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Displaying items by tag: Donegal

#Kerrykeel - The body of a woman whose car went of a pier near Kerrykeel in Co Donegal yesterday has been recovered from the water, as Independent.ie reports.

A post-mortem was set to be carried out in Letterkenny General Hospital on the 36-year-old woman, who was last seen in Kerrykeel just minutes before the incident around 12.30pm.

It has since emerged that a local teenager attempted to rescue the woman from the car after it plunged off the pier, and was subsequently treated for shock.

Independent.ie has more on the story HERE.

Published in News Update
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#IsleOfDoagh - A body has been found this afternoon (Thursday 1 September) in the search for a man missing from the Isle of Doagh since Monday evening.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the man was reported missing by his family after going swimming during a camping holiday on the Inishowen Peninsula.

But according to The Irish Times, a body was recovered at Five Fingers Strand across from Doagh in the search for 59-year-old Tony Griffiths.

Published in News Update

#Missing - The search continues today (Wednesday 31 August) for a man missing after going swimming off the Inishowen Peninsula in Co Donegal this past Monday.

According to The Irish Times, the man in his 50s was reported missing at midnight on Monday by his family, with whom he was on a camping holiday on the Isle of Doagh just south of Malin Head.

The search comes just days since the body of soldier Gavin Carey was recovered off the south Donegal coast near Bundoran after he got into difficulty while swimming a week ago.

Published in News Update
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#Donegal - A body recovered off the Donegal coast yesterday morning (Sunday 28 August) has been identified as missing soldier Gavin Carey, according to BreakingNews.ie.

Corporal Gavin Carey was reported missing after getting into difficulty while swimming with fellow soldiers at Tullan Strand last Tuesday 23 August, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Defence Forces chief of staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellett expressed his sorrow over the tragedy, with Taoiseach Enda Kenny also offering his condolences to Corporal Carey's family in Mullingar and colleagues at Custume Barracks in Athlone.

BreakingNews.ie has much more on the story HERE.

Published in News Update
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#CoastalNotes - Donegal's history and relationship with the coastline are celebrated by a new coastal trail launched earlier this month.

As the Donegal Democrat reports, a special training programme has been developed for business owners and others along the new Atlantic Coastal Trail to "teach the people of this county to be proud of the story of Donegal", in the words of Údarás na Gaeltachta's Meadbh Seoige.

The Gaeltacht authority is one of a number of partners in the initiative to promote the county's "maritime leisure and seafood experiences" as highlighted by Donegal Cathaoirleach Terence Slowey.

"We’re working on where we fall short in visitor numbers," explained Donegal County Council chief executive Seamus Neely. "One statistic is that as little as 12% of tourists who visit the Wild Atlantic Way actually travel north of Galway city."

The Donegal Democrat has much more on the story HERE.

Published in Coastal Notes

#Donegal - The coastline of Co Donegal is as much an attraction for adventure tourists as it is for those drawn to its rugged beauty, according to Outside magazine.

And some of those seeking thrills have even made the north-east county their home – such as Scottish-born climbing guide Iain Miller, who leads the magazine's Stephanie Pearson to breathtaking heights at once startlingly remote and surprisingly accessible.



But it's not just about climbers seeking the challenge of Donegal's sea stacks, nor the big swells that bring top surfers to the county in ever increasing numbers.

Sea kayakers, too, have coastal nooks and crannies to explore when the weather permits, while hikers have miles of the Irish portion of the International Appalachian Trail – which crosses one of Europe's highest sea cliffs in Slieve League.

Outside has much more on the story HERE.

Published in Coastal Notes

#Rescue - A lobster fisherman was rescued after getting tangled in his vessel's ropes when it overturned off the Donegal coast on Saturday evening (9 April).

As TheJournal.ie reports, the rescue of the solo fisherman proved difficult for local coastguard and lifeboat teams due to the heavy swell at Inishinny, off Arranmore Island.

That's when the Sligo-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118 came in to free the man from his vessel and winch him to safety.

Rescue 118 was later called out to rescue a number of surfers in difficulty of the Leitrim coast, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Published in Coastguard

The volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI were last night requested to launch by Malin Head Coast Guard to reports of a person in the water at the pier in Donegal Town.

Following a 999 call from some passers by, the lifeboat was paged just after 11.45pm and launched around 11:53pm, proceeding to Donegal Town. On arrival on scene at 12:15am the crew commenced a search of the pier area in coordination with the Sligo based Rescue 118 Helicopte, the Killybegs Coast Guard boat, Gardai, Fire Service and HSE Ambulance.

