Lorna Siggins
Lorna Siggins is a print and radio reporter, and a former Irish Times western correspondent. She is the author of Search and Rescue: True stories of Irish Air-Sea Rescues and the Loss of R116 (2022); Everest Callling (1994) on the first Irish Everest expedition; Mayday! Mayday! (2004); and Once Upon a Time in the West: the Corrib gas controversy (2010). She is also co-producer with Sarah Blake of the Doc on One "Miracle in Galway Bay" which recently won a Celtic Media Award
Ringsend and District Historical Society is hosting a cruise in Dublin Bay to celebrate Bloomsday. The trip by Dublin Bay Cruises will steam from Poolbeg marina to the Martello Tower at Sandycove on Saturday, June 13th - several days before the…
Construction of a very short canal in Oman on the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz could help to solve current issues with shippingsince the US invasion of Iran, according to economist Pablo Rodas-Martini.Writing on LinkedIn, the former chief…
Development of Ireland’s national designated maritime area plan (DMAP) is still “on track”, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment has confirmed. It expects the national D-Map to be adopted by the end of 2027, with offshore renewable energy…
MARA Study Raised Concerns About Impact of Surveys At Sea On Marine Life
27th May 2026 Marine Planning
A new study for Ireland’s marine regulator says that repeated geophysical and geotechnical surveys, which are also clustered and overlap with sensitive habitats, could negatively impact marine life.As Afloat has reported, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) published a study…
Agricultural Run-Off and Sewage Threatening Seagrass Meadows on Northern Irish Coast
16th May 2026 Marine Wildlife
New research by Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has found that seagrass meadows across Northern Ireland are under threat from severe pollution linked to agricultural run-off and sewage. Even meadows which have legal protection from human disturbance, such as marine protected…
Dooley Asks Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien To Pursue Issues Relating To FV Mary Kate
7th May 2026 Fishing
Minister of State for Fisheries Timmy Dooley has asked his Cabinet colleague Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien to take up issues relating to the former fishing vessel Mary Kate. In a letter to owner CJ Gaffney of Arklow, Mr Dooley…
Oyster Shells Can Remove Rare Earth Elements From Polluted Water - TCD Research
27th March 2026 Marine Science
Discarded oyster shells can capture and remove rare earth elements from polluted water, according to new research by a team at Trinity College Dublin (TCD). The research, which has been published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, shows…
Fine Gael MEP Calls for Review of Mary Kate Case By Two Government Departments
19th March 2026 Fishing
Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly has called on two government departments to review the case of the fishing vessel Mary Kate and engage again with EU authorities. “It is disappointing that a thorough investigation has not yet been carried out…
At Least 38 New Marine Species Discovered in Japanese-Led International Expedition
13th March 2026 Marine Wildlife
A Japanese-led international expedition has discovered 38 new species and identified another 28 potential new species across two of Japan’s most understudied deep-sea regions. The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census Expedition was undertaken in June 2025, in partnership with the Japan…
Research by an Atlantic Technological University (ATU) ecologist has found that numbers for corncrakes are up slightly in the past five years due to conservation measures. The corncrake, which was once abundant in coastal and rural Ireland, became an endangered…
How to Make a Rudder Mid Atlantic With Restaurateur Jamie Peaker
23rd February 2026 Wavelength Podcast
Galway-based adventurer and restaurateur Jamie Peaker has driven across Africa, he has travelled extensively in South America, he has completed the Trans-Mongolian Express, and he and his wife Nina have raced by rickshaw from Nepal to southern India. His sailing…
Inishowen Maritime Museum Receives Investment for New Planetarium From Shared Island Fund
23rd February 2026 Island News
Donegal’s Inishowen Maritime Museum is to receive capital investment of €232,911 for a new planetarium under a Shared Island funding initiative. The funding is part of a total capital investment of €2.7million from the cross-border initiative to develop “visitor experiences”…
New Species Of Deep Sea Worm Found South-West of Ireland Identified
13th February 2026 Marine Science
A new species of deep-sea worm has been identified in the depths of the north-east Atlantic south-west of Ireland. The species, named, Melinnopsis nathanieli, was collected from the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory (PAP-SO), a long-term scientific study site in…
'An Tír Faoi Thoinn - The Land Beneath the Waves' Photography Exhibition Opens at Galway City Museum
11th February 2026 Galway Harbour
Galway’s enduring connection to the sea is celebrated in a new underwater photography exhibition featuring the work of the late Dr John Costelloe. Dr Costelloe was a marine biologist, passionate diver and gifted underwater photographer. The exhibition, entitled l An…
2025 A Key Year for Renewable Energy - Ministers Address Summit
6th February 2026 Power From the Sea
Establishment of an offshore wind clearing house by the Taoiseach and a successful result in the Tonn Nua auction are among renewable energy highlights identified by Government ministers at a renewable energy summit. Addressing the Renewable Energy Summit, Minister for…
Scotsman Harry "Chippy" McNish Who Was Passed Over for Royal Award By Shackleton Wins First Irish Polar Medal
1st February 2026 Irish Polar Institute
A group of Irish explorers have awarded a posthumous medal to Henry or Harry “Chippy” MNish , the Scottish carpenter who helped save the lives of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his Endurance crew. The inaugural Irish Polar Medal was presented…
TDs and Senators Express Serious Concern Over Family's Ordeal In Mary Kate Beam Trawler Case
28th January 2026 Fishing
TDs and senators have expressed serious concern at the situation of former beam trawler owner CJ Gaffney during a hearing on the issue this week by the Oireachtas fisheries and maritime affairs committee. Flooding and traffic disruption on the east…
'I knew I Would Win' - Galway Man's Triumph in World's Toughest Row
23rd January 2026 Coastal Rowing
Galwayman Daragh MacLoughlin has dedicated his effort to his two daughters, Maeve and Saoirse, after winning the solo class in the World’s Toughest Row – a 4,800km trek across the Atlantic. The 42-year-old from Clarinbridge, who only took up rowing…
Galwayman Daragh MacLoughlin Wins Solo Class in World's Toughest Row
23rd January 2026 Coastal Rowing
Galwayman Daragh MacLoughlin has won the solo class in the World’s Toughest Row 2025, crossing the finish line off Antigua early this morning. MacLoughlin (42) from Clarinbridge Co Galway looked fit and well as he set off a flare on…
Galway businessman Daragh MacLoughlin is reported to be on the verge of winning the World’s Toughest Row. As Afloat has previously reported, MacLoughlin (42) from Clarinbridge set out on December 12th on the gruelling 4,800km journey across the Atlantic to…
