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Displaying items by tag: Egan

#Canoeing: An international contingent will take on the Liffey Descent this Saturday, September 23rd. A Spanish crew who are determined to beat all comers in the canoe race will contend with a world champion from South Africa in a field of over 500 competitors. The Irish resistance will include a first time pairing in the race of world championship medallist Jenny Egan with her brother Peter – a winner last year.

 Top competitors will be fitted with GPS trackers so the public can follow their progress down the course. 

 The race from Straffan in Kildare to Islandbridge in Dublin is one of the most spectacular events of the Irish sporting calendar. Kayaks and canoes will hurtle down the 30-kilometre stretch. They will find their way over 10 weirs, and paddlers must scramble out and carry their boat down the bank at Leixlip. Spectators can view the speed and the spills from the bridges and the banks. The start is at 12 o’clock. 

 The line-up for the K2, the racing kayak which is set to be the fastest boat of the day, should make for an exciting race.

 Ireland international Barry Watkins teams up with Jon Simmons, who has been coaching developing paddlers in Ireland system. They take on the accomplished Spanish pairing of Luis Amado and Miguel Llorens, who took fourth in the World Marathon Championships in South Africa earlier this month. From South Africa comes Sean Rice, a world champion in surfski racing, who teams up with Briton Tom Sharpe. 

 Last year Peter Egan was in the front of the K2 which won – this time the paddler behind him will be his sister, Jenny, in a mixed K2. “We’ve always wanted to do it, but the circumstances were never right before,” Jenny said.

 The Egans come directly from the World Championships, where Jenny took a bronze medal. But they will be tested on Saturday. From Germany comes Andreas Heilinger and Inez Bauerle; from the Netherlands, Pascal Lucker and Eef Haaze.

 Ireland international Tom Brennan will hope to retain his title in the K1 (individual racing kayak). He fell in at Straffan last year and then got back on track to win. Ronan Foley, who was the fifth best junior at the World Championships in South Africa, could test him. 

 They will be competing for silver trophies, back as rewards in this race after a time when they were not presented. 

 

Published in Canoeing

#Canoeing: Patrick O’Leary finished ninth in the A Final of the KL3 200 metres at the Paracanoe World Championships in Racice in the Czech Republic. The race was won by Serhii Yemelianov of the Ukraine.

 Jenny Egan finished eighth in her semi-final of the K1 200 at the Canoe Sprint World Championships, also at Racice. She missed out on an A or B Final place. Egan is set to compete in the K1 5,000 metres on Sunday.

Published in Canoeing

#Canoeing: Patrick O’Leary set a new personal best for the second sucessive day, but just missed out on a place in the A Final at the Paracanoe World Championships in Duisburg in Germany this morning. The 43-year-old Irishman finished third in his semi-final of the KL3 200 metres. The top two from the semi-finals and the fastest third place finisher would go through – and O’Leary was pipped by less than seven tenths of a second by France’s Martin Farineaux for this place. Farineaux finished third in the fourth of the four semi-finals. O’Leary qualifies for the B Final.   

 In the canoe sprint European Olympic Qualifier, Ireland crews qualified for semi-finals through their heats. Michael Fitzsimon finished 4th in the K1 1,000, Jenny Egan fifth in the K1 500 and the K2 200 crew of Tom Brennan and Barry Watkins were sixth.  

Paracanoe World Championships, Duisburg (Selected Results; Irish interest):

Men - KL3 200- Heat Four (First Seven to Semi-Final): 2 P O’Leary 42.061. Semi-Final One (First Two and next best time to A Final; 3rd, 4th to B Final): 3 O’Leary 41.722.

Canoe Sprint European Olympic Qualifier, Duisburg, Germany

Men

K1 1,000 – Heat One (Winner to A Final; 2-7 to semi-final; rest out): 4 M Fitzsimon 3:31.693.

K2 200 – Heat One (First Three to A Final; 4-7 to semi-final): 6 T Brennan, B Watkins 34.350.

Women

K1 500 – Heat One (Three to Final; 4-7 to Semi-Final): 5 J Egan 1:55.428.  

Published in Canoeing

#CanoeingLiffeyDescent: Neil Fleming and Robin Koenders were the fastest crew home at the 56th Liffey Descent today. In a race run in warm sunshine and light winds from Straffan to Islandbridge, the K2 of Fleming and Dutchman Koenders gained a considerable lead by Lucan over nearest challengers Gary Mawer and Barry Watkins. The winning time of one hour 48 minutes 32 seconds was outside the record for the course.

 The fastest K1 paddler was Tom Brennan, winning this class for the first time, and coming home well under two hours.

 Jenny Egan and her boyfriend Jon Simmons won the mixed K2. They set a new record time of one hour 53 minutes and 26 seconds.

