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Displaying items by tag: Cork Harbour

Cove Sailing Club's 'At Home' Regatta was held today in Cork Harbour. The start was off the Cobh Promenade with a prizegiving afterwards in The Marlogue Inn. Afloat's Bob Bateman captured the action afloat. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS!
Published in Cork Harbour
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, today announced the establishment of a steering group to oversee an application for a licence to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address hazardous waste on Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour and oversee any necessary remedial action required.

In line with a Government decision the steering group comprising the Departments of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Defence and Public Expenditure and Reform will be chaired by Minister Coveney. The Office of Public Works (OPW) and Cork County Council will also have a pivotal role on the steering group.

Coveney_Howth_Harbour

Coveney – addressing thorny issue of Hazardous waste in Cork Harbour

The first task of the steering group is to oversee the preparation of an application for a licence to the EPA which will be submitted by Minister Coveney.

Minister Coveney said "I am delighted to be in a position to address this particularly thorny issue in the middle of Cork Harbour and I am looking forward to chairing the steering group established by Government which I am confident will find a suitable solution to this long running saga".

Published in Cork Harbour

Alliance Franҫcaise de Cork and Fondation Belém in association with the Port of Cork are pleased to announce arrival of the French tall-ship fleet, Belém, a 116-year old barque at one stage owned by the Guinness family, writes Jehan Ashmore.

During her four-day stay the pride of the French tall-ship fleet is to berth at Albert Quay, in the heart of Cork city-centre where the public can thread her timber decks on Saturday (2 July) between 11.30-17.00 hours and on Sunday (3 July) starting from 10.00 till 18.00 hours. There is an admission of €5 for adults, a concession of €3 and a family ticket costs €10.

Visitors can trace her long and varied career with an exhibit housed below decks of the historic vessel which was built in 1896 in Nantes. For nearly two decades she crossed the Atlantic transporting a diverse cargo but mostly spices, sugar and cocoa beans from her namesake port of Belém do Pará, on the north-east coast of Brazil bound for France. She would sail upriver on the River Seine to supply the cocoa beans for a Paris-based chocolate-maker.

Belem would later become under the British flag and she became the property of the Duke of Westminster, who converted her to a luxury pleasure yacht. In 1921 she was sold to the Hon. Arthur Ernest Guinness, who renamed her Fantôme II and took part in the Cowes regattas and cruised around the world between 1923 and 1924 with his family.

To read more on the vessel's other career's under several owners until her present-day role as a sail-training vessel operated by the Fondation Belém click HERE and also www.portofcork.ie

In addition to visitors boarding the Belem, the public are invited to attend free readings by the Cork poets William Wall and Thomas McCarthy. Accompanying the poets are French writers Maylis de Kerangal and Olivier Sebban for a session of Franco-Irish readings which too takes place on the Saturday evening between 18.00 -19.30 hours.

For further information contact Vytenė Laučytė, Cultural Coordinator, Alliance Franҫaise de Cork Tel: (021) 431 0677 or by email: [email protected]

All advance bookings for the visit on board the Belem are to be made at Alliance Franҫaise de Cork. Tickets are also available at the entrance to the tallship alongside Albert Quay, Cork. Last year Alliance Francaise celebrated its 50th anniversary

Published in Tall Ships

Peter Webster's Hustler 25 'Thistle' was first home in last night's White Sail Division of Royal Cork's Union Chandlery June league.

Cork Harbour racing last night started an hour after low water. Winds were north–westerly averaging 12 knots with a few surprise gusts.

The fleet was somewhat depleted for the  June League, because a number of the boats were competing in Kinsale for the Sovereign's Cup.

In Class three first place went to John and Fiona Murphy's Impala 28 'Fast Buck', in Class 2 it was Kieran and Liz O'Brien's MG335
'Magnet' and in Class 1 it was Mary O'Keefe's X332 'Tux'.

 

 

Published in Royal Cork YC
23rd June 2011

The Empire Strikes Back

The 14,620 dwt US-based training-ship Empire State made a return call to the Port of Cork last night for a four-day stay, writes Jehan Ashmore.

At over 172m long the cruiser-sterned vessel with a port of registry of New York, moored at the Cobh Cruise Terminal which was recently visited by another US training ship, State of Maine (click HERE).

The veteran vessel now in her sixth decade of service and is the also the sixth training-ship to carry the name 'Empire State' for the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College.