Shortly after 1am, a person was recovered from the water and handed over to the waiting ambulance crew on the pier but was sadly later pronounced dead.

The management and crew of Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat extend sympathies to familiy and friends of the deceased.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
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#Buncrana - Five people, including three children, understood to be from the same family are dead after their car slipped into the water at Buncrana, Co Donegal last night (Sunday 20 March).

As the News Letter reports, a major emergency operation was launched after the Northern Ireland-registered estate car went off a pier into Lough Swilly after 7pm.

The bodies of two adults and three primary-aged children were recovered shortly after.

A baby who was also in the car is believed to have been thrown or handed out of the vehicle before it went into the water.

The cause of the tragedy is not yet known but it's understood that the surface of the pier slipway may have been slippery with algae.

The News Letter has more on the story HERE.

Sunset Buncrana Pier

Published in News Update

#Surfing - A Donegal surfing school has raised €20,000 for its expansion via peer-to-peer lending, as Donegal Now reports.

Fin McCool Surf School in Rossnowlagh aims to complete renovations of its new base in the town thanks to funds raised via Irish 'crowdlending' providers Linked Finance.

"Growing demand means it’s now time for us to invest further into our facilities and we’re delighted to be partnering with Linked Finance to refurbish our new premises," said owner Neil Britton, cousin of Irish women's surfing pioneer Easkey Britton.

Donegal Now has more on the story HERE.

Published in Surfing
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Page 5 of 14

National Watersports Campus, Dun Laoghaire

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Stakeholders combined forces in 2019 to promote a project to improve the Harbour’s infrastructure resulting in improved access, job creation and greater tourism potential. 

A grant application to government made by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCoCo) assisted by stakeholders was successful with the announcement of a €400k feasibility study grant from the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) in January 2020.

It meant plans for the €8m National Watersports Campus at Dun Laoghaire Harbour got the green light from Government and came a step closer to reality.

The project recognises deficits in the current set up in the harbour, proposing the construction of an all-tide publicly-accessible slipway (none currently in the Greater Dublin Area) as well as a marine services facility, providing a much-needed home for the supporting industry. 

The campus also seeks to provide a marketing framework to make boating more accessible to the general public.

The benefits of such an increase might be obvious for the Dun Laoghaire waterfront but there are other spin-offs for the harbour town in the creation of the sort of jobs that cannot be shipped abroad.

Centre for Community Watersports activity and public slipway

  • High-Performance coaching centre
  • Flexible Event Space for hosting national and international events
  • Multipurpose Building
  • Campus Marketing and Promotional Centre
  • Accommodation for Irish Sailing and Irish Underwater Council
  • Shared NGB Facility
  • Education Centre for schools, community groups and clubs
  • Proposed site – Carlisle Pier

Watersports Campus FAQs

Similar to the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, the watersports campus will provide quality, public, recreational and high-performance facilities for the many watersports participants. The Campus will considerably enhance the services currently provided by more than 30 clubs and activity centres to over 50,000 annual users of the harbour.

The passing of control of the harbour to DLRCC, the public appetite for a community benefitting project and the capital funding for sports infrastructure in the Project 2040 National Plan have aligned to create an opportunity to deliver this proposal.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) and the Irish Sailing Association (Irish Sailing) are the project leads, endorsed by the National Governing Bodies of other Irish watersports and clubs and activity providers.

The National Sports Policy, published in 2018, established the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) to provide Exchequer support for sports facility projects. In some cases, these may be projects where the primary objective will be to increase active participation in sport. In other cases, these may be venues where the focus is more related to high-performance sport.

Government has allocated at least €100m over the term to 2027 to successful applicant projects.

The Watersports Campus was one of seven successful applicants for Stream 1 funding allowing planning to commence on the project design and feasibility. €442,000 has been granted in this phase.

NThe project will provide for a municipally-owned public access facility to include a small craft slipway that is accessible at all stages of the tide (currently none in public ownership in the greater Dublin area), storage and lock-up resources, watersports event management space, a high-performance centre and NGB accommodation.

The project aims to enhance the profile of Dun Laoghaire as a major international venue for maritime events, shows and conferences. Establish Dun Laoghaire as the 'go-to place' for anything marine – generating revenues Create employment in the county - attract businesses, visitors and events. Grow the market for watersports Promote the services of activity providers to the public. Complement the plan to develop Dun Laoghaire as a 'destination.'

As of January 1 2021, The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has approved the applicant project and DLRCC are expected to appoint a team to further advance the project.

©Afloat 2020