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Displaying items by tag: Kenmare

#Rowing: Enniskillen, Kenmare and the host club all had notable results at the giant Castleconnell Head of the River today. Enniskillen’s girls’ eights were fastest at junior 18, junior 16 and junior 15 level – and their junior 18 women’s quadruple also hit the mark. The top junior 18 single sculler was Eabha Benson of St Michael’s. Georgia O’Brien was the top senior single sculler.

O’Brien is a Kenmare woman, and her club of origin had two remarkable results. Tom Kelly won the junior 18 singles and teamed up with 16-year-old Rowan Glynn-Johnston in the junior 18 double sculls to record a brilliant time of 11 minutes 12 seconds. Kealan Mannix of the University of Limerick was the fastest senior with a time of 11 minutes 52 seconds.

Enniskillen’s junior men’s eight were the fastest of all, in nine minutes 58 seconds, while UCD B were the fastest four with a time of 10 minutes 21 seconds.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Seven different clubs won in the second session of finals on the second day of the Irish Championships. The races were run in hot sunshine.

Two women's finals senior finals were won in emphatic fashion. Georgia O'Brien of Kenmare won in the women's senior single sculls to give the club its second Championship. NUIG were also well in control in their victory in the women's senior pair.

Sadhbh Scully of Carlow, who is a junior, followed the trend in her big win in the women's club single sculls.

The women's junior 18 eights was a tighter affair, though Bann, once in the lead, held on strongly to rebuff Enniskillen.  

The men's junior quadruple was a big event, with Lee taking the title ahead of Three Castles and Neptune.

Cork clubs are having a good Championships, and UCC took the women's club eights.

Skibbereen figured strongly in some finals, but had their first Championship win when Kealan Mannix won the intermediate single sculls from Shane Haugh of Castleconnell.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: NUIG had a very good first day at the Irish Championships at the National Rowing Centre, taking four titles.

They won the women's senior four, the women's intermediate eight and the women's club coxed four. Sadhbh O'Connor and Fiona Murtagh added the women's senior double sculls for the Galway club.

Enniskillen took two notable titles: their men's junior eight came through under pressure from Colaiste Iognaid, and the women's junior four won from Bann.

Fionnan Crowley retained his title in the men's senior single sculls. The Castleconnell man - a brother of Aileen, who was doing well in the Ireland pair at Rotterdam - won by under a length from Niall Beggan of Commercial, who came at him hard in the closing stages.

UCD's senior four also successfully defended their title.

Tom Kelly won the junior single - the first Championships for the Kenmare club. Kelly, who turns 17 next month, is coached by Noel Casey, who is 85. Casey as based in Britain for decades and coached British women's crews to the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Carlow's Sadhbh Scully and Ciara Egan won the women's junior double - a first title at this level for the club.

Trinity won the men's club eight in a good race, while Cork Boat Club won the men's intermediate coxed four, and Anna Liffey the women's intermediate pair.

NUIG pushed Queen's hard in the men's novice coxed quadruple, but the Belfast men came through. The women's novice coxed quad from Queen's also won, giving them two victories on a busy day.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Georgia O’Brien has been chosen to represent Ireland at the Coupe de la Jeunesse. The Kenmare girl was added to the team, which will compete in Belgium on July 29th and 30th, after Cork Regatta. However, Rory Quinn and Oisin Clune, who had been in the mix for the Coupe de la Jeunesse team, were not chosen. They have been named in the team for the Home International Regatta in Scotland on July 22nd.

