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

Dun Laoghaire Baths Finally Set to Reopen in Plenty of Time for Christmas
2nd December 2022 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
The Dun Laoghaire Baths will finally reopen this month, four-and-a-half years after redevelopment works began, with the local authority sending out invitations to the official opening on Tuesday 13 December. The project has been a long time coming, with works…

George’s Dock Lido Campaigners Reveal Conceptual Images of Proposal for Heated Outdoor Pool in Dublin City Centre
1st December 2022 News Update
Campaigners for a heated outdoor swimming pool at the site of Dublin City Council’s ill-fated whitewater rafting course proposal have released conceptual images to visualise how it could transform the Docklands area. Last year the two doctors behind the plans…

Irish Minister Calls on NI to Invest in Restoration of Ulster Canal
2nd December 2022 Inland Waterways
Ireland’s Rural Development Minister has called on Northern Ireland leaders to consider investment in restoring the full length of the Ulster Canal. Speaking at the site of a new marina in Clones, part of the second phase of Irish Government-funded…

Two Bodies Recovered From Co Clare Waters Following Separate Incidents
27th November 2022 News Update
BreakingNews.ie reports that two bodies have been recovered from waterways in Co Clare over the weekend following in two separate incidents. In Ennis, a body was recovered from the River Fergus on Saturday afternoon (26 November) after it was found…

After calling time on her Olympic career this past summer, Rio 2016 silver medallist Annalise Murphy has been adjusting to life away from sport — and as she shares with the Irish Examiner, it hasn’t always been plain sailing. Among…

Offshore Wind Farm Venture Gives Support to Clean Coasts Efforts in East Cork
20th November 2022 Coastal Notes
Volunteer coastal cleaners in East Cork have gained the support of the joint venture behind a new proposed offshore wind farm project to boost their efforts in tackling the scourge of marine litter on the Irish coast. As the Irish…

Body Found on Holywood Beach Is That of Man Missing From Belfast-Bound Ferry
19th November 2022 Belfast Lough
BBC News reports that the body of a man who went missing from a ferry in Belfast Lough late last month has been found. Claims that a man had fallen overboard from a ferry on the night of Saturday 29…

Former US president Donald Trump’s golf resort in Doonbeg has been warned by the local authority over what it claims to be an unauthorised fencing erected at the property. According to TheStory.ie, which has more details on the story, Clare County…

Irish Scientists Part of Team Who Mounted Cameras on Tiger Sharks to Discover World’s Largest Seagrass Ecosystem
3rd November 2022 Marine Science
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin are among a team of marine scientists that have used tiger sharks to discover the world’s largest seagrass ecosystem. According to The Irish Times, the team attached cameras to the sharks who inhabit the enormous…

Man Believed to Have Gone Overboard From Ferry in Belfast Lough is ‘High-Risk Missing Person’
1st November 2022 Belfast Lough
A major search operation for a man believed to have gone overboard from a ferry in Belfast Lough at the weekend has been stood down and the matter handed over to police. As the Belfast Telegraph reports, searches were suspended…

A Balbriggan woman has set a new world record in free diving, as the Northside People reports. Nina McGowan logged the deepest ‘no fins’ dive ever recorded for her age category at the CMAS Outdoor Freediving World Championships in Kas,…

Signage Warns Public Away From ‘Abandoned’ Ex-Minesweeper HMS Enterprise in Kilkeel
30th October 2022 Historic Boats
Afloat.ie reader Lee Maginnis has provided an update on the current condition of the old minesweeper HMS Enterprise in Kilkeel Harbour, and the news is not good. The former Royal Navy minesweeper with a storied history was previously anchored in…

Search Ongoing in Belfast Lough After Reports Man Fell Overboard From Ferry
30th October 2022 Belfast Lough
RTÉ News reports that searches are ongoing in Belfast Lough today (Sunday 30 October) after claims that a man fell overboard from a docked ferry on Saturday night. The PSNI has asked the public to avoid the area as a…

Researchers Ask: How Clean are Ireland’s Waters — And What Can We Do About It?
29th October 2022 Environment
Sustainability researchers in Galway have called for greater public engagement in improving water quality in Ireland’s lakes and rivers. Writing for RTÉ Brainstorm, the researchers from the University of Galway’s Ryan Institute say they conducted interviews with a variety of…

On a special climate-focused edition of RTÉ’s Prime Time this past week, the news programme put the plight of Ireland’s wild salmon stocks in the spotlight. Reporter Oonagh Smyth visited the Dawros River in Connemara where salmon runs have allegedly…

Safehaven Marine Puts Pen to Paper With P&O Maritime for a Fifth Pilot Boat
21st October 2022 Safehaven Marine
Safehaven Marine says it has signed contracts with P&O Maritime Logistics for an Interceptor 48 — its fifth pilot boat for the company. “It’s always great to have a repeat order, especially a fifth as it’s a fine testimony to…

Nearly Half of Ireland’s Wastewater Not Treated to Required Standards, EPA Says
21st October 2022 Environment
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says as much as 500 million litres of potentially untreated wastewater is being released into Ireland’s rivers and coastal waters every day. As the Irish Independent reports, the agency warns that it will take decades,…

Hydrophones Dropped Off Greenland Recording Sounds of Melting Arctic Icebergs to Fuel Irish Artist’s ‘Ocean Memory’ Project
20th October 2022 Environment
An Irish artist is part of an international expedition that’s dropping hydrophones into the waters off Greenland to record the sounds of melting icebergs. According to the Guardian, Siobhán McDonald will use the recordings from the underwater microphones in a…

Arklow Bank Wind Turbine ‘Struck By Lightning’ Amid Intense Thunderstorm
19th October 2022 Power From the Sea
A wind turbine off the coast of Co Wicklow is believed to have been struck by lightning amid an intense thunderstorm on Wednesday afternoon (19 October). Smoke was spotted billowing from the 3.6MW turbine in the Arklow Bank Wind Park…

Aussies Probe Mystery of Rare ‘Boxing Kangaroo’ Flag in Skerries Sailing Club
17th October 2022 America's Cup
A member of the 1983 America’s Cup winning crew has visited Skerries Sailing Club to follow a lead on a rare team flag that went missing when Australia II won the Auld Mug. According to ABC News, the ‘boxing kangaroo’…