Displaying items by tag: Croagh Patrick

20th September 2012

Mayo Mountain Rescue Breaks Record for Call-Outs on Croagh Patrick

#COASTGUARD - Mayo's mountain rescue unit has reported its busiest ever period with an "unprecedented" 14 call-outs in just six weeks, according to The Irish Times.

Irish Coast Guard personnel assisted Mayo Mountain Rescue on four of the total, helping to winch people who had fallen while descending Croagh Patrick on the south side of Clew Bay.

The injury toll on the mountain - accounting for 10 of the 14 recovery efforts - has prompted Mayo County Council to seek planning permission for a helicopter landing pad higher up the 2,500-foot peak.

The news comes just after Enniskillen RNLI was names the busiest lifeboat station in the island of Ireland, with 23 launches between its two inshore lifeboats and two rescue water craft over the summer months.

Published in Coastguard

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Irish Private Islands Up For Sale

Three private islands off Ireland's west coast are now up for sale - with the cheapest being a snip at just €150,000.

Irish Central reports that the three islands are currently offered via the website privateislandonline.com which aims at the rich-and-famous market.

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/news_from_ireland/Buy-your-own-Irish-Island-for-the-price-of-a-family-home-120768029.html

Mannions Island, in west Cork's Dunmanus Bay, is priced less than the average family home in Dublin. For €150,000 the buyer gets a four-acre island that's 60% fertile just 200m from the shore (the catch is that there are no buildings).

Further up the coast at Clew Bay in Co Mayo is Island Mor, a 70-acre gem with views of the Inish Gort lighthouse and Croagh Patrick, which is going for €902,000. The location is a popular one for celebs - John Lennon was once an owner in Clew Bay.

Last but not least is Mutton Island, a mile from Seafield Harbour in Co Clare and just 20 miles south of the Aran Islands. The largest of the three at 185 acres, it also has a storied history, with the first recorded human settlement in 548 AD. Price is available on request.

Three private islands off Ireland's west coast are now up for sale - with the cheapest being a snip at just €150,000.

Irish Central reports that the three islands are currently offered via the website privateislandonline.com which aims at the rich-and-famous market.

Published in Waterfront Property

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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.