Liffey Descent 2015 (Selected Results)

K2: 1 R Koenders, N Fleming 1 hour 48 minutes 32 seconds, 2 B Watkins, G Mawer 1:51.00, 3 L Van Riet, E Van Riet (Sth Africa) 1:51.42. Junior: C Crate, J O’Hagan 2:05.04. Master: D Halton, J Morrissey 2:02.51.

K1: 1 T Brennan 1:56.22, 2 J Boyton 1:59.38, 3 M Brennan 1:59.44. Junior: E Forristal 2:05.35.

K2 Mixed: J Simmons, J Egan 1:53.26.

Wildwater - Junior: C Clarke 2:19.16

General Purpose – Junior: 2:35.34. Masters: J Mescal 2:31.30. Veteran: E Moran 2:43.36.

Published in Liffey Descent

#CANOEING: Ireland’s Andrzej Jezierski qualified for the B Final (places 10 to 18) of the men’s C1 200 metres at the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan today. Jezierski finished sixth in his heat but improved to fifth in his semi-final. Jenny Egan will compete in the B Final of the K1 500, having qualified on Sunday. She made the semi-finals in the K1 200m but her eighth-placing there means she did not make it through to the A or B final. She is also set to compete in the K1 5000m straight final tomorrow.

Peter Egan and Simas Dobrovolskis finished eighth of eight in their heat of the K2 200m and did not qualify for the semi-finals, while Tom Brennan in the K1 200 made it to the semi-finals but finished outside the qualification mark for the A and B Finals.

European Games 2015, Baku, Azerbaijan

Canoe Sprint (Irish interest)

Men

K2 200 – Heat One: 8 P Egan, S Dobrovolskis 35:049.

K1 200 – Heat Two: 6 T Brennan 35.446. Semi-Final: 8 Brennan 36.191.

C1 200 – Heat One: 6 A Jezierski 42.339 seconds. Semi-Final One: 5 Jezierski 40.277

Women

K1 200 – Heat Three: 6 J Egan 42.843. Semi-Final Two: 8 J Egan 42.657.

K1 500 – Heat One: 6 J Egan 1:55.468. Semi-Final: 7 J Egan 1:52.536.

Published in Canoeing

#CANOEING: Ireland’s Tom Brennan and Jenny Egan failed to make it through their semi-finals at the Canoe Sprint World Cup in Duisburg, Germany today. Egan finished eighth and Brennan ninth in their K1 200 races. Egan goes in the K1 5,000 metres on Sunday. and paracanoeist Pat O’Leary competes in the A Final of the KL3 200 metres.

Canoe Sprint World Cup, Duisburg, Germany (Irish interest)

Men,

K1 200m – Semi-Final Four: 9 T Brennan 38.361

Women

K1 200 – Semi-Final Two: 8 J Egan 44.124.

Published in Canoeing

#CANOEING: Jenny Egan qualified for the semi-final of the K1 200 metres by finishing fourth in her heat this evening at the Canoe Sprint World Cup in Duisburg. Egan also qualified for semi-finals of the K1 500m, but finished seventh and takes a place in the the C Final (places 19 to 27). Barry Watkins and Michael Fitzsimons, in the K2 1,000, also qualified for the semi-finals, but their ninth-place finish meant they missed out on the C Final. Tom Brennan qualified for the semi-final of the K1 200m. Ireland will have at least one finalist, as paracanoeist Pat O’Leary took second in his heat of the KL3 200 metres.

Canoe Sprint World Cup, Duisburg, Germany (Irish interest)

Men, KL3 200m – Heat Two (First Three Directly to Final; rest to Semi-Final): 1 Germany (T Keirey) 41.870 seconds, 2 Ireland (P O’Leary) 44.245, 3 Russia (V Potanin) 44.658.

K2 1000m – Heat Four: 6 B Watkins, M Fitzsimons 3:21.908. Semi-Final Three: 9 Watkins, Fitzsimons 3:21.699.

K2 200 – Heat One: 9 P Egan, S Dobrovolskis 34.976.

K1 200m – Heat Three: 5 T Brennan 37.462

Women

K1 200 – Heat One: 4 J Egan 44.171 seconds (to Semi-Final).

500m – Heat One: 7 J Egan 1:57.293. Semi-Final Three: 7 Egan 1:55.688.

Published in Canoeing

#CANOEING: Jenny Egan brought Ireland a first senior medal at the European Canoe Sprint Championships when she took bronze in the Women’s K1 5,000 metres in Racice in the Czech Republic today. Egan, from the Salmon Leap club in Leixlip, was part of a successful breakaway at 1,000 metres with Maryna Litvinchuk of Belarus, who took gold, and Irene Burgo of Italy, the silver medallist. Less than two-thirds of a second divided the three.

