Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Enniskillen

#InlandWaters - That new Enniskillen Blueway water activity zone located beside Erneside footbridge will be opening soon.

A range of family-friendly water activities including canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding will be offered at the zone developed by Waterways Ireland with the support of Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, Fermanagh Lakeland Tourism and Enniskillen BID.

If you would prefer to captain your own boat and enjoy a leisurely experience around Ireland’s only island town, you might be more interested in one of the ‘wee red boats’ from Erne Boat Hire.

There is also a new heritage boat tour taking in the monastic and heritage sites around Enniskillen including Devenish Island, and the Erne Water Taxi for a more exhilarating blast around Lough Erne.

Waterways Irelad hopes the new water activity zone will play a role in encouraging young people to access the water, engage in water sports and make a connection with Lough Erne.

The activity zone also forms part of ongoing blueway developments on Lough Erne, the first of which will be a canoeing trail from Bellanaleck to Troy, taking in Enniskillen town and the new activity zone.

Published in Inland Waterways

#RNLI - Just two days before Carrybridge RNLI’s new inshore lifeboat had its naming ceremony, boat and crew launched to assist a cow that had fallen from a steep bank on Upper Lough Erne.

The lifeboat and rescue water craft launched at 3.30pm on Thursday afternoon (7 June) arrived to the cow and its owner, who had been trying to recover the animal from the Arney River without success.

Weather conditions had southerly Force 2 winds, with good visibility and cloudy skies.

After speaking with the farmer, the volunteer crew kept the animal close to the bank and helped to steer the cow towards a part of the bank where it would be able to get out.

After some careful coaxing, the cow was assisted in getting out of the river by the crew and the farmer’s family. The crew were thanked by the owners and the lifeboat and rescue water craft departed the scene at 4.14pm.

Then on returning to station, the RNLI crew were requested to aid a vessel which had broken down nearby. The crew assisted in towing this boat back to its private slipway.

“We are always happy to help the local community in situations where there is risk to both the public and animals,” said Tom Bailey, lifeboat operations manager at Carrybridge RNLI.

“We also advise everyone working close to the edge of water to take the necessary precautions. In this instance we were delighted that the cow was able to be recovered without injury.”

Elsewhere, Enniskillen RNLI launched yesterday afternoon (Saturday 9 June) to assist a 23ft Bayliner that has lost engine power at the entrance into the River Erne which leads to Belleek.

The charity’s inshore lifeboat Joseph and Mary Hiley and rescue water craft arrived at the casualty vessel which had three people onboard, all of whom were safe and well.

The volunteer crew set up a tow to the lifeboat and towed the vessel to Aughinver.

Speaking following the callout, Enniskillen RNLI helm Aidy Kelly said: “It was a very successful recovery with our crew using the benefits of their winter training to recover the vessel and all onboard safely to Aughinver.”

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

#Rowing: Irish crews took a full set of medals – gold, silver and bronze – in Championship finals on another excellent day at the British National Schools’ Regatta on Dorney Lake on Sunday. The Fermoy pair of Ellie O’Reilly and Gill McGirr powered away from their opponents in the second half of the Championship Pair A Final, while Enniskillen’s Nathan Timoney and Odhran Donaghy took a comfortable second in the men’s race. Aaron Christie of Bann held out well to hold on to third in the Championship Singles. Enniskillen also took a gold medal in the junior 16 girls’ pair, through Zoe McCutcheon and Maeve Donnelly.

British National Schools’ Regatta, Dorney Lake (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Saturday

Boys

Championship/Non-Championship Eight – B Final: 3 Enniskillen RBC.

Girls

Championship/Non-Championship Eight – B Final: 2 Galway 7:35.72; 3 St Michael’s 7:45.46.

Junior 16 Four, coxed – A Final: 2 Enniskillen RBC 8:22.68.

Sculling, Double – Championship A Final: 2 Workmen’s (A O’Donoghue, C Browne) 8:06.37.

Single – Championship A Final: 7 Workmen’s (C Moynihan) 9:10.40. B Final: 1 Coleraine Grammar School (M Curry) 8:43.03.

Sunday

Boys

Championship Pair: 2 Enniskillen (O Donaghy, N Timoney) 7:19.06.  

Sculling, Championship Singles: 3 Bann (A Christie) 7:39.46.

