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Displaying items by tag: Killarney

Anglers in Killorglin are appealing plans recently green-lit by Kerry County Council for a development of nearly 250 homes outside of Killarney.

As the Kerryman reports, the Laune Salmon and Trout Anglers’ Association says it “did not receive the regard it is supposed to get” in planners’ assessment of the proposed development at Cronin’s Wood, east of the Co Kerry town.

In their appeal to An Bord Pleanála, the anglers claim the development is lacking the appropriate infrastructure for wastewater treatment and express concerns over surface water run-off.

The angling association also claims that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening and Appropriate Assessment was flawed.

The Kerryman has more on the story HERE.

Published in Angling
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#Toxic - Pet owners have been advised to be vigilant over an outbreak of toxic blue-green ‘algae’ in a Killarney lake, as The Irish Times reports.

Lough Leane has been signposted by Kerry County Council over the presence of Cyanobacteria that has turned the waters a soupy pea-green colour.

A number of dogs died after exposure to the bacteria during a previous bloom on the lake shore in 2016.

Suspected similar cases have also been reported at Lough Mask as well as waterways further east, including Ballymore Eustace on the River Liffey.

Meanwhile, scientists at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology are preparing to use drones to test the water quality of lakes on the West Coast.

GMIT’s Marine and Freshwater Research Centre has secured €132,000 in funding from the EPA for the scheme that will allow for real-time feedback of camera images and data.

Licensed drone pilots will work with lake biologists and water scientists on the two-year project, part of Ireland’s mandate under the EU’s Water Framework Directive.

The Irish Times has more on this story HERE.

Published in Inland Waterways

#Rescue - It was an unexpected night outdoors for two kayakers who were stranded on an island in the Black Valley near Killarney after losing their paddles.

As the Irish Examiner reports, Valentia Coastguard were unable to mount a rescue by helicopter due to dangerous weather on Sunday night (2 November).

But the man and woman were provided with a tens and supplied by Killarney Lake Rescue and finally retrieved by the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter yesterday morning.

Published in Rescue
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#rowing – Killarney Rowing Festival will celebrate the oldest regatta in the world and wonderful rowing tradition on the Lakes of Killarney, on Sunday 28th July, 2013, at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, Killarney, County Kerry. The Festival will host the World most coveted rivals, Oxford and Cambridge Boat Club.The unique event also co-insides with 'The Gathering Ireland 2013' a Tourism Ireland initiative honouring Ireland's Diaspora and historical and cultural links to Ireland. Killarney's tourism success owes much to the visit of Queen Victoria to Killarney in 1861.

The Annual KillarneyRegatta in now in its 228th year is the oldest traditional regatta in the World, steeped in history and raced on Lough Lein, one of the famous Lakes of Killarney. There are five remaining active clubs in the town and hinterland of Killarney, each operating from various boathouses along the shores of Lough Lein. The Clubs, namely, Muckross Rowing Club, Flesk Valley RC, Workmen's RC, Commercials RC, St Brendan's RC, and Fossa RC. The Type of boat is unique to the Lakes of Killarney and known as 'The Killarney Sixes' wooden in structure, wooden oar, fixed seat, the boats were originally designed and built by Salters in Oxford.

Both Oxford and Cambridge Boat Clubs were delighted to receive the invitation and will be joining the Killarney Rowing fraternity for the weekend. Flights to Kerry Airport, two nights accommodation, have been kindly sponsored by Tourism Ireland, with Killarney Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and Killarney Branch of the Irish Hoteliers Federation providing accommodation. The boats will be ready and waiting at the pier at O'Mahoney's Point, Killarney Golf and Fishing Club.

Speaking about the event, Festival Director Andrew Wharton commented " it's one of those classic events for Killarney, the perfect location and a wonderful way to celebrate our rowing tradition. The cultural links that have bound this sport together, with the famous Caseys of Sneem, the Great River Race in London which has been won by many Killarney Clubs. As a sport, rowing keeps getting more popular, especially with all clubs embracing many types of rowing, be it, coastal, sliding, gig and fixed seat racing. It means rowing continues all year round. It will be such a spectacle to see so much colour and life on Lough Lein. The Killarney people have welcomed the festival, their generosity is breathtaking. They know the importance of the heritage, History and of course the friendly rivalry that binds us all together..Oxford and Cambridge will definitely be having a fantastic time in Killarney"

The Festival will be a day of fun and celebration, and will see Oxford and Cambridge competing with the coastal boats of South and Mid Kerry and the most coveted race of the day, Killarney Rowing Clubs taking on the world's greatest rivals, for the famous 'Lakes of Killarney 'Salter's Cup' which was won the famous Casey Brothers of Sneem on three occasions in the 1920's and 30's.Noel Casey Stephen and Paddy Casey will be on hand to present the precious Cup. The first race of the day (11.45) is the Irish Universities v Oxford and Cambridge. There are 11 races in total, including U14/U16, boys and boys, open races, intermediate and senior races, in both Killarney sixes and coastal boats.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: "We are delighted that the Oxford and Cambridge boat clubs will travel here for the Killarney Rowing Festival, particularly in this special year of The Gathering Ireland. Since last year, Tourism Ireland has been promoting The Gathering Ireland extensively in Great Britain and elsewhere around the world, targeting millions of people who have ancestral links to Ireland, or those who have an affinity for the destination and all things Irish. Millions of people in GB have connections with Ireland and we are reaching out to them, encouraging them to come home for what is a truly special year."

