Displaying items by tag: Angling First

12th December 2012

NI Community Rallies to Angling Charity's Aid

#Angling - BBC News reports that the Northern Ireland angling charity that lost equipment after their storage facility was burgled has received an "outpouring of generosity" from the local community.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the storage container used by Angling First outside Dromore in Co Down was found forced open last Wednesday.

Sixty fishing rods and other equipment worth more than £600 (€745) were taken in the theft.

But the Northern Ireland community has since rallied to the charity's aid - with Sport Minister Carál Ní Chuilín presenting a number of fishing rods seized in raids on illegal fishing, and the David Prentice car dealership in Portadown donating funds to cover the cost of replacing the stolen gear.

"I'm now standing here today and I'm able to continue thanks to people like David Prentice and the minister intervening," said Angling First's Mark McGivern.

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Rods Stolen from NI Angling Charity

#Angling - Sixty fishing rods were among items taken in a break-in at an angling charity's storage facility in Co Down, as BBC News reports.

Angling First - which says it has taught fishing skills to 2,000 children from disadvantaged areas across Northern Ireland - discovered the theft on Wednesday morning.

The shipping container outside Dromore where the charity keeps its equipment was found forced open, and items worth more than £600 (€745) were stolen.

In a statement, the PSNI said that the burglary occurred some time between Sunday 2 and Wednesday 5 December.

The charity's Mark McGivern told BBC News: "It makes you feel sick, it's probably been someone who has come to our pond, but they won't deter me from continuing."

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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.