MacDara Conroy
MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business
Water Safety Organisations Make Joint Appeal Ahead of St Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday Weekend
15th March 2024 Water Safety
Ahead of the St Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday weekend, the Irish Coast Guard, RNLI and Water Safety Ireland are issuing a joint water safety appeal, asking people to stay safe when in, near or on the water. Water temperatures are…
Earl ‘Open to Options’ Regarding Future of Lough Neagh as Toxic Blue-Green Algae Returns
23rd February 2024 Environment
The owner of Lough Neagh’s lakebed has said he is “open to exploring options” amid reports of the return of toxic blue-green algae blooms. But as BBC News reports, the Earl of Shaftesbury has refused to budge on suggestions that…
Stormont Debates Motion Calling for Action to Save Lough Neagh from ‘Ecological Catastrophe’
14th February 2024 Northern Ireland Waters
Three Sinn Féin MLAs have brought a motion to the newly restored Stormont Assembly for action to save Lough Neagh from its pollution crisis, as The Irish Times reports. MLA for North Antrim, Philip McGuigan described the situation on the…
Judgment Reserved in Campaigners’ Appeal of Larne Lough Gas Caverns Decision
8th February 2024 Northern Ireland Waters
Judgement has been reserved in campaigners’ legal bid to overturn the decision to approve the excavation of gas storage caverns under Larne Lough. As the Belfast Telegraph reports, the coalition of local campaigners — under the banner of No Gas…
Divers Recruited to Recover Ghost Nets in ‘Ireland’s Biggest Ever Beach Clean Underwater’
29th January 2024 Coastal Notes
This year will see divers join in beach clean efforts in Ireland for the first time, using their skills to find and remove discarded fishing gear also known as ‘ghost nets’ from around the coast. According to the Irish Examiner,…
Court of Appeal Is Next Stop for Campaign Against Larne Lough Gas Cavern Plans
15th January 2024 Northern Ireland Waters
Campaigners against plans to excavate caverns for gas storage under Larne Lough took to its shores last weekend to reaffirm their opposition to the proposals. And as Belfast Live reports, the protest at Browns Bay Beach on Sunday 7 January…
Dun Laoghaire’s assistant harbour master was quick with the camera when a pod of dolphins paid a visit on Monday morning (8 January). Dolphins like these are a common sight for boaters in Dublin Bay and beyond. But it’s a…
Maritime College Head Says Opportunities of Irish Offshore Projects Are There for the Taking
7th January 2024 Power From the Sea
Ireland is well placed to seize the opportunities presented by a boon in offshore projects, according to the head of the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI). Speaking to The Journal ahead of the NMCI’s third annual Seafarers’ Conference next…
Plans to increase fares for passengers on the Strangford Ferry by as much as 32 per cent have provoked a strong reaction, as Belfast Live reports. The RORO ferry operated by Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure provides a crucial link…
Flatfish Inspires New Anti-Fouling Material Developed by Dublin-Based Scientists
6th January 2024 Marine Science
Scientists at a Dublin university have developed a new antifouling technique inspired by a common flatfish in Europe’s waters. As Silicon Republic reports, the team of researchers at Dublin City University (DCU) created a material that mimics the scales of…
Sir Ben Ainslie Steps Down as Britain’s SailGP Driver to Focus on America’s Cup
4th January 2024 SailGP
British sailing legend Sir Ben Ainslie is stepping down as driver of Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, as Marine Industry News reports. The Olympic Games’ most successful sailor to date will be succeeded by fellow Olympic medallist and America’s Cup…
Members of the public are being invited to suggest names for the new Salmon Weir Bridge in Galway city, as the Connacht Tribune reports. Built over the course of a year, the cycling and pedestrian bridge across the River Corrib…
The first salmon of the 2024 angling season has been caught in Co Donegal, as Angling Ireland reports. Shortly after 1pm on New Year’s Day (Monday 1 January), James Kenny caught and released an 8lb specimen in Watt’s Pool on…
Ireland’s Biggest Water Treatment Plant ‘Slaughtering the Liffey’, Anglers Claim
2nd January 2024 River Liffey
A treatment plant that supplies drinking water to nearly half of Dublin’s population has been linked with significant environmental damage along its stretch of the River Liffey. But due to a quirk in Ireland’s planning rules, the only agency with…
A “major fish kill” in a Co Derry river has tallied than 2,000 fish across a range of species, as BBC News reports. The incident was discovered last Friday morning (24 November) on the Muff River in Eglinton, near the…
‘We Have No Whales to Watch’ Says West Cork Business as It Ends Season Early — And Blames Overfishing of Sprat
28th November 2023 Marine Wildlife
A West Cork-based whale-watching tour business has ended its 2023 season early, blaming overfishing of sprat for the absence of the usual whale visitors to the South Coast. In a social media post on Monday (27 November), Cork Whale Watch…
Experts Say Years Before Impact of Toxic Algal Blooms on Lough Neagh is Fully Understood
19th November 2023 Northern Ireland Waters
Warning signage is being removed from locations around Lough Neagh following this past summer’s blooms of toxic blue-green algae. But as BBC News reports, it could be years before the ecological impact on the lough is fully understood. Ulster Angling…
Renowned Property Overlooking Famous ‘Forty Foot’ Swimming Spot Is Sold to Irish Buyer
14th November 2023 Waterfront Property
The storied Battery above the Forty Foot in Sandycove has a new owner, as The Irish Times reports. With a price tag of €3 million, the three-bedroom home created on the site of a former Dublin Bay military installation was…
DAERA Aims to Assuage Concerns Over Invasive Zebra Mussels at Key Fish Farm for Northern Ireland’s Public Angling Estate
4th November 2023 Angling
Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEARA) has published an FAQ regarding the impact of zebra mussels on the public angling estate. Fears have been expressed that tens of thousands of fish could be culled after the…
Restrictions Lifted at Lough Neagh Beauty Spot After Discovery of Suspected Wartime Munition
27th October 2023 Northern Ireland Waters
Restrictions have been lifted at Oxford Island in Co Armagh after the discovery of a suspected wartime munition. The object has since been made safe after its examination by specialist PSNI officers at the Lough Neagh beauty spot and nature…