Displaying items by tag: Follow the Fleet

7th June 2014

FollowTheFleet.ie Launch 2014 Maritime Adventure Classroom Subscriber Survey

#FollowTheFleet- www.followthefleet.ie is an educational resource designed to bring the world of maritime adventure into the classroom.

The website which is devised by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO), is a simple and effective way for schoolchildren to gain an understanding of the major contribution the maritime industry makes to day-to-day life in Ireland.

The site is an online resource that can be integrated into the SESE curriculum and covers aspects of science, history, geography and trade based on the maritime industry.

www.followthefleet.ie uses a unique satellite tracker system, six easy to follow lesson plans, downloadable teaching plans and regular reports from the captains and crews of Irish owned or operated vessels.

Currently there is an undergoing process of redesigning the existing website. As a subscriber and user of the site, your opinion of www.followthefleet.ie is vitally important to the success and development of the education programme.

An online survey is available to help understand the interaction between users and www.followthefleet.ie

If you could take a moment to fill in the anonymous questionnaire to aid with the research, the survey is accessible here.

The Follow the Fleet team thank you for your continued participation and support of the www.followthefleet.ie programme.

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26th January 2011

‘Follow The Fleet’ Schools Essay Competition

The 2010/2011 'Follow The Fleet' Schools Essay Competition is open to all schools that are registered to take part in the Follow the Fleet project. Schools can register details by logging onto www.followthefleet.ie where a username and password will be provided.

The deadline for entries for this year's Follow The Fleet Schools Essay Competition is Thursday 31st March. The essay competition is centred around three key themes: Maritime History, Maritime Trading In Ireland –Life of a Container and Maritime Technology and the Master Mariner.

Theme 1. Maritime History

Commodore John Barry- Father of the American Navy

The Adventures of Gráinne Mhaol

Admiral Francis Beaufort's Scale

Write an historical essay on one of these famous Irish mariners and their journeys of discovery and adventure. You can include pictures or photos if choosing this category to support your essay. The pictures or photos will need to include elements of geographical representation and can include pictures of vessels, land marks, vegetation or animals pertinent to the essay.

Theme 2. Maritime Trading in Ireland –Life of a Container

An essay on a trade route from or to Ireland and progress that a container carried on a cargo ship will make. You will need to describe the size of container, what cargo it will carry, the type of ship it will travel on, the port it will depart from and the port it will go to and the places the ship may call in-between. The nominated trade routes are:

Ireland – Norway.

Ireland – Italy.

Ireland- France.

You can include pictures or photos if choosing this category to support your essay. The pictures or photos will need to include elements of geographical representation of the two countries and can include pictures / photos of land marks or cargo pertinent to the Journey.

Theme 3. Technology and the Master Mariner.

An essay on how technology helps the working life of a ships captain. You can include details on the types of technology used aboard ship including:

Telecommunications on Ships

Navigating Ships and Technology

Technology & Safety at sea

Entrants can include pictures or photos if choosing this category to support your essay. The pictures or photos will need to be representative of the technology used on board ship.

You are free to choose an essay title from any of the 3 themes listed above. For further information about essay guidelines, entry forms and competition details and rules they can be found HERE

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8th December 2010

‘Follow the Fleet’ Essay Competition Reminder

The annual 'Follow The Fleet' Schools Eassy Competition is open to all schools that are registered to take part in the Follow the Fleet project. The 2010/2011 competition is running an essay competition centred around three key themes: Maritime History, Maritime Trading In Ireland –Life of a Container and Maritime Technology and the Master Mariner.

Schools can register details by logging on the webite where a username and password will be provided. All details with essay guidelines, entry forms and competition details and rules are available on www.imdo.ie/followthefleet/news.asp

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10th November 2010

'Follow the Fleet' Schools Essay Competition

The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) has announced details for the 2010/11 Follow the Fleet Schools Essay Competition. To enter the competition, schools are invited to log onto http://www.followthefleet.ie to register. Each school will be provided with a username and password.

This year the Follow the Fleet essay competition is centred on three themes: Maritime History, Maritime Trading in Ireland –Life of a Container and Technology and the Master Mariner. Within each theme there is a choice of three essay titles. You are free to choose an essay title from any of the themes listed.

To see the full list of essay titles, essay guidelines, entry forms,competition details and rules are please logon to http://www.imdo.ie/followthefleet/news.asp

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Galway Port & Harbour

Galway Bay is a large bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south. Galway city and port is located on the northeast side of the bay. The bay is about 50 kilometres (31 miles) long and from 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) to 30 kilometres (19 miles) in breadth.

The Aran Islands are to the west across the entrance and there are numerous small islands within the bay.

Galway Port FAQs

How old is Galway port?

Galway was founded in the 13th century by the de Burgo family, and became an important seaport with sailing ships bearing wine imports and exports of fish, hides and wool.

How old is Galway bay?

Not as old as previously thought. Galway bay was once a series of lagoons, known as Loch Lurgan, plied by people in log canoes. Ancient tree stumps exposed by storms in 2010 have been dated back about 7,500 years.

What is the tonnage of the port?

It is about 660,000 tonnes as it is a tidal port.

Who is the harbourmaster of Galway port?

Capt Brian Sheridan, who succeeded his late father, Capt Frank Sheridan

When are the lock gates open?

The dock gates open approximately two hours before high water and close at high water subject to ship movements on each tide.

What's the biggest ship that can 'fit' in the harbour?

The typical ship sizes are in the region of 4,000 to 6,000 tonnes

Is renewable energy generating a lot of business for Galway port?

Turbines for about 14 wind projects have been imported in recent years, but the tonnage of these cargoes is light. A European industry report calculates that each turbine generates €10 million in locally generated revenue during construction and logistics/transport.

Is Galway a European cable location?

Yes, Iceland has selected Galway as European landing location for international telecommunications cables. Farice, a company wholly owned by the Icelandic Government, currently owns and operates two submarine cables linking Iceland to Northern Europe.

What's the update on the Galway port expansion plans?

It is "very much a live project", Harbourmaster Capt Sheridan says, and the Port of Galway board is "awaiting the outcome of a Bord Pleanála determination", he says.

Where does all the scrap go at Galway Port?

90% of the scrap steel is exported to Spain with the balance being shipped to Portugal. Since the pandemic, scrap steel is shipped to the Liverpool where it is either transhipped to larger ships bound for China.

Why is Galway Port exporting silage and the Irish farmers are crying out for it?

It might look like silage, but in fact, its bales domestic and municipal waste, exported to Denmark where the waste is incinerated, and the heat is used in district heating of homes and schools. It is called RDF or Refuse Derived Fuel and has been exported out of Galway since 2013.

When is the new ferry starting service from Galway?

The new ferry is arriving at Galway Bay onboard the cargo ship SVENJA. The vessel is currently on passage to Belem, Brazil before making her way across the Atlantic to Galway.

Is the Volvo Ocean Race coming back to Galway?

Two Volvo round world races have selected Galway for the prestigious yacht race route. Some 10,000 people welcomed the boats in during its first stopover in 2009, when a festival was marked by stunning weather. It was also selected for the race finish in 2012. The Volvo has changed its name and is now known as the "Ocean Race". Capt Sheridan says that once port expansion and the re-urbanisation of the docklands is complete, the port will welcome the "ocean race, Clipper race, Tall Ships race, Small Ships Regatta and maybe the America's Cup right into the city centre...".

When is Seafest coming back to Galway?

The pandemic was the reason why Seafest did not go ahead in Cork in 2020. Galway will welcome Seafest back after it calls to Waterford and Limerick, thus having been to all the Port cities.