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Displaying items by tag: Dun Laoghaire Proposed Cruise Berth

#CruiseCostAnalysis - At the planning inquiry on Wednesday, heated exchanges arose into Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company’s proposed cruise ship berth, reports The Irish Times.

The harbour company is seeking planning permission for a 400m berth to accommodate some of the world’s largest cruise ships, with ancillary facilities, including the dredging of an approach channel inside and outside the harbour walls.

Answering questions on the €18 million investment associated with the project, Annette Hughes of DKM Economic Consultants, on behalf of the harbour company, said a cost-benefit analysis of the project had not been carried out as one “was not required”.

She said the fact DKM had carried out a cost-benefit assessment on a redevelopment project at Galway docks was “entirely irrelevant”, and objected to a line of questioning on the matter from Dr Pat McCloughan, who represented Dún Laoghaire Harbour combined sailing and yacht clubs.

Further coverage by the newspaper of the inquiry can be read by clicking here.

Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!