Displaying items by tag: Cork Port

9th May 2017

Cork – A River Port to a Sea Port

Cork moves from a city port to a sea port says chairman

In an exclusive interview for my weekly This Island Nation podcast, the Chairman of Cork Port says that it is moving “from a city port to a sea port.”

Listen to John Mullins as he outlines why the port company “must leave a legacy behind to Cork City as it moves its operations downriver to Ringaskiddy and must create new relationships with all of the harbour communities.”

He spoke to me at the announcement of the Cork Harbour Festival, which will run from June 3 to June 11.

Listen to the podcast below where he also speaks about plans for Marino Point and reveals what is proposed for the development of the iconic, historic harbour offices and buildings on Custom House Quay in Cork City centre and the marina attached to it.

Published in Island Nation

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Ports Host UNCTAD’s Train-for-Trade Port Training Programme

Since mid-October port authorities in Belfast, Dublin and Cork have been training senior managers from Afrian, Asian and Latin American ports. The training workshops are in collaboration with Irish Aid and UNCTAD's 'Train-for-Trade' (TFT) Port Training Programme.

The workshop are tailored to 25 senior managers from these global ports, which seeks to improve port efficiency and foster international trade. In addition it is to reinforce technical and managerial skills of a port community's human resources.

The Port Training Programme is comprised of a "Modern Port Management" course and a final dissertation. During this training of trainer's workshop, the senior managers will be trained as local instructors on Modules 1-4 of the "Modern Port Management" course.

On completion of the workshop which ends today, they will serve as local instructors for their respective ports, collaborating with UNCTAD specialists and transferring their acquired knowledge to the participants of the TFT Port Training Programme.

UNCTAD stands for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development which was launched in 1998. The new Train-For-Trade programme strengthens national and regional human and institutional resources for trade and investment as a key to growth for UNCTAD member countries, particularly the least developed ones (LDCs).

Published in Ports & Shipping

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Costa 'Del' Cork

With next month around the corner, the Port of Cork is to welcome another dozen cruiseships with the first September caller to be Costa Deliziosa which docks this Thursday, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 92,600 tonnes vessel (photo) with her distinctive funnel colours of bright yellow with a blue 'C' is a global cruise trademark of Costa Cruises, the Italian owned shipping company. Costa Lines are a relative newcomer to the Irish market and the 2010 built 16-deck vessel visited Cobh in her first season last year. Watch the vessel's progress by clicking the bridge web-cam via this link.

To get a better understanding of the extensive facilities available on board for the 2,826 passengers, why not have a gawk using the Multi-Media Centre page by clicking HERE (noting when done then click 'Pictures and Movies'). From here you can enter the world of life-on board (with video presentations by scrolling down) for the aromatic thermal baths, the shops gallery, the Japanese tea room, Cinema Etoiles, the Samsara Spa or have a look of an ocean view category cabin.

Of the 1,130 cabins in total, 52 have direct access to the Samsara Spa, 662 with private balcony, 106 suites with private balcony and 4 suites also have direct access to the Samsara Spa. To read more about the ship which also features a thalassotherapy, treatment rooms, sauna, turkish bath and an UVA-ray solarium click HERE.

Published in Cruise Liners

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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.