then named Ingot ran excursions from Dun Laoghaire Harbour into Dublin Bay and likewise of L.E. Niamh, she too transited Dalkey Sound as part of her sightseeing tours.

#ANGLING - An "eagle-eyed" angler in Co Cork received a free eye test after his remarkable find of a wedding ring in the water last week.

Seventy-five-year-old Pat O'Flaherty spotted the €400 gold band - complete with its red box - in the River Lee, garnering him a front-page story in the Irish Examiner and a free eye test from Specsavers.

They put me in the chair and did all the tests and told me I have 20:20 vision," he said.

The owner of the ring has yet to be traced, despite much speculation as to how it ended up in the Lee in the first place. If unclaimed, O'Flaherty intends to auction the ring for charity.

In other angling news, West Cork's Courtmacsherry Angling Centre hosted members of the Bradford Sea Angling Club in the UK last weekend.

Poor weather meant that the group was restricted to inshore fishing on the Friday and Saturday, but the Sunday saw a catch of ling up to 23lbs as well as pollack, coalfish, cod, haddock and whiting.

#PORT OF CORK – Global shipping giant Maersk Line recently started their first ever direct service to Ireland with a new liner service calling to the Port of Cork and sees the return of the 'banana' trade not last seen in port since the 1970's, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The older 'banana' boats or reefers that used to serve Cork may be long gone but the Danish owned Maersk Line will be operating an impressive  pool of eight large contiainerships. They will bring leading banana brands from Central American ports to Europe  with Cork being the first port of call in Europe. The liner service starts in the Mexican port of Vera Cruz and includes calls to Costa Rica, Belize, Panama before reaching Cork.

One of the vessels Maersk Nolanville (2004/26,833grt) last week docked in Ringaskiddy Deepwater Terminal, is one of  the largest of her type to be accommodated in the port. At 700m long, a beam over 30m and drawing a draft exceeding 10m the South Korean built vessel was too large to berth at the ports Tivoli Container Terminal further upriver on the Lee.

Maersk Nolanville and her fleet-mates will operate with a weekly call to Cork on Thursdays, where quayside cranes in Ringaskiddy will handle the 2,500 (TEU) capacity vessels including around 800 refrigerated containers containing perishable tropical fruits.

Asides bananas the vessels will import other cargoes, with the containerships also calling to Tilbury in the UK and Rotterdam and with exports on the return leg of the long trans-Atlantic voyage home.

#LINER TENDERS – As Dubliners and visitors alike enjoy the facilities of Cill Airne, the River Liffey's floating restaurant and bar venue, her sister, Canima is in complete contrast, as she rusts away on the far side of the Atlantic, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Camina was originally launched as Blarna along with Cill Airne from the Liffey Dockyard in the early 1960's as passenger tenders serving the trans-Atlantic liners out of Cobh for the Cork Harbour Commissioners. The 1,000 passenger capacity sisters, each around 500 gross tonnes, were the last vessels to be built using riveted hull constructed methods in Europe.

With the collapse of the liner trade and proliferation of the jetliner in the early 1970's, they had served short careers in Cobh. Blarna was sold to North American interests while Cill Airne remained in Irish waters. She was sold to the Cork Institute of Technology for radar and navigation training on the River Lee and Cork Harbour.

By 2003 Cill Airne's days were numbered as she became obsolete when high-tech simulators formed part of the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) in Ringaskiddy.

She was sold to Dublin investors in 2006 having completed an extensive restoration project at Hegarty's Boatyard in West Cork. She reflects her liner era heritage with art-deco fittings, wood panelling and timber decks throughout, for more click HERE.

As for Blarna, she later served in Bermuda which lasted until 1988. To read more on what her former captain from the Bermudian career has to say on her fate in Canada, where there are plans to secure her future as reported on the RoyalGazette, click HERE.

#NEWS UPDATE - The search was set to resume this morning for a missing man feared drowned in Cork city, the Irish Examiner reports.

Search efforts were mounted last night after the man's family notified gardaí. The man, believed to be in his 60s, is thought to have disappeared from Ballincollig Regional Park in the west of the city, where his car and phone were found.

Waterford's Irish Coast Guard helicopter joined the search along with gardaí and the Crosshaven coastguard, concentrating on the River Lee where water levels were high due to heavy rain.