Empire State was laid down as SS Oregon at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News, Virginia. She was launched in 1961 for the States Steamship Company and delivered a year later for service in the Pacific trades. For further information about the vessel's interim career before she was converted for her current role click HERE.

Despite her conversion she still presents a distinctive profile with the superstructure positioned amidships between the cargo-holds.

Prior to the Empire State's arrival the French cruiseship Le Diamant departed Cobh for an overnight passage to Dublin, where last year the Empire State made a port of call.

The next cruise-caller to Cobh is the 296-passenger Silver Cloud which is scheduled to dock on Monday evening.

Published in Ports & Shipping
'Once you have buy-in from the local community you are more than half-way along the way' was the summing up of one of the key themes of the Cork Harbour Summer School by Capt. Pat Farnan, Harbour Master and Deputy CEO, Port of Cork. The example of Aghada was cited where the local Save Aghada Pier group raised awareness and funds locally in a two-year campaign to upgrade their underused and deteriorating pier. Their efforts led to the Port of Cork and Cork County Council co-operating with them in a €350,000 upgrade of their pier which will see it developed this season as a new destination for visiting boats in the lower harbour.

Minister for the Marine Simon Coveney, in his address to the participants, emphasised the importance of the maritime sector and his determination to oversee a major growth in added value for the fishing industry.

The very successful Summer School on Friday 10th June on the theme 'Recreation in a Working Port'  saw 8 speakers address an audience of 60+ representatives from a wide range of interests on topics ranging from the history and heritage of the harbour, its potential for  recreation and its presence in art an imagination . Key speakers included Louis Duffy of Cork County Council, who presented the Council's hot off the press Cork Harbour Study, Arend Lambrechtsen from the Netherlands, Jim Murphy of the Passage West & Monkstown Harbour Users' Group, Clare Wright of CAAN, who outlined the exemplary programme for development of canoe trails in Northern Ireland, Josephine O'Driscoll of Failte Ireland and Ryan Howard of SECAD, the Leader group which covers the harbour area. Session chairmen were Cathal O'Mahony of UCC's Coastal and Marine Research Centre (CMRC), who set Cork Harbour in its place in the world, Cork City Council's Damien O'Mahony and Tom MacSweeney who led the question and answer session. The event concluded with Seamus Harrington reading his poem Blind Harbour.

Pádraig Ó Duinnín outlined the journey undertaken by Meitheal Mara in arriving at the promotion of their first Summer School. The event was organised by Marina Sheehan of Meitheal Mara in the splendid boardroom of the Port of Cork overlooking their new city-centre marina.

Published in Cork Harbour
Day Two of the ICRA National Championships: Today there were faces scorched by the sun and wind, the sun shone and the wind kept blowing, the showers came and went, and the wind kept blowing writes Claire Bateman. DAY TWO ICRA PHOTOS HERE.

Classes Zero, One and Two sailed off the Harp Mark under Race Officer Richard Leonard. Classes Three, Four and Whitesail sailed at the mouth of the harbour where they enjoyed slightly flatter water than the other fleets. Speaking with Denis Kiely the handicapping guru he said conditions could only be described as heavy with North Westerly winds steady at 20 knots and gusting to 30 knots although Cian Gallagher from Ruthless, Conor Ronan's Corby 26 in Division 2, described how they were registering gusts of 37 knots.

Inevitably some damage was to result the two casualties were Denis Hewitt's Raptor who lost her mast on the second run of the second race without any apparent cause and David Scott's EOS that limped home without any visible signs of a boom as it had been damaged at the gooseneck. Fortunately, as Fintan Cairns said of Raptor's mast loss there were no injuries and that was what mattered.

In Class Three Quarter Ton the ding dong battle continues. In the second race today the Kenefick/O'Brien Tiger finished three seconds ahead of Eamonn Rohan's Anchor Challenge with Jamie McDowell's Blackfun following in third and leaving the scoring at the top with overall points of 5 and two 14s. Ian Travers helming Anchor Challenge described how in the first race of the day a squall hit them rounding the weather mark resulting in a Chinese gybe and they knew the game was over for that race. Here may I take the opportunity to be devil's advocate and say it will be interesting to see how much local knowledge is involved in this battle between Tiger and Anchor Challenge when the two meet again during the Sovereign's Cup at Kinsale next week.