A true spectacle on the day will be the site of 100 strong South Kerry men rowing The Seine Boat Race, unique to South Kerry. Historically the Seine Boat was used by fishermen to haul fish captured in floating nets. Seine Boats are timber built vessels with 12 oarsmen and a coxswain who calls out the stroke. The Regattas in South Kerry are held in Cromane, Ballinskelligs, Waterville, Valentia, Portmagee, Cahirciveen, Caherdaniel, Sneem,Over the Water, and Templenoe. The race is usually over eight grueling kilometers.The Seine Boat races are a true test of strength, endurance and team work.

During the weekend both Oxford and Cambridge crews will pay a visit to Muckross house for lunch and take a boat tour on lakes of Killarney, to showcase the famous scenery and landscape with an emphasis of the importance of Queen Victoria's historical trip to Killarney and Muckross in 1861. There will be an opportunity for the crews to visit Queen Victoria's Barge in the 'Old Boat House' at Muckross. A Civic Reception at The Lake Hotel, Killarney will be hosted by Killarney Town Council later that Saturday afternoon. Both crews will be free to savour Killarney's wonderful night life. All Rowing Clubs will be ready action on Sunday 28th at 10.00am at O'Mahoney's Point for a practice run on the 'Killarney sixes'.

Another Highlight of the Day will be The Tug O' War' competition - refereed by Henry Clifton, one of the greats in Rowing. clubs and organisations are being encouraged to enter teams for two great charities - Brendan Heffernan's Mercy Hospital Oncology Unit Fund and The Palliative Care Unit Kerry General Hospital. Brendan is Honorary Treasure of Workmen's Rowing Club and is receiving treatment at the Mercy Hospital, to date he has raised over €10,000.

The Killarney Golf and Fishing Club are delighted to be the venue of this year's Festival, providing car parking facilities, a BBQ , outdoor children's activities and refreshments. The local rowing clubs will provide the traditional sandwiches, tea and buns to the rowers all part of a perfect regatta day. All we need is the weather!.

Rowing plays an enormous part of the sporting life in Killarney, in the 2008 Olympic Games, Three Killarney Oarsmen rowed for Ireland - Paul Griffin, Sean Casey and Cathal Moynihan, all members of Muckross Rowing Club, Ireland's oldest rowing club.

For further information:Valerie O'Sullivan contact 087-2629375/[email protected]

Published in Rowing
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#WaterSafety - Four more people have drowned in separate incidents around Ireland as the heatwave continues.

As RTÉ News reports, a 24-year-old man died while swimming in the sea near Ardara in Co Donegal yesterday afternoon (20 July).

Later, the body of a second victim was recovered from the Shrule River in Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone after getting into difficulty.

A third man in his 60s is was drowned after failing to return from a swim in a quarry near Carrick-on-Suir. His body was recovered earlier today.

The tragedies follow news of a 19-year-old who drowned while swimming with friends in Lough Leane in Killarney on Friday evening (19 July).

And a woman in her 30s was lucky to be rescued after getting into difficulty swimming in the River Nore near Kilkenny. She is currently in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

Irish Water Safety have renewed their appeal for the public to take extra care when taking to the water during this extraordinary hot weather that had already claimed seven lives as of Thursday last.

Published in Water Safety

# COASTAL ROWING: The univsersities celebrated as the oldest rowing rivals will celebrate the oldest traditional regatta when crews drawn from Oxford and Cambridge alumni compete at Killarney Rowing Festival on Lough Lein on July 28th. The boat used will be the Killarney Six, a wooden boat with a fixed seat which was originally designed and built by Salters in Oxford. The event is part of ‘The Gathering’ and Queen Victoria’s stay in Killarney in 1861 will be marked. The Killarney Regatta itself is set for June 30th.

Published in Coastal Rowing

Leading Irish boat dealer MGM Boats Ltd is playing golf this weekend. While the Dun Laoghaire firm may not be teeingg off in Killarney, Gerry Salmon, Martin Salmon anf Joe Hill are on the course as the Irish Distributors of Sunseeeker boats, an official sponsor of the Irish Open Golf Tournament 2011.

mgmimage

The event is held at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club 28th to 31st July. MGM Boats Have a stand in the Tented Exhibition Area area and also have a Sunseeker XS Sport on Display. The Salmon's are in attendance for the duration of the event.

