Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: regeneration

The Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Pat Carey T.D., today announced the approval of the granting of leases for a number of proposed developments on Dublin's canals on the inland waterways.

The developments include the construction of a cycle bridge across the Royal Canal at Spencer Dock, a boardwalk along the Grand Canal at Leeson Street and a pedestrian/cycle bridge across the Grand Canal at Lynches Lane.

The decision to grant leases to Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council for the proposed developments was taken at a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in Armagh this morning. Speaking after the meeting, Minister Carey said the decision to approve the leases had the potential to further transform Dublin's waterways for the benefit of the citizens of Dublin.

Minister Carey said, "Developments like those proposed by Dublin City Council will add to the regeneration of the city and will strengthen the environmental, social and economic fabric of the capital. They will add to the quality of life of all and especially to the quality of life of pedestrians and cyclists."

John Martin, Chief Executive of Waterways Ireland, the cross-border body charged with the all-island promotion and development of waterways is delighted that the Ministers have approved the granting of the leases at the NSMC.

He said "Waterways Ireland is happy to facilitate the development of these waterside amenities in the Dublin Area. We hope to work with all the local authorities on many projects in the future right across the Dublin Region."

Published in Inland Waterways
A €750 million regeneration project at a city centre industrial site was unveiled in Cork on Wednesday and at its heart is an 800 berth marina. If it all goes ahead the new marina at Marina Commercial Park (MCP) will match the capactiy of the country's biggest marina on Dublin Bay. The project promises up to 1,200 construction jobs.

The redevelopment of the 24-acre Marina Commercial Park  in the heart of Cork city's docklands is expected to create 5,000 jobs once completed.

City manager Joe Gavin said: "This 24-acre site is at the heart of Cork's docklands and the announcement is a crucial step in realising Cork City Council's vision for the whole docklands area."

"It's a fantastic story in these bleak times and of course it would greatly add to boating in the south. It's also an example to the rest of the country of the opportunities that lie in city waterways", said David O'Brien of the Irish Marine Federation.

The proposed development features:

* More than 800 apartments, providing homes for up to 2,230 people.

* A marina where they can park their boats.

* A range of community amenities.

* A visitor and science centre, the Ford Experience, which is expected to attract up to 300,000 visitors annually.

* A new central plaza to provide a hub for the community, including a creche and library.

 

Published in Irish Marinas

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!