In the Non Spinnaker class Billy Duane described the sailing as fantastic but John Downing in Samba's two bullets had turned things around a bit today. Racing is incredibly close in this class with Conor O'Donovan's Xtension leading on 5 points followed by Samba, the wily Clive Doherty's Phaeton, and Tom MacNeice's Minx 111 with Billy Duane's Expression on 9 points. It was fascinating to watch the O'Donovan crew studying the results and working out every possible computation that could result tomorrow.

It was good to meet John Twomey again sailing Shilleagh in Class Three. He was bringing me up to speed on his preparations for the IFDS Worlds in Weymouth next week and this event is also a qualifier for the 2012 paralympics. The heavy conditions were taking their toll as he was sailing short handed on the rail due to the unavoidable absence of one of the crew members. His crew members are Ian Costelloe and Anthony all of KYC. They are using the ICRA Championships and the Sovereign's Cup as work ups for Weymouth and we all wish them the very best of luck.. Last time round in 2008 there were seven spots available for the Paralympic Team and they just missed out by coming eighth so here's hoping they make it this time round.

Racing continues tomorrow when the competition will intensify even more.

Published in ICRA
Reports of gear damage, high winds and big seas. It wouldn't be Cork sailing without it!  Bob Bateman's pics from today's ICRA Nationals in Cork Harbour are here.
Published in ICRA
Tagged under

Anthony O'Leary's Ker 39 has got off to the perfect start in today's ICRA National Championships taking a double win in the top class of the 65-boat event at Crosshaven. Second to Antix is the Corby 37, Impetuous skippered by Richard Fildes. Third is Conor Phelan's Jump Juice, another Ker design from the host club, Royal Cork.

Winds from the North West freshened during the day.

Full IRC results and photos below.

The 17-boat  IRC class one division is lead by J109s with Pat Kelly's Howth entry Storm leading local sistership Jelly Baby (Ian Nagle) by four points after two races. Third is Dublin Bay's Aztec III, an A35 design sailed by Peter Beamish of the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

In class two, West coast champion Disaray, a Dehler 34 from Foynes Yacht Club and skippered by Simon McGibney has worked out a one point advantage over Brian Goggin's Allure, a Corby 25 from Kinsale. Full IRC results below:

blackfun

The Kiwis round the weather mark of their first race in Ireland. Photo By Bob Bateman. Scroll down for 17 more pics from today's Cork harbour ICRA racing below.

