Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

MacDara Conroy

MacDara Conroy

Email The Author

MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

The FV Margiris dockside
Fishers in Ireland and conservation groups are keeping a close eye on the supertrawler Margiris, which is currently fishing off Ireland’s West Coast. According to GalwayBeo, the controversial factory ship has been labelled a “vacuum cleaner of the sea” for…
Ballintoy beach on Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast
Water quality activists have alleged that people are “getting ill” after swimming at beaches in Northern Ireland, as BelfastLive reports. Campaign group Surfers Against Sewage suggests that the public is being let down by NI’s water testing system, which currently…
Waterford City & County Council logo
Waterford’s local authority has removed a long-abandoned trawler that had become a magnet for fly-tipping and vermin at a scenic pier, as the Irish Examiner reports. The fishing vessel was once part of a fleet of ‘50-footers’ promoted by Bord…
UN Headquarters in New York
After more than 20 years, United Nations members have agreed on a new framework to protect marine life in international waters, as The Journal reports. The historic treaty was reached late on Saturday night (4 March) at the UN Headquarters…
The Inland Waterways Association of Ireland’s Dunrovin building is co-located (on left) with Lough Ree RNLI at Coosan Point
The Inland Navigations of Ireland Historical Society will hold its annual conference for 2023 on Saturday 25 March at the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland’s (IWAI) Dunrovin building at Coosan Point near Athlone. Topics on the agenda include post-Covid updates…
Poster advertising public meeting on Dun Laoghaire Baths and access for all at the National Maritime Museum at 7pm on Thursday 23 February 2023
A public meeting to demand a public pool and improved accessibility at the newly reopened Dun Laoghaire Baths will take place this Thursday 23 February from 7pm at the National Maritime Museum. It follows complaints highlighted last month over access…
The hull of the Titanic is visible in footage captured from the mini-submarine Alvin some 12,500 feet below the surface of the North Atlantic in 1986
A remarkable video including rare and previously unreleased footage reveals some of the first ever views of the wreck of the Titanic. As the Belfast Telegraph reports, the feature-length posting on the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s YouTube channel comprises uncut…
Inland Fisheries Ireland logo
Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has dismissed the remaining members of the Inland Fisheries Ireland board after multiple resignations within the past 10 months left it without quorum. As The Journal reports, five members of the board including its chair Professor…
One of potentially hundreds of dead fish in the Crumlin River following the confirmed incident
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) is investigating a confirmed fish kill near Crumlin in Co Antrim, as BBC News reports. It follows reports of an alleged slurry spill in the Crumlin River upstream of the town close to Lough…
Upside down: Ineos Britannia capsizes in Mallorca on Wednesday 8 February
INEOS Britannia have suffered a setback in their America’s Cup preparations after their T6 test boat capsized twice and caught fire on the water in Mallorca on Wednesday afternoon (8 February). According to Marine Industry News, the boat got loose…
Clarisse Crémer by her Vendée Globe IMOCA with the branding of her now former sponsor Banque Populaire
Vendée Globe competitor Clarisse Crémer says she is “in shock” after being dropped by her main sponsor just weeks after having a baby. According to Marine Industry News, the record-setter was let go by Banque Populaire in the wake of…
Aerial view of Royal Malta Yacht Club
The host club of the Rolex Middle Sea Race has been forced to relocate its operations into shipping containers after it was evicted from its premises. As the Times of Malta reports, talks to delay a court-ordered eviction or find…
File image of the old bridge in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary
A new canoeing and kayaking club for Carrick-on-Suir has secured start-up funding that will allow it to set up a premises in the Co Tipperary town. As Tipperary Live reports, Carrick-on-Suir Paddlers held its first AGM on Wednesday 11 January…
Aerial view of Tory Island off the Donegal mainland
Two fishermen were rescued on Monday morning (16 January) after their vessel sank off Tory Island in Co Donegal. A multi-agency rescue operation was launched after a Mayday signal from the 36-foot crabbing boat shortly before 6am on Monday. However,…
The late Mark Morley pictured in happier times with wife Kate Strochnetter and their daughters Roisin and Allison
An online fundraiser for the family of a man who died while kayaking in Galway Bay last month has surpassed its €20,000 goal. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Mark Morley got into difficulty off Spiddal in Co Galway shortly before…
A 50kg adult female loggerhead turtle was discovered in December 2021 on Muighinis Beach near Carna in Connemara in a comatose state. The turtle never regained consciousness and died despite the best efforts of Galway Atlantaquaria staff
Concern has been expressed over reports of endangered loggerhead turtles washing up on Irish and British shores in recent days, as BreakingNews.ie reports. The remains of a deceased loggerhead turtle were found at Port Glais in Co Mayo over the…
The five-man Row Hard of Go Home team light a flare to celebrate their record-breaking achievement in Nelson’s Dockyard
An Irish rowing crew have set a new record for the fastest Atlantic crossing, as RTÉ News reports. The five-man team from Row Hard or Go Home rowed from the Canary Islands to Antigua in the West Indies in 33…
Ng Ser Miang pictured in 2009
IOC vice-president Ng Ser Miang has rejected accusations of wrongdoing after he was found guilty of interfering in a World Sailing election. The Singaporean entrepreneur was determined by an independent panel to have had a conflict of interest in the…
Big wave surfing at Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal
The surfing world has paid tribute to Brazilian big wave surfer Marcio Freire after his death at Nazaré last Thursday (5 January). According to RTÉ News, Freire fell into the water while surfing at the Portuguese swell regarded as producing…
Saoirse pictured in Dun Laoghaire before Conor O’Brien embarked on his historic circumnavigation in 1923
The Journal has highlighted the upcoming centenary of Irish yachtsman Conor O’Brien’s pioneering circumnavigation. In June 1923, Limerick man O’Brien set off on his yacht the Saoirse — named after the then newly created Irish Free State — on the…
Page 1 of 405

Featured Sailing School

INSS sidebutton

Featured Clubs

dbsc mainbutton
Howth Yacht Club
Kinsale Yacht Club
National Yacht Club
Royal Cork Yacht Club
Royal Irish Yacht club
Royal Saint George Yacht Club

Featured Brokers

leinster sidebutton

Featured Associations

ICRA
isora sidebutton

Featured Webcams

Featured Events 2023

https://afloat.ie/sail/events/dunlaoghaire-to-dingle

Featured Marinas

dlmarina sidebutton

Featured Chandleries

CHMarine Afloat logo
osm sidebutton
https://afloat.ie/resources/marine-industry-news/viking-marine

Featured Sailmakers

northsails sidebutton
uksails sidebutton
quantum sidebutton
watson sidebutton

Featured Blogs

W M Nixon - Sailing on Saturday
podcast sidebutton
BSB sidebutton
wavelengths sidebutton
 

Please show your support for Afloat by donating