Displaying items by tag: architect

18th September 2011

Howth Development Site Not Going Up for Sale

http://afloat.ie/resources/irish-ports/howth-harbour/

The Irish Times reports that Glenkerrin Group's extensive property portfolio is now under day-to-day management by receivers at Grant Thornton, which is devising an asset management plan with NAMA and estate agents Hooke & MacDonald.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/commercialproperty/2011/0914/1224304069246.html

However the 6.5-acre former concrete factory, purchased in 2007 for a total of €62 million, will not be one of those sites put back on the market, as it is expected to only make €10 million today.

Architect Duignan Dooley is currently awaiting planning permission for a development of 250 apartments with a mixture of shopping, offices, leisure and a community centre for the site, adjacent to Howth village.

But there is no indication of when construction might start on the scheme should it be given the go ahead.

The former Techrete site at Howth Harbour, bought at the peak of the property boom by the crisis-hit Glenkerrin Group, will not return to the market any time soon for fears of only making a fraction of the original cost.

The Irish Times reports that Glenkerrin Group's extensive property portfolio is now under day-to-day management by receivers at Grant Thornton, which is devising an asset management plan with NAMA and estate agents Hooke & MacDonald.

However the 6.5-acre former concrete factory, purchased in 2007 for a total of €62 million, will not be one of those sites put back on the market, as it is expected to only make €10 million today.

But there is no indication of when construction might start on the scheme should it be given the go ahead.

Published in Waterfront Property

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Cruise from Kinvara to Tahiti Wins Sailor of the Month Award

Fergus and Kay Quinlan of County Clare are the Afloat.ie/Irish Independent "Sailors of the Month" for February to mark their fine voyage from their home port, Kinvara on Galway Bay, to Tahiti in the Pacific.

Recognised by the senior offshore sailing organisation, the Irish Cruising Club, with the award of the historic Faulkner Cup, the Quinlan's achievement is further enhanced by the fact that, in their determination to acquire a boat suitable for long distance voyaging, they built their steel-constructed 40ft cutter Pylades themselves, launching in 1997.

Pylades_-_Feb_SoM

They have brought a lively and enquiring eye to the complex project, something which reflects Fergus's qualifications as an architect. As he has drily observed himself, there isn't a lot of work around for architects in Ireland at the moment, so everything clicked with the boat sea-tested and ready to go off on this sail of a lifetime.

Having left Kinvara in June 2009, their longterm plan is a global circumnavigation, returning to Galway Bay in August 2012. Quite what Ireland will be like by then is anybody's guess. But as it is, the crew of Pylades have enough to be getting on with in dealing with the vagaries of the open ocean, and the volatile political situation in some of the areas where ocean voyagers go. For armchair sailors at home, their thoughtful and entertaining reports on their experiences make them worthy "Sailors of the Month".

Published in Irish Sailor of the Month 2009 - 2012

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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.