Girls

Championship Pair: 1 Fermoy (E O’Reilly, G McGirr) 8:11.17.

Junior 16 Pair: 1 Enniskillen (M Donnelly, Z McCutcheon) 8:08.80

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The Workmen’s junior women’s double took a silver at the National Schools’ Regatta at Dorney Lake in England today. In the Championship Doubles, Annie O’Donoghue and Ciara Browne finished one and a half lengths down on Latymer Upper School. Ciara Moynihan of Workmen’s finished seventh in the A Final of the Championship Singles, while Molly Curry of Coleraine Grammar School took control of the B Final and won.

 Enniskillen took silver in the Boys’ Non-Championship Eights, and their girls’ junior 16 coxed four matched them in their A Final. Ireland clubs placed second and third in the B Final of the Girls’ Championship/Non Championship Eights.

British National Schools’ Regatta, Dorney Lake (Selected Results; Irish interest)

 

Saturday

Boys

Championship/Non-Championship Eight – B Final: 3 Enniskillen RBC.

Girls

Championship/Non-Championship Eight – B Final: 2 Galway 7:35.72; 3 St Michael’s 7:45.46.

Junior 16 Four, coxed – A Final: 2 Enniskillen RBC 8:22.68.

Sculling, Double – Championship A Final: 2 Workmen’s (A O’Donoghue, C Browne) 8:06.37.

Single – Championship A Final: 7 Workmen’s (C Moynihan) 9:10.40. B Final: 1 Coleraine Grammar School (M Curry) 8:43.03.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The under-23 lightweight pair of David O’Malley and Shane Mulvaney were the most emphatic of winners on the first day of the Ireland trial at the National Rowing Centre in Cork, while Philip Doyle won the men’s single sculls – in the absence of Queen’s University clubmate Sam McKeown, who has gone to the British system.

Emily Hegarty and Aifric Keogh teamed up well in a women’s pair and Monika Dukarska was untroubled in a fine win in the women’s single sculls. Sanita Puspure is overcoming a back injury and Aileen Crowley, who has partnered Keogh in a pair, has tendonitis. Denise Walsh has tonsilitis.

Andrew Goff was the best of a talented, ambitious, group of lightweight single single scullers.

The junior ranks were vibrant and drew praise from Ireland high performance director Antonio Maurogiovanni. Fermoy’s Eliza O’Reilly and Gill McGirr confirmed their preeminence in the women’s pair, while Enniskillen’s Odhran Donaghy and Nathan Timoney were the best junior men’s pair. Aoibhinn Keating of Skibbereen was the top junior women’s sculler and Jack Dorney looked strong as he raced away to win the junior men’s single.

Ireland Assessment, National Rowing Centre (Selected Results; senior results not published)

Men – Junior

Pair – A Final: 1 O Donaghy, N Timoney (Enniskillen) 7:30.94, 2 S O’Neill, W Ronayne (Shandon) 7:36.03, 3 O’Donovan, Mulready (Castleconnell) 7:48.19. B Final: P Murphy, J Kennedy (Enniskillen) 7:48.76. Single – A Final: 1 J Dorney (Shandon) 7:45.34, 2 J Keating (Carlow) 7:53.06, 3 A Byrne (Shandon) 7:54.13. B Final: T Murphy (Lee) 8:00.55.

Women - Junior

Pair – A Final: 1 E O’Reill, G McGill. Single – A Final: 1 A Keating (Skibbereen) 8:46.75, 2 R Carson (Bann) 8:50.84, 3 C Moynihan (Workmen’s) 8:54.71. B Final: C O’Brien (Castleconnell) 8:46.50.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Jack Dorney was an impressive winner of the Junior 18 men’s single sculls final at the Ireland Assessment at the National Rowing Centre today. The Shandon man moved into a clear lead by the 1500 metre mark and won well from Jack Keating of Carlow, who finished well.

Odhran Donaghy and Nathan Timoney of Enniskillen won the Junior men’s pairs final from Sam O’Neill and William Ronayne of Shandon, who gave them a good battle to the line.