Junior Team selections 2017
The following junior teams have been selected to race at international regattas this coming summer.
Junior World Championships (Trakai, Lithuania, August 2-6)
JW2x
Margaret Cremen (Lee Rowing Club)
Aoife Casey (Skibbereen RC) Coach: Dan Buckley (Lee RC)
(Eleanor Casey, Skibbereen RC will travel with the crew as chaperone).
Coupe de la Jeunesse (Hazewinkel, Belgium, July 29-30)
JM4x-
Barry O'Flynn (Cork BC)
Matt Dundon (Clonmel RC)
Jack Keating (Carlow RC)
James Quinlan (Castleconnell BC) Coach: Ray Morrison (Fermoy RC) JW1x Georgia O' Brien (Kenmare) Coach: Ray Morrison (Fermoy RC)
JW2-
Ellie O' Reilly (Fermoy)
Gill McGirr (Fermoy) Coach: John Walsh (St Joseph's RC)
JM4-
Nathan Timoney (Enniskillen)
Barry Connolly (Cork BC)
Ross Corrigan (Enniskillen)
Aaron Johnston (Enniskillen) Coach: John Walsh (St Joseph's RC)
Home International (Strathclyde, Scotland, July 22)
Junior Women - Sweep Team
JW 4+
Siobhan Maxwell (Commercial)
Aishling Keogh (Commercial)
Mia Kovacs (Shandon)
Chelsey Minehane (Shandon)
Cox: Vicky Hanlon (Cork BC)
JW4-
Mia Jane Elliot (Enniskillen)
Zoe McCutcheon (Enniskillen)
Caitlyn Fee (Enniskillen)
Miriam Kelly (Enniskillen)
JW2-
Megan Tully (Shannon)
Megan Carmody (Shannon) Coach: Fran Keane (Presentation College RC)
*The JW Eight will be a combination of the 4+ and the 4-
Junior Men - Sweep Team
Olly O' Toole (Commercial)
Edward Meehan (Commercial)
Michael Lynch (Commercial)
Ewan Jarvis (Commercial)
Tom McKeon (SMRC)
Dylan O' Byrne (SMRC)
Odhran Donaghy (Enniskillen)
Jack Dorney (Shandon)
Calum MacRae (Methodist)
Alexander Wilson (Methodist)
Cox: Rory Farragher (Enniskillen) Coach: Stewart Davis (Lee RC)
Junior Women - Sculling Team
Cliodhna Nolan (Carlow RC)
Ciara Browne (Workmans)
Anna O'Sullivan (Fermoy RC)
Ciara Moynihan (Workmans)
Aoibhinn Keating (Skibbereen)
Ella Buckley (Lee Valley)
Ruth Carson (Bann) Coach: Amy Phelan (Colaiste Iognaid)
Junior Men - Sculling Team
Aaron Christie (Bann)
Tadhg McKnight (Three Castles)
Andy O' Toole (Carlow)
Ross O' Brien (Carlow)
Alex Byrne (Shandon BC)
Rory Quinn (Three Castles)
Oisin Clune (Three Castles) Coach: TBC
Published in Rowing

Tributes have been paid to the Kenmore man who died after his canoe capsized on Sunday (31 January).

As the Belfast Telegraph reports, Bill Topham was canoeing with a friend to islands in Kenmare Bay for a duck-shoot when their two-man vessel overturned in high winds as Storm Henry swept in from the Atlantic.

While his friend was able to swim to shore a few hundred yards away, Topham disappeared – and his body was recovered the following morning (Monday 1 February) after hundreds turned out to help with the search in often stormy conditions.

"Bill Topham and Kenmare, they sort of almost defined each other - willing to help everybody, always there and ready," said Rev Michael Cavanagh of St Patrick's Church of Ireland of the electrician, survived by his wife and three children.

The Belfast Telegraph has more on the story HERE.

Published in News Update

#MarineWildlife - A minke whale who beached along a river far upstream from Kenmare has been rescued thanks to the timely response of locals.

As RTÉ News reports, it's believed that the whale - found some 3km from the Kerry coastal town along the River Roughty – is the deepest inland such marine wildlife has ever been found in Ireland.

Two local boats guided the lone whale back towards the sea after tireless effort by community volunteers to keep it alive out of the water during low tide.

Published in Marine Wildlife

#ROWING: Portora won the Stephen Doran prize for best club at Athlone Regatta on Saturday. The Enniskillen club won a remarkable 11 finals, including clean sweeps of the men’s and women’s junior 18, junior 16 and junior 15 eights – with Bann of Coleraine coming in second in the junior 18 races. Portora also won the junior men’s coxed four and junior women’s coxless four.

The men’s senior single sculls winner was Turlough Hughes of UCD, with Damien Kelly of Garda second. Conor Carmody of Shannon won the junior 18 single sculls.

Kenmare celebrated their recent affiliation to Rowing Ireland by recording their first win – in the men’s noviced coxed quadruple sculls.

Published in Rowing

Hugo Montgomery Swan, the editor of Powerboat & Rib Magazine is part of the line up at Dromquinna Manor's Motor Boat Weekend this May bank Holiday at Kenmare, Co. Kerry. Dromquinna's John Brennan promises a weekend 'filled with adventure and activities' dedicated to motor boat enthusiasts on Kenmare Bay. The weekend format is below. A pdf flyer is also available for download below.

Friday

7pm Welcome Reception at Dromquinna Manor 

Speaker Hugo Montgomery Swan Editor of Powerboat & Rib Magazine Organiser of Round Ireland Challenge 2013

9pm Tom Crean Restaurant - Explorer Dinner

Hosted by Tom Crean's grandaughter who will tell of his epic voyages following
dinner. €35 Reservations 064 6641589.