Ireland paracanoeist Patrick O’Leary finished fourth in his KL3 200 metre final. Robert Oliver of Britain took gold. O’Leary was just a third off a second of taking bronze.

European Canoe Sprint Championships, Racice, Czech Republic (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Saturday

Men

K2 200 – Heat Three (First Three to A Final; 4-7 to B Final; rest out): 1 Serbia 31.676; 8 P Egan, S Dobrovolskis 34.808.

C1 200 - Heat Three (Winner to Final; second to seventh to semi-final): 1 Portugal (H Silva) 39.236; 7 A Jezierski 43.220. Semi-Final: Jezierski did not start.

K1 200 – Heat Two: 6 T Brennan 37.596. Semi-Final (First Three to A Final, 4-7 to B Final): 1 Latvia (A Rumjancevs) 36.072; 7 T Brennan 37.852

Paracanoe KL3 – A Final: 1 Britain (R Oliver) 40.88; 4 P O’Leary 42.536.

Women

K1 200 – Heat Three (Winner to Final; second to seventh to semi-final): 1 Serbia (N Moldovan) 40.236; 7 J Egan 43.384. Semi-Final (First Three to A Final, 4-7 to B Final): 1 Russia (N Podolskaya) 42.196; 7 Egan 45.344.

Sunday

Men

K1 200 – B Final: 5 T Brennan (14th overall)

K1 5,000 – A Final: 18 P Egan 22:58.09.

Women

K1 5,000 – A Final: 1 Belarus (M Litvinchuk) 22 mins 19.25 seconds, 2 Italy (I Burgo) 22:19.68, 3 Ireland (J Egan) 22 mins 19.9 seconds.

K1 500 – B Final 6 J Egan 2:00.376. (15th overall)

K1 200 – B Final: 7 J Egan 44.896 (16th overall)

Published in Canoeing

#CANOEING: Jenny Egan and Tom Brennan moved into B Finals but Andrzej Jezierski did not start his semi-final of the C1 200 at the European Canoe Sprint Championships in Racice in the Czech Republic. Egan was competing in the K1 200 and Brennan in the men’s equivalent. Peter Egan and Simas Dobrovolskis finished eighth in their heat and did not make it to the semi-final.

European Canoe Sprint Championships, Racice, Czech Republic (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Men

K2 200 – Heat Three (First Three to A Final; 4-7 to B Final; rest out): 1 Serbia 31.676; 8 P Egan, S Dobrovolskis 34.808.

C1 200 - Heat Three (Winner to Final; second to seventh to semi-final): 1 Portugal (H Silva) 39.236; 7 A Jezierski 43.220. Semi-Final: Jezierski did not start.

K1 200 – Heat Two: 6 T Brennan 37.596. Semi-Final (First Three to A Final, 4-7 to B Final): 1 Latvia (A Rumjancevs) 36.072; 7 T Brennan 37.852

Women

K1 200 – Heat Three (Winner to Final; second to seventh to semi-final): 1 Serbia (N Moldovan) 40.236; 7 J Egan 43.384. Semi-Final (First Three to A Final, 4-7 to B Final): 1 Russia (N Podolskaya) 42.196; 7 Egan 45.344.

Published in Canoeing

#CANOE SPRINT: Andrzej Jezierski’s challenge in the semi-finals of the Canoe Sprint World Cup in Szeged, Hungary ended before it began. The Ireland competitor first had a false start and then, straining to get an edge second time around, he fell in just before the race was due to begin. He was disqualified and the race went off without him. Jenny Egan finished ninth in the women’s K1 200 metres semi-final and Peter Egan and Simas Dobrovolskis filled the same position in the K2 200m semi-final.

Canoe Sprint World Cup, Szeged, Hungary (Irish interest)

Men

C1 200m – Heat One: 1 Russia (A Korovashkov) 41.746, 2 Kazakhstan (M Medetov) 43.888, 3 Ireland (A Jezierski) 43:978. Semi-Final One: Jezierski disqualified.

K1 500m – Heat One: 6 B Watkins. Semi-Final Three: 3 Watkins.

K1 1,000m – Heat Four: 7 B Watkins. Semi-Final Two: 8 Watkins.

K2 200m – Heat Four: 6 P Egan, S Dobrovolskis.

Women

K1 200 – Heat One: 7 J Egan. Semi-Final: 9 Egan.

K1 500 – Heat One: 7 J Egan. Heat Two: 7 J Burke. Semi-Final Two: 8 Burke. Semi-Final Four: 9 Egan.

K1 1,000 – Heat One: 4 J Burke.

Published in Canoeing
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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.

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