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

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…

Swimmers ‘Getting Ill’ From Northern Ireland Beaches, Activists Claim
12th March 2023 Northern Ireland Waters
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’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…

United Nations Members Agree on Unified Treaty to Protect Biodiversity in the High Seas
5th March 2023 Marine Wildlife
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…

Inland Navigations of Ireland Historical Society’s 2023 Conference Set for Athlone
1st March 2023 Inland Waterways
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…

Public Meeting This Week to Highlight Accessibility Issues at Dun Laoghaire Baths
19th February 2023 Dun Laoghaire Baths Project
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…

New Video Show Rare and Previously Unseen Footage of the Titanic From 1986
17th February 2023 Titanic
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 Board Dissolved After Resignations Left it Without Quorum
14th February 2023 News Update
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…

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…

Capsize and Battery Fire Test Mettle of America’s Cup Challenger INEOS Britannia
9th February 2023 America's Cup
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…

Vendée Globe Record-Setter Clarisse Crémer ‘In Shock’ as She’s Dropped By Sponsor After Having Baby
6th February 2023 Vendee Globe
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…

Royal Malta Sailing Club Moves Into Shipping Containers After Eviction
5th February 2023 Middle Sea Race
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…

New Canoeing and Kayaking Club for Carrick-on-Suir Secures Start-Up Funding
22nd January 2023 Canoeing
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…

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,…

Fundraiser for Family of Man Who Died in Galway Bay Kayaking Tragedy Raises More Than €25K
16th January 2023 Galway Harbour
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…

Loggerhead Turtles Washing Up on Irish Shores Are Cause for Concern
16th January 2023 Marine Wildlife
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…

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…

IOC Vice-President Ng Ser Miang Rejects Claims of Wrongdoing After Fine and Warning for World Sailing Vote Interference
12th January 2023 World Sailing
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…

Tributes Paid to Marcio ‘Mad Dog’ Freire After Big Wave Surfer’s Death at Nazaré
9th January 2023 Surfing
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…

Celebrating Conor O’Brien’s Pioneering Voyage Around the World 100 Years On
7th January 2023 Conor O'Brien
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…