Saturday

10am Navigation Workshop

11am Mechanical Workshop with Marine Motors Cork

12pm Basic Safety Demonstration

1pm Launch of 'The Men's Shed' Curragh

Blessing of the Boats

2pm Treasure Hunt on Kenmare Bay

A leisurely fun filled excursion on Kenmare Bay

6pm Helens Bar Kilmackillogue

Optional night cruise back to Kenmare

Sunday

7-9am Refuelling

10am Bull Run for Fun

The famous annual outing to The Bull Rock

Lunch in Portmagee at own expense

Afternoon Cruise to The Skellig Rocks

Return to Dromquinna Manor

Total distance 120 miles

7pm BBQ at Dromquinna Manor

€20. Reservations 064 6642888

Monday

Wash down and depart

Published in Powerboat Racing
Tagged under

#IRISH HARBOURS - Protesters took to the water off Kerry's piers last month in an organised swim drawing attention to proposed harbour bylaws designed to regulate the activities of water users.

“We need to make the public aware they have to make submissions,” Denise Collins told The Irish Times from Kells, which hosted one of the largest swims. “Traditional activities such as swimming will be over-regulated, we fear.”

The proposed bylaws would give Kerry County Council greater control over 16 of the county's 57 harbours and piers, including Kells, Kenmare, Portmagee, Brandon and Ventry.

Under the new bylaws, strict regulations would be placed on the use of loudhailers, landing and unloading passengers and freight, waste and even movement around the harbour.

"Draconian" charges are also set to be imposed on fishermen and other harbour users, while campaingers also feel that a ban on swimming and diving could also be added to the list.

The proposed bylaws already suffered a set-back earlier this year when Kerry County Councillors decided to restart the consultation process to allow the fishing industry, tourism operators and other interests more time to make submissions.

According to the Irish Examiner, only two submissions had been received by the council as of its January monthly meeting, despite senior council officials working for months on the draft proposals.

Cllr Toiréasa Ferris commented that the proposed charges in particular "would have huge implications for fishermen, some of whom might currently be earning only between €40 and €50 for a 14-hour day."

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, charges may also soon be hiked on yachts berthing at Ireland's main fishing harbours, a list that includes Dingle in Co Kerry.

Irish Marine Federation chairman David O'Brien expressed concern at the potential for such charges to damage "the good tourism dividend for coastal towns", noting that for every euro spent on a harbour berth, €10 was normally spent in the locality.

Published in Irish Harbours

Aquaculture Information

Aquaculture is the farming of animals in the water and has been practised for centuries, with the monks farming fish in the middle ages. More recently the technology has progressed and the aquaculture sector is now producing in the region of 50 thousand tonnes annually and provides a valuable food product as well as much needed employment in many rural areas of Ireland.

A typical fish farm involves keeping fish in pens in the water column, caring for them and supplying them with food so they grow to market size. Or for shellfish, containing them in a specialised unit and allowing them to feed on natural plants and materials in the water column until they reach harvestable size. While farming fish has a lower carbon and water footprint to those of land animals, and a very efficient food fed to weight gain ratio compared to beef, pork or chicken, farming does require protein food sources and produces organic waste which is released into the surrounding waters. Finding sustainable food sources, and reducing the environmental impacts are key challenges facing the sector as it continues to grow.

Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.

Aquaculture in Ireland

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties.
  • Irish SMEs and families grow salmon, oysters, mussels and other seafood
  • The sector is worth €150m at the farm gate – 80% in export earnings.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming
  • Aquaculture is a strong, sustainable and popular strategic asset for development and job creation (Foodwise 2025, National Strategic Plan, Seafood
  • Operational Programme 2020, FAO, European Commission, European Investment Bank, Harvesting Our Ocean Wealth, Silicon Republic, CEDRA)
    Ireland has led the world in organically certified farmed fish for over 30 years
  • Fish farm workers include people who have spent over two decades in the business to school-leavers intent on becoming third-generation farmers on their family sites.

Irish Aquaculture FAQs

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants, and involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions- in contrast to commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Mariculture refers to aquaculture practiced in marine environments and in underwater habitats. Particular kinds of aquaculture include fish farming, shrimp farming, oyster farming, mariculture, algaculture (such as seaweed farming), and the cultivation of ornamental fish. Particular methods include aquaponics and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, both of which integrate fish farming and plant farming.

About 580 aquatic species are currently farmed all over the world, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which says it is "practised by both some of the poorest farmers in developing countries and by multinational companies".

Increasing global demand for protein through seafood is driving increasing demand for aquaculture, particularly given the pressures on certain commercially caught wild stocks of fish. The FAO says that "eating fish is part of the cultural tradition of many people and in terms of health benefits, it has an excellent nutritional profile, and "is a good source of protein, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and essential micronutrients".

