#Budget2016 - Ocean energy research will receive a further €4.5 million boost in next year's Budget, as announced by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The funding follows from last year's €10 million allocation to ocean energy research,…

#AranIslands - The Irish spoken on two of the Aran Islands may have branched out quite recently from that spoken in Connemara, according to the results of a 25-year study of the language. Galway Bay FM reports on the intensive…

#Coastwatch - There's still a week left for Coastwatch volunteers to participate in the annual Coastwatch Survey for 2015, which this year has a special focus on the new Dublin Bay Biosphere. Since 15 September volunteers have taken on one…

#Whales&Dolphins - The first ever ORCA OceanWatch Week saw crews’ record sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises on commercial ships, ferries and naval vessels leaving Portsmouth and other UK ports. Those involved had been trained by experts at ORCA, the…

Irish climbers take an amazing path up from the north Atlantic Ocean to the top of Ireland's most Northerly Point - Malin Head using dizzy drone footage of Donegal rock climbing! Bren Whelan and Wild Atlantic Way Climbing, show case…

#MarineWildlife - The Belfast Telegraph has video of a 30ft whale that washed up on Portstewart Strand yesterday morning (Monday 6 October). Confirmed as the remains of an adult female sei whale, the enormous marine wildlife remains took three diggers…

During his visit to the South East, The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, took the opportunity to inspect progress on the €6m dredging works at Dunmore East Fishery Harbour Centre. The works which involve removing…

#MarineIndustry - With Ireland's maritime industry definitively outperforming the general economy since the global financial crisis began, "reliable statistics" on the sector are needed to understand how the health of our waters and coastline affects the country as a whole.…

#IslandNews - Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney has announced that payments for island farmers under the new Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme have started issuing. “I am particularly pleased to see that these payments, worth…

#AranIslands - Aer Arann has said it will continue to fly to the Aran Islands despite no agreement being reached in its contract negotiations with Government, according to Galway Bay FM. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, talks got under way…

A team of scientists led by Dr Ruth Plets, School of Environmental Sciences at Ulster University, aboard the Marine Institute's Celtic Voyager research vessel has revealed detailed images of World War I shipwrecks in the Irish Sea. The team set out to capture…

#AranIslands - Further negotiations are planned after "positive" early discussions between the Government and Aer Arann over the proposed continuation of the Aran Islands plane service, according to RTÉ News. The airline has put its staff of 40 on protective…

#StarWars - "Incidents" requiring "repairs" by stonemasons following the recent Star Wars film shoot on Skellig Michael have been confirmed by the Office of Public Works (OPW). As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the week-long film shoot on the Unesco World…

#AranIslands - The Government last night cancelled the tender process for flights to the Aran Islands amid weeks of concern over changes to the Galway Bay islands' air service. As RTÉ News reports, Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs Joe…

#MarineWildlife - Whale Watch West Cork have shared this incredible video of one of a humpback whale breaching off Baltimore this week. The whale is one of three of the ocean giants seen feeding off Baltimore and nearby islands in…

#CoastalNotes - Heavy rains last week caused the latest in a series of landslides that has cut off a coastal village in Co Kerry, as TheJournal.ie reports. Only pedestrian access is currently permitted on the Cliff Road to Rossbeigh after…