IRC ZERO
Series PlaceSail NoEBoatType of BoatOwnerClubHandicapSeries PointsRace 1Race 2
1IRL3939EAntixKer 39Anthony O'LearyRCYC1.129211
2GBR7737R ImpetuousCorby 37Richard FildesSCYC1.091523
3IRL2007EJump JuiceKerConor PhelanRCYC1.105752
4IRL2003EGloves OffCorby 38Kieran TwomeyRCYC1.115835
5IRL9852ECrazy HorseMills 36Chambers/ReillyHYC1.085844
6IRL1281EAquelina/WJ122James & Sheila TyrrellArklow SC1.0831899
6IRL7111 WoW/WJ111George SiskRIYC/RCYC 1899
6IRL36000 Roxy 6/WCorby 36Robert DaviesRCYC 1899
IRC ONE
Series PlaceSail No E Boat Type of Boat Owner Club Handicap Series Points Race 1 Race 2
1IRL1141 E Storm J109 Pat Kelly RSC/HYC 1.019 3 1 2
2IRL9609 E Jelly Baby J109 Ian Nagle & Paul O'Malley RCYC 1.029 7 2 5
3IRL29832 E Aztec A35 Peter Beamish RIYC 1.034 8 7 1
4IRL13500 E D-tox X-35 Donal O'Leary RCYC 1.048 8 5 3
5IRL811 E Raptor MILLS 30CR Denis Hewitt RIYC 1.025 8 4 4
6IRL17200 E Antix Beag 1720 (modified) Robert O'Leary RCYC 1.005 11 3 8
7IRL6695 E Eos X362 Sport David Scott KYC 1.022 18 6 12
8IRL3709 E Axiom X37 Michael O'Neill RIYC 1.035 19 13 6
9IRL6021 E Ellida X332 Ria Lyden RCYC 0.986 19 10 9
10IRL8109 E Jetstream J109 Peter Redden RIYC 1.028 20 9 11
11IRL892 E Tux X332 Mary O'Keeffe RCYC 0.981 21 11 10
12IRL3323 E Dexterity X332 Alan McEneff (Team Foynes) Foynes YC 0.984 24 12 12
13IRL8991 E Exhale X362 Sport Derry Good RCYC 1.025 26 8 18
14IRL7290 E Felix X332 Michael & Gretta Wallace RCYC 0.981 27 14 13
15IRL2382 E Xerxes/W IMX38 LD O'Neill RIYC 1.046 36 18 18
15IRL3307 E Rockabill IV/W Corby33 Paul O'Higgins RIYC/NYC 1.044 36 18 18
15IRL9834 E True Pennance Projection 35 Colman Garvey/Martin Darrer RCYC 1.022 36 18 18
IRC TWO
Series PlaceSail No E Boat Type of Boat Owner Club Handicap Series Points Race 1 Race 2
1IRL487 E Disaray Dehler 34 Optima 101 Raymond McGibney Foynes YC 0.929 5 3 2
2IRL2506 E Allure Corby 25 Brian Goggin Kinsale YC 0.936 6 2 4
3GBR7525R E Thundebird Corby 25 Denis Coleman RCYC 0.941 7 4 3
4IRL16859 E Bad Company Sunfast 32 Desmond / Ivers / Deasy RCYC 0.939 8 7 1
5IRL2525 E Yanks $ ffrancs Corby 25 Vincent O'Shea RCYC 0.936 8 1 7
6IRL7495 E Maximus X302 Paddy Kyne HYC/WHSC 0.930 13 8 5
7IRL26026 E Ruthless Corby 26 Conor Ronan Sligo YC 0.953 15 6 9
8GBR9896 E Magnet MG335 Kieran & Liz O'Brien RCYC 0.944 16 5 11
9IRL2010 E Alpaca First 31.7 Paul & Deirdre Tingle RCYC 0.957 19 11 8
10IRL9732 E Wicked Sunfast 32 Mark Mendel RCYC 0.940 19 9 10
11IRL3492 E Big Deal Dehler Derek Dillon Foynes YC 0.925 22 10 12
12IRL1022 E Aramis Contessa 33 Pat Vaughan RCYC 0.929 25 12 13
13IRL4170 E Slack Alice GK Westerley Shane Statham WHSC 0.951 26 20 6
14IRL6676 E Y-Knot First 32s5 Barrett/Conlon RCYC 0.933 33 13 20
15IRL222 Zoom/W Dehler DB1 Nicola & Stuart Harris WHSC 40 20 20
15IRL1649 E Caesium Beneteau 31.7 Shaun & Kathy Doran Ballyholme YC 0.951 40 20 20
15IRL1972 E No Excuse/W X302 Ted Crosbie RCYC 0.931 40 20 20
15IRL2706 E Kodachi Corby 27 Denis Ellis Cove SC 0.959 40 20 20
15IRL8094 E King One/W Half Tonner Dave Cullen Howth YC 0.951 40 20 20
IRC THREE
Series PlaceSail No E Boat Type of Boat Owner Club Handicap Series Points Race 1 Race 2 Race 3
1IRL999999 E Tiger Quarter ton Neil& george Kenefick/James O brien RCYC 0.902 3 1 1 1
2IRL3087 E Anchor Challenge Quarter ton Eamonn Rohan KYC 0.912 8 3 2 3
3NZL3311 E Blackfun Quarter Ton Jamie McDowell Royal Port Nicholson YC 0.908 9 2 3 4
4IRL1771 E Shillelagh Blazer 23 (Kirby) John Twomey KYC 0.868 13 4 7 2
5IRL9600 E Impacunious Hunter Impala Edward Rice RCYC 0.888 16 6 5 5
6GRB1479R Flashheart Quarter Ton Mike Webb & Tom Bailey King Queen YC 0.893 18 5 6 7
7IRL78 E No-Gnomes Nicholson 33Mod Leonard Donnery RCYC 0.910 20 7 4 9
8IRL9538 E Running Wild Hunter Impala OOD Sullivan Brothers RCYC 0.890 25 11 8 6
9IRL9564 E Whyte Knight Impala OOD Fergus Coughlan Cove SC 0.890 26 9 9 8
10IRL4794 E Junebug J24 Sarah Hyde/Annette Foley RCYC 0.889 28 8 10 10
11IRL9591 E Prometheus Impala OOD Paul Murray RCYC 0.888 33 10 12 11
12IRL9577 E Bedlam Impala David Doyle Cove Sailing Club 0.890 39 12 11 16
13I8709 Cri-Cri/W Jezequel 116 Paul Colton RIYC 0.905 48 16 16 16
13IRL400 E Jaguar/W J24 Gary Fort Tralee Bay SC 0.889 48 16 16 16
13IRL4206 E Powder Monkey/W Sigma 33 Liam Lynch Tralee Bay SC 0.909 48 16 16 16
IRC FOUR
Series PlaceSail No E Boat Type of Boat Owner Club Handicap Series Points Race 1 Race 2 Race 3
1GBR9625R E Sundancer Dynamo 25 Alan Mulcahy KYC 0.841 4 2 1 1
2172 E Granny Knot Westerley GK24 Michael Sexton KYC 0.830 5 1 2 2
3IRL7156 E Gaelic Kiwi GK 24FR Kevin O'Connor Cove SC 0.854 12 4 4 4
ECHO and White Sail results to follow
Published in ICRA
Page 76 of 96