Aquaculture now accounts for 50 per cent of the world's fish consumed for food, and is the fastest-growing good sector.

China provides over 60 per cent of the world's farmed fish. In Europe, Norway and Scotland are leading producers of finfish, principally farmed salmon.

For farmed salmon, the feed conversion ratio, which is the measurement of how much feed it takes to produce the protein, is 1.1, as in one pound of feed producing one pound of protein, compared to rates of between 2.2 and 10 for beef, pork and chicken. However, scientists have also pointed out that certain farmed fish and shrimp requiring higher levels of protein and calories in feed compared to chickens, pigs, and cattle.

Tilapia farming which originated in the Middle East and Africa has now become the most profitable business in most countries. Tilapia has become the second most popular seafood after crab, due to which its farming is flourishing. It has entered the list of best selling species like shrimp and salmon.

There are 278 aquaculture production units in Ireland, according to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) *, producing 38,000 tonnes of finfish and shellfish in 2019 and with a total value of €172 million

There are currently almost 2,000 people directly employed in Irish aquaculture in the Republic, according to BIM.

BIM figures for 2019 recorded farmed salmon at almost 12,000 tonnes, valued at €110 million; rock oysters reached 10,300 tonnes at a value of €44 million; rope mussels at 10,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; seabed cultured mussels at 4,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; "other" finfish reached 600 tonnes, valued at €2 million and "other" shellfish reached 300 tonnes, valued at €2 million

Irish aquaculture products are exported to Europe, US and Asia, with salmon exported to France, Germany, Belgium and the US. Oysters are exported to France, with developing sales to markets in Hong Kong and China. France is Ireland's largest export for mussels, while there have been increased sales in the domestic and British markets.

The value of the Irish farmed finfish sector fell by five per cent in volume and seven per cent in value in 2019, mainly due to a fall on salmon production, but this was partially offset by a seven per cent increased in farmed shellfish to a value of 60 million euro. Delays in issuing State licenses have hampered further growth of the sector, according to industry representatives.

Fish and shellfish farmers must be licensed, and must comply with regulations and inspections conducted by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and the Marine Institute. Food labelling is a function of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. There is a long backlog of license approvals in the finfish sector, while the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine says it is working to reduce the backlog in the shellfish sector.

The department says it is working through the backlog, but notes that an application for a marine finfish aquaculture licence must be accompanied by either an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). As of October 2020, over two-thirds of applications on hand had an EIS outstanding, it said.

The EU requires member states to have marine spatial plans by 2021, and Ireland has assigned responsibility to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF). Legislation has been drawn up to underpin this, and to provide a "one stop shop" for marine planning, ranging from fish farms to offshore energy – as in Marine Planning and Development Management Bill. However, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine confirmed last year that it intends to retain responsibility for aquaculture and sea-fisheries related development – meaning fish and shellfish farmers won't be able to avail of the "one stop shop" for marine planning.

Fish and shellfish health is a challenge, with naturally occurring blooms, jellyfish and the risk of disease. There are also issues with a perception that the sector causes environmental problems.

The industry has been on a steep learning curve, particularly in finfish farming, since it was hailed as a new future for Irish coastal communities from the 1970s – with the State's Electricity Supply Board being an early pioneer, and tobacco company Carrolls also becoming involved for a time. Nutrient build up, which occurs when there is a high density of fish in one area, waste production and its impact on depleting oxygen in water, creating algal blooms and "dead zones", and farmers' use of antibiotics to prevent disease have all been concerns, and anglers have also been worried about the impact of escaped farmed salmon on wild fish populations. Sea lice from salmon farmers were also blamed for declines in sea trout and wild salmon in Irish estuaries and rivers.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

Yes, as it is considered to have better potential for controlling environmental impacts, but it is expensive. As of October 2020, the department was handling over 20 land-based aquaculture applications.

The Irish Farmers' Association has represented fish and shellfish farmers for many years, with its chief executive Richie Flynn, who died in 2018, tirelessly championing the sector. His successor, Teresa Morrissey, is an equally forceful advocate, having worked previously in the Marine Institute in providing regulatory advice on fish health matters, scientific research on emerging aquatic diseases and management of the National Reference Laboratory for crustacean diseases.

BIM provides training in the national vocational certificate in aquaculture at its National Fisheries College, Castletownbere, Co Cork. It also trains divers to work in the industry. The Institute of Technology Carlow has also developed a higher diploma in aqua business at its campus in Wexford, in collaboration with BIM and IFA Aquaculture, the representative association for fish and shellfish farming.

© Afloat 2020

At A Glance - Irish Aquaculture

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties
  • Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. 
  • In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming

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