Published in Marine Trade
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Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) - FAQS

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are geographically defined maritime areas where human activities are managed to protect important natural or cultural resources. In addition to conserving marine species and habitats, MPAs can support maritime economic activity and reduce the effects of climate change and ocean acidification.

MPAs can be found across a range of marine habitats, from the open ocean to coastal areas, intertidal zones, bays and estuaries. Marine protected areas are defined areas where human activities are managed to protect important natural or cultural resources.

The world's first MPA is said to have been the Fort Jefferson National Monument in Florida, North America, which covered 18,850 hectares of sea and 35 hectares of coastal land. This location was designated in 1935, but the main drive for MPAs came much later. The current global movement can be traced to the first World Congress on National Parks in 1962, and initiation in 1976 of a process to deliver exclusive rights to sovereign states over waters up to 200 nautical miles out then began to provide new focus

The Rio ‘Earth Summit’ on climate change in 1992 saw a global MPA area target of 10% by the 2010 deadline. When this was not met, an “Aichi target 11” was set requiring 10% coverage by 2020. There has been repeated efforts since then to tighten up MPA requirements.

Marae Moana is a multiple-use marine protected area created on July 13th 2017 by the government of the Cook islands in the south Pacific, north- east of New Zealand. The area extends across over 1.9 million square kilometres. However, In September 2019, Jacqueline Evans, a prominent marine biologist and Goldman environmental award winner who was openly critical of the government's plans for seabed mining, was replaced as director of the park by the Cook Islands prime minister’s office. The move attracted local media criticism, as Evans was responsible for developing the Marae Moana policy and the Marae Moana Act, She had worked on raising funding for the park, expanding policy and regulations and developing a plan that designates permitted areas for industrial activities.

Criteria for identifying and selecting MPAs depends on the overall objective or direction of the programme identified by the coastal state. For example, if the objective is to safeguard ecological habitats, the criteria will emphasise habitat diversity and the unique nature of the particular area.

Permanence of MPAs can vary internationally. Some are established under legislative action or under a different regulatory mechanism to exist permanently into the future. Others are intended to last only a few months or years.

Yes, Ireland has MPA cover in about 2.13 per cent of our waters. Although much of Ireland’s marine environment is regarded as in “generally good condition”, according to an expert group report for Government published in January 2021, it says that biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are of “wide concern due to increasing pressures such as overexploitation, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change”.

The Government has set a target of 30 per cent MPA coverage by 2030, and moves are already being made in that direction. However, environmentalists are dubious, pointing out that a previous target of ten per cent by 2020 was not met.

Conservation and sustainable management of the marine environment has been mandated by a number of international agreements and legal obligations, as an expert group report to government has pointed out. There are specific requirements for area-based protection in the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the OSPAR Convention, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

Yes, the Marine Strategy Framework directive (2008/56/EC) required member states to put measures in place to achieve or maintain good environmental status in their waters by 2020. Under the directive a coherent and representative network of MPAs had to be created by 2016.

Ireland was about halfway up the EU table in designating protected areas under existing habitats and bird directives in a comparison published by the European Commission in 2009. However, the Fair Seas campaign, an environmental coalition formed in 2022, points out that Ireland is “lagging behind “ even our closest neighbours, such as Scotland which has 37 per cent. The Fair Seas campaign wants at least 10 per cent of Irish waters to be designated as “fully protected” by 2025, and “at least” 30 per cent by 2030.

Nearly a quarter of Britain’s territorial waters are covered by MPAs, set up to protect vital ecosystems and species. However, a conservation NGO, Oceana, said that analysis of fishing vessel tracking data published in The Guardian in October 2020 found that more than 97% of British MPAs created to safeguard ocean habitats, are being dredged and bottom trawled. 

There’s the rub. Currently, there is no definition of an MPA in Irish law, and environment protections under the Wildlife Acts only apply to the foreshore.

Current protection in marine areas beyond 12 nautical miles is limited to measures taken under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives or the OSPAR Convention. This means that habitats and species that are not listed in the EU Directives, but which may be locally, nationally or internationally important, cannot currently be afforded the necessary protection

Yes. In late March 2022, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said that the Government had begun developing “stand-alone legislation” to enable identification, designation and management of MPAs to meet Ireland’s national and international commitments.

Yes. Environmental groups are not happy, as they have pointed out that legislation on marine planning took precedence over legislation on MPAs, due to the push to develop offshore renewable energy.

No, but some activities may be banned or restricted. Extraction is the main activity affected as in oil and gas activities; mining; dumping; and bottom trawling

The Government’s expert group report noted that MPA designations are likely to have the greatest influence on the “capture fisheries, marine tourism and aquaculture sectors”. It said research suggests that the net impacts on fisheries could ultimately be either positive or negative and will depend on the type of fishery involved and a wide array of other factors.

The same report noted that marine tourism and recreation sector can substantially benefit from MPA designation. However, it said that the “magnitude of the benefits” will depend to a large extent on the location of the MPA sites within the network and the management measures put in place.

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