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Displaying items by tag: Carlow Sports Partnership

#ANGLING - Carlow Coarse Angling Club chair Gerry McStraw was presented last week with a special bursary by Carlow Sports Partnership for the club's efforts in helping disabled anglers to participate in the sport.

According to the Enniscorthy Guardian, McStraw was joined by Carlow CAC PR officer Ian Warburton and treasurer George Quinlan in receiving the money from Carlow Sports Partnership chair Tracey Byrne and Carlow County Council's Thomas Kinsella.

McStraw was recently highlighted on Afloat.ie for his spearheading of the revival of coarse fishing in Ireland.

The bursary will be used to buy equipment essential to running more coarse angling programmes in 2012.

Carlow CAC will also host three of the six weekends for the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland's qualifiers next spring and summer.

Published in Angling
#ANGLING - Tuesday's Enniscorthy Guardian writes about the revival of coarse fishing in Ireland, spearheaded by Gerry McStraw, chairman of Carlow Coarse Angling Club.
McStraw runs a tackle and bait business in Graiguecullen on the River Barrow, which has made a comeback after years of heavy poaching, and become a safe environment for families to enjoy.
Bream, hybrids, roach, dace and perch are now in abundance in the river - with bag weights of up to 50 lb of roach possible - while the pike pose a worthy challenge for the determined angler.
Carlow Sports Partnership will award a special bursary to the club on Wednesday 30 November in recognition of its work not only in protecting the river but also in youth development.
The Enniscorthy Guardian has more on the story HERE.

#ANGLING - Tuesday's Enniscorthy Guardian writes about the revival of coarse fishing in Ireland, spearheaded by Gerry McStraw, chairman of Carlow Coarse Angling Club.

McStraw runs a tackle and bait business in Graiguecullen on the River Barrow, which has made a comeback after years of heavy poaching, and become a safe environment for families to enjoy.

Bream, hybrids, roach, dace and perch are now in abundance in the river - with bag weights of up to 50 lb of roach possible - while the pike pose a worthy challenge for the determined angler.

Carlow Sports Partnership will award a special bursary to the club on Wednesday 30 November in recognition of its work not only in protecting the river but also in youth development.

The Enniscorthy Guardian has more on the story HERE.

Published in Angling

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.

The Forty-foot Christmas Day swim

A Dublin institution that brings people from across Dublin and beyond for a dip in the chilly winter sea. Bathers arrive in the dark from 6 am and by noon the entire forty foot is a sea of red Santa hats!