Displaying items by tag: 2020

13th July 2021

Isle of Man Steam Packet Loses £10.5m in 2020

The Manx ferry company loses £10.5m for last year.

The cancellation of TT and Covid restrictions have been blamed for the deficit.

As Manx Radio reports, the government-owned ferry operator lost more than £10.5 million last year.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's accounts have been published ahead of this month's Tynwald sitting.

The figures show the firm lost £10,561,803 in 2020, compared to a profit of just under £10 million the year before.

The report says the cancellation of the TT, as well as ongoing Covid restrictions have had a 'very significant effect' on its income.

Further reading here including a podcast.

Published in Ferry

Tagged under

Tax Credit to Be Introduced By Government for Sea-Going Naval Personnel

Serving members of the Irish Naval Service who spend at least 80 days at sea will be eligible

A special tax credit by the Government is to introduced for sea-going naval personnel from next year.

Serving members of the Naval Service, who spend at least 80 days at sea, will be eligible for the credit worth €1,270 per annum.

It will be introduced into the Dáil by way of an amendment to the Finance Bill tomorrow.

The challenges facing the Defence Forces over pay, conditions, recruitment and retention have been getting increased attention over the past year.

Minister for Defence Paul Kehoe said the introduction of a special tax credit for sea-going naval personnel is a step towards addressing those challenges.

For more RTE News reports here.

Published in Navy

Tagged under

Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.