MacDara Conroy
MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business
Revenue’s plans to acquire two new patrol vessels will boost the State’s coastal and offshore search-and-rescue capabilities, it’s been claimed. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the two new ships will replace Revenue’s existing cutters and new used to expand its…
Entry Denied for Russian Vessels in Irish Ports as New Sanctions Come Into Force This Weekend
11th April 2022 Irish Ports
Russian vessels will be denied entry into Irish ports after this Saturday 16 April on the foot of sanctions from the European Union amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. As the latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport outlines,…
Teenage 49erFX Sailor Who Competed for Tunisia at Tokyo 2020 Dies After Training Accident
11th April 2022 Tokyo 2020
A teenage sailor who competed for Tunisia at Tokyo 2020 has tragically died after an accident while training at sea. According to BBC Sport, 17-year-old Eya Guezguez drowned after the boat she was sailing with her twin sister Sarra, who…
Inland Fisheries Ireland Comments on Investigation Into Eels’ Passage of Ardnacrusha Turbines
7th April 2022 Angling
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) says it would welcome a review of turbine operations at the Ardnacrusha power plant around the peak time for eel migrations. The statement comes following the publication of its investigation into a report of a fish…
‘There’s No Point Waiting Until the Seawater Is Up to Our Knees’: TD Calls for Action on Risk of Rising Sea Levels
3rd April 2022 Coastal Notes
East Cork, Waterford, Galway and the Shannon Estuary will be the first to bear the brunt of an “alarming and startling” rise in sea levels, a TD has warned. As the Irish Examiner reports, David Stanton (Cork East) expressed his…
Local Farmers Decry Failure to Provide Timely Replacement Ferry for Suspended Dursey Island Cable Car
2nd April 2022 Island News
Farming representatives have shared their dismay at the failure to provide a ferry service to replace the suspended cable car to Dursey Island. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, funding for a temporary ferry service was agreed by the Department of…
More Than 100 Basking Sharks Spotted Off Hook Head as 2022 Season Starts With a Bang
1st April 2022 Marine Wildlife
More than 100 basking sharks were spotted in the waters off Hook Head in Co Wexford last week as their season for 2022 starts “with a bang”, as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group reports. A member of the public,…
Anglers in Northern Ireland have described a “massacre” on a Co Tyrone river after a slurry spill resulted in a major fish kill incident, prompting an official investigation into the source. The spill on the Claggan River was discovered last…
As reported earlier on Afloat.ie, the Government has withdrawn Ireland’s bid to host the America’s Cup in Cork Harbour in 2024. In a press statement this evening (Monday 28 March), the Department of Tourism and Sport confirmed that Minister Catherine…
Ireland ‘Will Not Proceed Further’ With America’s Cup Bid for Cork Harbour: Report
28th March 2022 America's Cup
It’s been reported that the Government will not continue its bid to host the next America’s Cup in Cork Harbour in 2024. Posting on Twitter, RTÉ News political correspondent Michaél Lehane said: “Ministers Catherine Martin and Jack Chambers, after consultation…
SSE Renewables to Expand Plans for Arklow Bank Wind Park Under New Marine Area Consents Scheme
26th March 2022 Power From the Sea
A new planning regime will allow SSE Renewables to expand the second phase of its Arklow Bank Wind Park, as RTÉ News reports. Under the new Maritime Area Planning Act, the company is seeking to boost its proposed expansion of…
New Radio Documentary Explores Impact of Noise Pollution on Marine Wildlife
23rd March 2022 Marine Wildlife
Ahead of its broadcast this weekend, Newstalk previews A Sea of Sound, a new radio documentary that explores the impact of noise pollution on marine wildlife. Marine mammals such as dolphins and whales effectively ‘see’ through sound in the water.…
A Northern Ireland-based yacht broker has been banned from driving in the Republic after his Ferrari was clocked at nearly 200kmh in Donegal last year. According to the Sunday World, GulfStream Boat Sales boss Niall Heaney was witnessed by gardaí…
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia has suffered what’s being described as a “widespread” bleaching event, as TheJournal.ie reports. Images captured from the air by the authority in charge of the Unesco World Heritage site reveal damage ranging from “minor…
800 Redundancies Amid P&O Ferries’ Sudden Suspension — But Dublin Port Jobs Remain Safe
17th March 2022 Ferry
P&O Ferries has confirmed that 800 employees were issued “immediate severance notices” with its sudden cancellation of services today (Thursday 17 March). As reported earlier on Afloat.ie, the ferry company — which operates Dublin-Liverpool and Larne-Cairnryan services — said it…
Bill to Support Governance and Independence of Marine Casualty Investigation Board Goes Before Seanad
15th March 2022 MCIB
A new bill with amendments to the law that established the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) will support its independence, the Transport Minister has said. Minister Eamon Ryan last week introduced to the Seanad the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine…
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has confirmed the sighting of a common dolphin in the River Liffey at the weekend. According to TheJournal.ie, the marine mammal was spotted swimming near the Poolbeg power plant on Saturday morning (12…
Sailing Yacht A Seized by Italian Police After EU Sanctions Against Russian Oligarch Owner
14th March 2022 Superyachts
Italian police have taken one of the world’s largest yachts as the country continues to impound vessels and seize properties owned by Russian oligarchs. Reuters quotes the Italian government as saying the 143-metre Sailing Yacht A was sequestered at the…
Virgin Media News is reporting that a number of Dublin Port workers from central and eastern Europe are refusing “point blank” to unload a ship carrying Russian diesel. The STI Clapham arrived in the capital last night (Sunday 13 March)…
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the Irish Government has announced the purchase of two naval vessels from New Zealand. The two inshore patrol vessels — formerly the HMNZS Rotoiti and HMNZS Pukaki — will bolster Ireland’s maritime security as the…