Ireland's offshore islands

Around 30 of Ireland's offshore islands are inhabited and hold a wealth of cultural heritage.

A central Government objective is to ensure that sustainable vibrant communities continue to live on the islands.

Irish offshore islands FAQs

Technically, it is Ireland itself, as the third largest island in Europe.

Ireland is surrounded by approximately 80 islands of significant size, of which only about 20 are inhabited.

Achill island is the largest of the Irish isles with a coastline of almost 80 miles and has a population of 2,569.

The smallest inhabited offshore island is Inishfree, off Donegal.

The total voting population in the Republic's inhabited islands is just over 2,600 people, according to the Department of Housing.

Starting with west Cork, and giving voting register numbers as of 2020, here you go - Bere island (177), Cape Clear island (131),Dursey island (6), Hare island (29), Whiddy island (26), Long island, Schull (16), Sherkin island (95). The Galway islands are Inis Mór (675), Inis Meáin (148), Inis Oírr (210), Inishbofin (183). The Donegal islands are Arranmore (513), Gola (30), Inishboffin (63), Inishfree (4), Tory (140). The Mayo islands, apart from Achill which is connected by a bridge, are Clare island (116), Inishbiggle (25) and Inishturk (52).

No, the Gaeltacht islands are the Donegal islands, three of the four Galway islands (Inishbofin, like Clifden, is English-speaking primarily), and Cape Clear or Oileán Chléire in west Cork.

Lack of a pier was one of the main factors in the evacuation of a number of islands, the best known being the Blasket islands off Kerry, which were evacuated in November 1953. There are now three cottages available to rent on the Great Blasket island.

In the early 20th century, scholars visited the Great Blasket to learn Irish and to collect folklore and they encouraged the islanders to record their life stories in their native tongue. The three best known island books are An tOileánach (The Islandman) by Tomás Ó Criomhthain, Peig by Peig Sayers, and Fiche Blian ag Fás (Twenty Years A-Growing) by Muiris Ó Súilleabháin. Former taoiseach Charles J Haughey also kept a residence on his island, Inishvickillaune, which is one of the smaller and less accessible Blasket islands.

Charles J Haughey, as above, or late Beatle musician, John Lennon. Lennon bought Dorinish island in Clew Bay, south Mayo, in 1967 for a reported £1,700 sterling. Vendor was Westport Harbour Board which had used it for marine pilots. Lennon reportedly planned to spend his retirement there, and The Guardian newspaper quoted local estate agent Andrew Crowley as saying he was "besotted with the place by all accounts". He did lodge a planning application for a house, but never built on the 19 acres. He offered it to Sid Rawle, founder of the Digger Action Movement and known as the "King of the Hippies". Rawle and 30 others lived there until 1972 when their tents were burned by an oil lamp. Lennon and Yoko Ono visited it once more before his death in 1980. Ono sold the island for £30,000 in 1984, and it is widely reported that she donated the proceeds of the sale to an Irish orphanage

 

Yes, Rathlin island, off Co Antrim's Causeway Coast, is Ireland's most northerly inhabited island. As a special area of conservation, it is home to tens of thousands of sea birds, including puffins, kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots. It is known for its Rathlin golden hare. It is almost famous for the fact that Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, retreated after being defeated by the English at Perth and hid in a sea cave where he was so inspired by a spider's tenacity that he returned to defeat his enemy.