The Fermoy women’s junior pair of Gill McGirr and Eliza O’Reilly also won well in the women’s junior pair, while Aoibhinn Keating of Skibbereen won an exciting final of the Junior women’s single.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Enniskillen RBC had two outstanding results at the Schools’ Head of the River in London. The girls’ eight won their category, the First Eights, and were fifth overall. The boys’ eight finished second in the equivalent category behind Bedford. When the revised results were published this placed them 10th overall, the best placing by an Irish crew at the event since 2010, when Bann Rowing Club finished ninth and 2011 when Portora (now Enniskillen) matched this. Enniskillen finished seventh in an event shortened due to weather in 2017.

Schools’ Head of the River, London (Selected Results; Irish interest; REVISED)

Men, Schools First Eight: 1 Bedford 17 min 15.1 sec; 2 Enniskillen Royal Boat Club (S Balcombe, R Mills, M McBrien, P Murphy, O Donaghy, J McDade, J Kennedy, N Timoney; cox: R Farragher) 17:18.4; 16 Methodist, Belfast A 19:10.2

First Junior 16 Eight: 9 Methody 19:44.4. 

Sculling, Quadruple – Championship: 17 Methody 19:15.6.

Women, Schools First Eight: 1 Enniskillen RBC (T McComb, A Corry, V Wilson, C Leonard, Z McCutcheon, M Donnelly, J Long; C Fee; cox: S Dolan) 19:01.3; 13 Methody 21:49.7.

 

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Trinity’s senior eight were the fastest crew at the re-fixed Erne Head of the River in Enniskillen today. It was their fourth consecutive win, achieved this year in rainy conditions. Junior crews did well: Enniskillen RBC’s junior men’s eight were third fastest overall and the fastest women’s crew was the host club’s junior eight.

 In Amsterdam, UCC’s men’s eight were the best Irish crew at the Heineken Roeivierkamp. They took 32nd in the men’s race over 2,500 metres in seven minutes 36.8 seconds.

Erne Head of the River, Saturday (Selected Results)

Overall: 1 Trinity men’s senior eight 19 minutes 17 seconds, 2 Commercial sen eight 19:50, 3 Enniskillen jun eight 20:04, 4 Trinity inter eight 20:27, 5 Neptune club two eight 20:49, 6 Lagan senior quadruple 20:57: 17 Enniskillen women’s junior eight 22:39.  

Men

Eight – Senior: Trinity 19:17. Inter: Trinity 20:27. Club Two: Neptune 20:49. Nov: Trinity A 21:26. Junior: Enniskillen 20:04. Masters: Commercial (D) 21:42. Jun 16: Col Iognaid 22:20.

Four – Jun, coxed: Commercial 22:35.

Sculling, Quadruple – Sen: Lagan Scullers 20:57. Inter: Belfast 21:53. Nov, coxed: Commercial 27:13. Jun: Neptune A 21:12. Jun 16, coxed: Bann 23:17. Masters, coxed: City of Derry (E) 24:31.  

Women

Eight – Inter: Trinity 22:48. Club One: Bann 22:46. Club Two: Carlow 25:59. Jun: Enniskillen 22:39. Jun 16: Enniskillen A 23:53. Masters: Portora (D) 30:27.

Four – Sen: Trinity 24:25. Inter, coxed: Trinity 26:35.

Sculling, Quadruple – Jun: Col Iognaid 25:22. Jun 16, coxed: Carlow 25:08. Masters, coxed: City of Derry, Lagan, Offaly (C) 29:42.

Roeivierkamp, Amsterdam (Selected Result)

Men, 2500 metres: 1 Nereus 1e Eight 6:48.6; 8 Nereus 2e Eight 7:10.8; 32:UCC 2e Eight 7:36.8.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The two heads of the river scheduled for this Saturday have fallen foul of the weather, although both are set to be rescheduled. The Erne Head, at Enniskillen, had drawn a top-class entry. But while conditions at Enniskillen might well be rowable on Saturday, travel to the venue, especially on Friday, would prove difficult at best because of snow and high winds. The organisers hope to run the event on March 10th. Cork Head has also been cancelled, and organisers say the are also hoping to have it held on a new date.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Molly Curry and Aobhinn Keating had the fastest time in a women’s double at the Ireland junior trial at the National Rowing Centre in Cork. The Coleraine Grammar School and Skibbereen combination covered the 2,000 metres in seven minutes and 45.13 seconds. We apologise for having got this wrong in the original report.

Published in Rowing
Page 6 of 10

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