#Archaeology - It was quite a turn-up for the books on Omey Island recently as a US student found a 12th-century brooch in the sand on the Connemara tidal island. As The Irish Times reports, the rare kite brooch was…

#WindFarm - Blades for a wind-farm in the Irish Sea have begun to arrive in Belfast Harbour reports ReNews. The blades are for the MHI Vestas V164 8MW turbines destined for Dong Energy’s 256MW Burbo 2 offshore wind-farm in the…

#SmartBay - Galway's new SmartBay ocean observatory will share in a €11m European funding boost for ocean energy testing, as Silicon Republic reports. The subsea observatory in Galway Bay – launched earlier this month in tandem with SeaFest and the…

#OmeyIsland - Omey Island in Connemara is the subject of a new book by a local woman charting its remarkable history. Strands of Omey's Story by Bernadette Conroy shows there's much more to the lands off Claddaghduff than the annual…

#MarineWildlife - Three dead dolphins have washed up on Kerry's shores in recent days – and one Irish fishery expert believes so-called 'supertrawlers' in the area might be responsible. According to The Irish Times, former Sea Fisheries Protection Authority inspector…

#WhaleWatchDay - The 2016 All Island Whale Watch Day takes place on Saturday 27 August as part of Heritage Week. All are invited to join the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) at any of 20 land-based whale watches on…

#WildAtlanticWay - Minister of State for Tourism Patrick O’Donovan has announced almost €1.125 million in funding from Fáilte Ireland’s Capital Grants Allocation for two key projects along the Wild Atlantic Way. A grant of is being made available to Galway…

Youghal harbour is open for visiting boats following the installation of eight visitor moorings in the Cork town this week. The moorings, first proposed by the community action group 'Build a Marina in Youghal' have been installed by Cork County…

#CoastalNotes - Donegal's history and relationship with the coastline are celebrated by a new coastal trail launched earlier this month. As the Donegal Democrat reports, a special training programme has been developed for business owners and others along the new…

Over 300 scientists are meeting in Dublin this week discussing the effects of noise on aquatic life. A public talk on Noise and its impact in the Ocean will be given tonight (Tuesday 12th July) 8 – 9:30pm at the…

New navigation buoys have been installed at the entrance to Lawrence Cove, near the village of Rerrin on Bere Island, one of the most sheltered harbours in Bantry Bay on Ireland's South–West coast.  A marina at Lawrence Cove is located opposite…

#MarineWildlife - A seabird usually found in the eastern Mediterranean has not only taken up residence in Belfast – she's successfully hatched her first chick. The Belfast Telegraph reports on the Mediterranean gull that's been attracting bird watchers from all…

#AranIslands - The Aran Islands air service is still without a mainland airport as the deadline for talks on the €3.6 million contract fast approaches, according to The Irish Times. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the Department of the Gaeltacht…

#MarineScience - Marine Institute chief executive Dr Peter Heffernan was among the heads of European marine science institutes meeting with Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, at the European Marine Board offices in Ostend, Belgium yesterday…

Clare County Council, supported by An Garda Síochána, The Irish Coastguard and Irish Water Safety, has announced the installation of marker buoys delineating the speed limit for powered craft in the vicinity of Kilkee pier. The buoys, which have been…

#Seaweed - Could breathing in the iodine released by seaweed on Ireland's coasts be improving our health? The answer is quite possibly, according to new research as reported in The Irish Times this week. Scientists at UCD and NUI Galway…