No. The Aran islands have a regular ferry and plane service, with ferries from Ros-a-Mhíl, south Connemara all year round and from Doolin, Co Clare in the tourist season. The plane service flies from Indreabhán to all three islands. Inishbofin is connected by ferry from Cleggan, Co Galway, while Clare island and Inishturk are connected from Roonagh pier, outside Louisburgh. The Donegal islands of Arranmore and Tory island also have ferry services, as has Bere island, Cape Clear and Sherkin off Cork. How are the island transport services financed? The Government subsidises transport services to and from the islands. The Irish Coast Guard carries out medical evacuations, as to the RNLI lifeboats. Former Fianna Fáíl minister Éamon Ó Cuív is widely credited with improving transport services to and from offshore islands, earning his department the nickname "Craggy island".

Craggy Island is an bleak, isolated community located of the west coast, inhabited by Irish, a Chinese community and one Maori. Three priests and housekeeper Mrs Doyle live in a parochial house There is a pub, a very small golf course, a McDonald's fast food restaurant and a Chinatown... Actually, that is all fiction. Craggy island is a figment of the imagination of the Father Ted series writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, for the highly successful Channel 4 television series, and the Georgian style parochial house on the "island" is actually Glenquin House in Co Clare.

Yes, that is of the Plassey, a freighter which was washed up on Inis Oírr in bad weather in 1960.

There are some small privately owned islands,and islands like Inishlyre in Co Mayo with only a small number of residents providing their own transport. Several Connemara islands such as Turbot and Inishturk South have a growing summer population, with some residents extending their stay during Covid-19. Turbot island off Eyrephort is one such example – the island, which was first spotted by Alcock and Brown as they approached Ireland during their epic transatlantic flight in 1919, was evacuated in 1978, four years after three of its fishermen drowned on the way home from watching an All Ireland final in Clifden. However, it is slowly being repopulated

Responsibility for the islands was taking over by the Department of Rural and Community Development . It was previously with the Gaeltacht section in the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht.

It is a periodic bone of contention, as Ireland does not have the same approach to its islands as Norway, which believes in right of access. However, many improvements were made during Fianna Fáíl Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív's time as minister. The Irish Island Federation, Comdháil Oileáin na hÉireann, represents island issues at national and international level.

The 12 offshore islands with registered voters have long argued that having to cast their vote early puts them at a disadvantage – especially as improved transport links mean that ballot boxes can be transported to the mainland in most weather conditions, bar the winter months. Legislation allowing them to vote on the same day as the rest of the State wasn't passed in time for the February 2020 general election.

Yes, but check tide tables ! Omey island off north Connemara is accessible at low tide and also runs a summer race meeting on the strand. In Sligo, 14 pillars mark the way to Coney island – one of several islands bearing this name off the Irish coast.

Cape Clear or Oileán Chléire is the country's most southerly inhabited island, eight miles off the west Cork coast, and within sight of the Fastnet Rock lighthouse, also known as the "teardrop of Ireland".
Skellig Michael off the Kerry coast, which has a monastic site dating from the 6th century. It is accessible by boat – prebooking essential – from Portmagee, Co Kerry. However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was not open to visitors in 2020.
All islands have bird life, but puffins and gannets and kittiwakes are synonymous with Skellig Michael and Little Skellig. Rathlin island off Antrim and Cape Clear off west Cork have bird observatories. The Saltee islands off the Wexford coast are privately owned by the O'Neill family, but day visitors are permitted access to the Great Saltee during certain hours. The Saltees have gannets, gulls, puffins and Manx shearwaters.
Vikings used Dublin as a European slaving capital, and one of their bases was on Dalkey island, which can be viewed from Killiney's Vico road. Boat trips available from Coliemore harbour in Dalkey. Birdwatch Ireland has set up nestboxes here for roseate terns. Keep an eye out also for feral goats.
Plenty! There are regular boat trips in summer to Inchagoill island on Lough Corrib, while the best known Irish inshore island might be the lake isle of Innisfree on Sligo's Lough Gill, immortalised by WB Yeats in his poem of the same name. Roscommon's Lough Key has several islands, the most prominent being the privately-owned Castle Island. Trinity island is more accessible to the public - it was once occupied by Cistercian monks from Boyle Abbey.

©Afloat 2020