Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: IRIS Subsea Fibre Optic Cable System

SubCom has begun carrying out cable installation operations along the route of the IRIS Subsea Fibre Optic Cable System in Ireland’s Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone and Exclusive Economic Zone areas.

Following pre-lay shore end operations, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, these works were scheduled to begin yesterday, Tuesday 21 June and are expected to continue until Wednesday 31 August, weather allowing.

Works will be undertaken by the CS Durable (callsign V7DI8). The vessel will be engaged in cable-laying operations, have stern deployed equipment and be restricted in manoeuvrability.

All other vessels operating nearby are requested to keep their distance and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash. The work vessel will display appropriate lights and shapes and will always be listening to VHF Channel 16 but can set any other channel as required.

Maps and coordinates of the work areas, as well as contact information, can be found in Marine Notice No 34 of 2022 attached below.

Published in News Update

Further to Marine Notice No 30 of 2022, SubCom will be carrying out the installation of the IRIS Subsea Fibre Optic Cable System pre-lay at the shore end, located in Galway Bay.

Operations are expected to be carried out from yesterday, Thursday 9 June to Tuesday 28 June. However, this start date and the duration of the activity are weather dependent.

The operation is comprised of pre-lay grapnel, direct cable landing and laying operations followed by post-installation burial within the Ireland Territorial Sea (TS) area. No work will be conducted within the Irish TS prior to 10 June 2022. Please reference Foreshore Licence FS007246.

The work will be conducted by the Coastal Enterprise (callsign PHCG). The vessel will have stern-deployed equipment and will be restricted in manoeuvrability.

All vessels operating within the work area are requested to keep their distance and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash. The vessel will always be listening to channel 16 but can set any other channel as required.

Throughout operations, the vessel will be displaying the appropriate lights and shapes as required under the COLREGS Rule 27(b).

Maps and coordinates of the work area as well as contact details can be found in Marine Notice No 33 of 2022, attached below.

Published in Galway Harbour

SubCom is carrying out pre-lay grapnel and route-clearance operations along the route of the IRIS Subsea Fibre Optic Cable System in the Ireland TS, CZ and EEZ off Galway and Mayo from this week.

The operations are expected to be carried out from yesterday, Tuesday 31 May until next Friday 10 June, weather permitting.

Works will be conducted by the ACSM vessel OSV Artabro (callsign EAQK). The vessel will have stern-deployed equipment and will be restricted in manoeuvrability.

Throughout operations, the vessel will be displaying the appropriate lights and shapes as required under the COLREGS Rule 27(b). It will always be listening to VHF Channel 16 but can set any other channel as required.

All other vessels operating within this area are requested to keep their distance and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.

Coordinates of the cable route works and contact details are included in Marine Notice No 30 of 2022, attached below.

Published in News Update

Whether you're a boat enthusiast, historian, archaeologist, fisherman, or just taken by the natural beauty of Ireland's waterways, you will find something of interest in our Inland pages on Afloat.ie.

Inland Waterways

Ireland is lucky to have a wealth of river systems and canals crossing the country that, while once vital for transporting goods, are today equally as important for angling, recreational boating and of course tourism.

From the Barrow Navigation to the Erne System, the Grand Canal, the Lower Bann, the Royal Canal, the Shannon-Erne Waterway and the Shannon Navigation, these inland waterways are popular year in, year out for anyone with an interest in rambling; flora and fauna; fishing; sailing; motorboating; canoeing, kayaking and waterskiing; and cruising on narrowboats.

Although most will surely identify Ireland's inland waterways with boating holidays and a peaceful afternoon's angling, many varieties of watersport are increasingly favoured activities. Powerboat and Jetski courses abound, as do opportunities for waterskiing or wakeboarding. For those who don't require engine power, there's canoeing and kayaking, as Ireland's waterways have much to offer both recreational paddlers and those looking for more of a challenge. And when it comes to more sedate activities, there's nothing like going for a walk along a canal or river bank following some of the long-distance Waymarked Ways or Slí na Sláinte paths that criss-cross the country.

Ireland's network of rivers, lakes and canals is maintained by Waterways Ireland, which is one of the six North/South Implementation Bodies established under the British-Irish Agreement in 1999. The body has responsibility for the management, maintenance, development and restoration of inland navigable waterways on the island of Ireland, principally for recreational purposes. It also maintains Ireland's loughs, lakes and channels which are sought after for sailing; the network of canal locks and tow paths; as well as any buoys, bridges and harbours along the routes.

Along the Grand and Royal Canals and sections of the Barrow Navigation and the Shannon-Erne Waterway, Waterways Ireland is also responsible for angling activities, and charges Inland Fisheries Ireland with carrying out fisheries development, weed management and ensuring water quality.

Brian Goggin's Inland Blog

Giving his personal perspective on Ireland's Inland Waterways from present-day activities to their rich heritage, Brian Goggin tells it like it is with his Inland Blog.

From recognising achievements in management of the waterways to his worries on the costs of getting afloat on Ireland's canals, Goggin always has something important to say.

He also maintains the website Irish Waterways History that serves as a repository for a wealth of historical accounts of the past commercial and social uses alike of Ireland's rivers and canals, which were once the lifeblood of many a rural community.