MacDara Conroy
MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business
#SALMON THREAT - Just three out of every 100 wild salmon returned to Northern Ireland's rivers last year - prompting concerns that the species has declined past the point of no return, as the Belfast Telegraph reports. Following a recent…
#MARINE SCIENCE - An Irish marine science company will lead a new research project using satellites to monitor coastal outlets in Europe, as Silicon Republic reports. TechWorks Marine, based in Dun Laoghaire, has won the contract to head up the…
#FISHING - A Wexford fisherman has defended the free giving away of monkfish to the public yesterday morning after exceeding an EU quota. RTÉ News reports that Seamus O'Flaherty, owner of the trawler Saltees Quest, handed out the fish to…
#DUN LAOGHAIRE NEWS - Save Our Seafront will hold a public meeting this evening Thursday 4 October at The Kingston Hotel in Dun Laoghaire to discuss a number of issues such as the redevelopment of the harbour baths, the demolition…
#SHANNON FLOODING - Galway Bay FM reports that Galway county councillors have postponed making any decision on an Oireachtas report into flooding in areas adjacent to the River Shannon. The move was taken on the suggestion of Cllr Dermot Connolly…
#MCIB - The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) has recommended that the Government review standards for activity centres involved in marine sports, following its report into an incident off Co Louth in May 2011. Seven sixth-class pupils from St Brigid's…
#SURFING - A documentary charting Easkey Britton's history-making surfing trip to Iran will premiere on French TV later this month, according to The Irish Times. The hour-long film was shot by French filmmaker Marion Poizeau during the Donegal surf champion's…
#MARINE CRIME - TheJournal.ie reports that investigators the world over are gathered at the Silver Springs Moran Hotel in Cork for a conference on maritime crime. Scroll down for photos of the event by Bob Bateman below. The International Association…
#ISA ALL IRELAND - Howth Yacht Club will be rallying behind Robin Hegarty as he represents the Puppeteer class as the club's 2012 champion at the ISA Senior All Ireland Sailing Championship in Tipperary this weekend. As previously reported on…
#MARINE WILDLIFE - Seatruck Ferries is providing free passage this autumn for surveyors with a UK-based marine wildlife charity to discover how many dolphins and seabirds make their home in the Irish Sea. MARINElife will be extending its marine conservation…
#ANGLING - The Irish Specimen Fish Committee (ISFC) will be accepting submissions of specimen claims for shad and cyprinids - such as roach, rudd and their hybrids - till 17 October. The submission date has been brought forward due to…
#SURFING - Ireland can no longer claim to be the surfing world's best kept secret, as the Irish Examiner reports, as thousands of waveriders of all skill levels now flock annually to the west and northwest coasts to sample the…
#COASTGUARD - Last week saw two rapid responses by volunteers with the Howth Coast Guard in separate incidents on the peninsula. On Saturday 22 September a walker on the Howth Head cliff path who suffered an ankle injury was evacuated…
#ANGLING - A man has been convicted and fined at Limerick District Court for illegally fishing without a permit on the Mulkear River in another successful prosecution for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). Last June, fisheries officers with IFI were carrying…
#ANGLING - Sea trout were top of the agenda at a recent meeting between Welsh Deputy Fisheries Minister Alun Davies and Minister of State Fergus O’Dowd at Leinster House recently. Both ministers were briefed about progress with the INTERREG IVa…
#DIVING - WorldIrish have done it again with another great video find - this time following a team of divers off Donegal as they explore the wreck of the RMS/HMS Carinthia. On 6 June 1940, during the Second World War,…
#ANGLING - The going is tough in the last weeks of this year's angling season on Lough Mask, as Mayo Today reports. Though anglers are still out in good numbers despite the shortening days and drop in temperature, catch numbers…
#ANGLING - The cross-border team of Phil Jackson and Cathal Hughes took the top prize at the Lakelands & Inland Waterways World Pairs Angling Championship earlier this month, as The Irish Times reports. The pair - from Craigavon and Galway…
#COASTAL NOTES - Surfers Against Sewage will be taking their environmental education programme to Northern Ireland next week, as online surfing magazine Drift reports. The team are set to visit up to 15 schools, universities, youth groups and sports clubs…
#MARINE WILDLIFE - An investigation is underway to determine the cause of death of a seal found on a Derry beach this week. As UTV News reports, the seal was found on Castlerock strand on Wednesday afternoon, and local reports…