MacDara Conroy
MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business
The Finn class has announced proposals to ‘rebalance the slate’ of Olympic sailing as it identifies a lack of opportunity for heavyweight men and lightweight women. The mixed one-person dinghy class, which late last year was removed from the Games…
Inland Fisheries Ireland Secured Prosecution Of Landowner Who Removed Gravel From Munster Blackwater
20th July 2019 Angling
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) secured a conviction against Mr Bryan O’Neill, a riparian landowner on the Munster Blackwater, for removing spawning gravel during last summer’s drought. On Tuesday 16 July, Judge John King convicted Mr O’Neill at a special sitting…
Howth Yacht Club’s Rocco Wright scored a tremendous result for Ireland as he placed 10th in the Optimist Worlds in Antigua earlier this week. He was followed closely in the final standings by 13th-placed James Dwyer Matthews of the Royal…
Close to 130 hardy souls will take to the waters of Galway Bay tomorrow (Saturday 20 July) for the 14th annual Frances Thornton Memorial Galway Bay Swim. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the early sell-out event is one of Ireland’s…
Nearly two months after she was spotted off the East Coast, Spirtle the dolphin has been filmed frolicking off the shores of Kerry, as the Irish Mirror reports. The young dolphin is distinctive for the heavy scarring and discolouration on…
Divers off the coast of Cornwall captured the remarkable moment when they encountered a ‘giant’ jellyfish the size of a human being. As the Irish News reports, biologist Lizzie Daly and wildlife cameraman Dan Abbott were filing for the UK’s…
The Royal Cork’s Volvo Ocean Race winner Justin Slattery is among the Irish interest involved in this year’s Chicago Yacht Cub Race to Mackinac, which got under way yesterday (Friday 12 July). Afloat.ie’s Sailor of the Month for June 2015…
A shocking video shows the moment when a sailboat moored in a US harbour was struck by lightning. The dramatic flash was caught on camera by a passer-by at the marina in South Boston as stormy weather rolled through the state…
O’Sullivan’s Marine have shared with us a photo of the surprise moment when a dolphin landed on the bow of one of their boats. The sudden encounter was all the more startling as the marine mammal almost knocked a child out of…
Irish Puffins Get ‘Free Ride’ From Tidal Currents When Searching For Food
11th July 2019 Marine Science
New research on Irish puffins has revealed that the sea birds swap the skies for the sea and make use of strong total currents to save energy when they search for food. The two-year study by MaREI and conservation charity ZSL…
New Bill Would Mandate That MCIB Members Have Relevant Marine Accident Experience
11th July 2019 MCIB
A new bill before the Dáil seeks to amend the “bizarre circumstances” that mean there is no legal obligation for members of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) to have relevant marine accident experience. As TheJournal.ie reports, the Merchant Shipping…
‘Marathon Man’ Reaches Dublin In 500km Charity Swim From Causeway Coast To Tramore
7th July 2019 Sea Swim
‘Marathon Man’ Alan Corcoran has reached Howth and Dublin Bay, 36 days into his 500km open water swimming challenge from the Causeway Coast to Tramore. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Alan took on the mammoth task after completing an already…
Irish Marine Federation Welcomes Public Consultation On Draft Marine Planning Policy Statement
3rd July 2019 Marine Federation
Feedback from the public and interested stakeholders is being sought on the Government’s Marine Planning Policy Statement by Friday 9 August. The statement sets out efforts to bring marine planning “into the mainstream of Government functions” as issues surrounding land…
Hundreds Clamour For Houseboats — But Ireland Only Provides For 28 Nationwide
3rd July 2019 Inland Waterways
Despite the growing demand for houseboat living in Ireland, there are only 28 residential moorings across the whole of the country, as RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland reports today (Wednesday 3 July). Grand Canal Dock alone has a waiting list…
A man was taken to hospital with hand injuries by Irish Coast Guard helicopter after a Mayday call on a yacht off Kilmore Quay on Saturday (29 June). The local RNLI lifeboat crew were en route to another vessel that had…
The International Optimist Dinghy Association Ireland (IODAI) shared a photo yesterday (Sunday 30 June) of the five-strong team headed to Antigua to represent Ireland at the 2019 World Championships later this week. Rocco Wright (Howth YC), James Dwyer Matthews (Royal…
Hero’s Welcome In Ballycotton For Eoghan Quinn Despite Lack Of Wind Foiling His Kitesurf Challenge
1st July 2019 Kitesurfing
There was some disappointment for kitesurfer Eoghan Quinn as his attempt to ride the waves from France to Ireland yesterday (Sunday 30 June) ended prematurely when the wind dropped off Cornwall, just short of the halfway point. But the 31-year-old,…
Waterford Kitesurfer Aims To Beat France-Ireland Ferry For Diabetes Charity
30th June 2019 Kitesurfing
A Waterford man with Type 1 diabetes is currently kitesurfing over 275 miles of open water from France to Ireland today (Sunday 30 June) in aid of a charity supporting people with the disease. Eoghan Quinn is attempting to race…
Teenage Girl Dies After Getting Into Difficulty Swimming Off Co Louth Beach
29th June 2019 News Update
TheJournal.ie is reporting along with other news outlets that a teenage girl has died after getting into difficulty swimming off a Co Louth beach yesterday (friday 28 June). The 14-year-old girl was reportedly pulled out to sea by a rip…
Howth Yacht Club’s Laura Dillon is among six women profiled by the Royal Ocean Racing Club ahead of their participation in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race. While crew lists for August’s race are not yet finalised, at present just over 10% of those…
