West Cork Sailing & Boating News
Cork County Council and Marine Minister to Hold Meeting on Future of Union Hall’s Keelbeg Pier
13th February 2024 West Cork
Cork South West TD Christopher O’Sullivan has confirmed that he has arranged for a meeting to take place between Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue and Cork County Council management to discuss a funding mechanism for the repair and extension of the…
Castletownbere Fishery Harbour Centre in County Cork, one of the six State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, has officially opened the Dinish Wharf Expansion. The €48m project was funded through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Fishery Harbour and Coastal…
In the latest edition of 200 Voices, the RNLI podcast, Pamela Deasy has vivid memories of January 2012 the loss of five crew on a fishing trawler in Glandore Harbour and the subsequent establishment of a lifeboat station at Union…
Involvement of Young Sailors Noted at SCORA AGM (Photo Gallery and Podcast Here)
21st January 2024 SCORA
The Commodore of the South Coast Offshore Racing Association (SCORA) has a clear, direct aim for this year’s season – get more boats sailing. “That is it, that is what we will be aiming to do, encourage boats from the…
Appeal for Vigilance Over Submarine Cables After Last Week's Bere Island Power Outage
10th January 2024 Marine Warning
ESB Networks has appealed for vigilance at sea in relation to submarine cables after a fishing vessel cut power to West Cork’s Bere Island last week. ESB Networks restored power to some 280 affected islanders at 11 pm on Friday…
A young fisherman has died in a deck accident off the south-west coast, bringing to two the number of fishermen who have lost their lives this week in Irish waters. The second fatality in four days occurred on board a…
A dog that had been reported missing for several hours in West Cork was rescued by the Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat Station on Wednesday afternoon. The station received a call from two people on the shore who had spotted the dog…
‘We Have No Whales to Watch’ Says West Cork Business as It Ends Season Early — And Blames Overfishing of Sprat
28th November 2023 Marine Wildlife
A West Cork-based whale-watching tour business has ended its 2023 season early, blaming overfishing of sprat for the absence of the usual whale visitors to the South Coast. In a social media post on Monday (27 November), Cork Whale Watch…
Bantry Marine Activities Centre AGM To Hear Proposals on Major Maritime Facility for West Cork
28th November 2023 West Cork
The annual general meeting of the Bantry Marine Activities Centre on Friday, December 8, is to hear the details of a feasibility report proposing a major maritime facility in the West Cork town. Known as ‘Bmac,’ the Bantry Marine Activities…
Irish offshore islands are used to having to wait, whether it is for safe piers or electricity decades ago. However, they are being prioritised for pure fibre links under the national broadband plan. Three West Cork islands are due to…
Disappointment in Baltimore Over the Sale of Former Glenans Sailing Centre
9th November 2023 West Cork
The former Glenans Sailing Centre in the West Cork coastal village of Baltimore has been sold to a private developer, despite the local community's campaign to preserve it for a maritime heritage centre. The long saga of Baltimore Railway Station,…
Russell Bolger Of Dun Laoghaire Clear Winner At Junior National Championship At Schull
5th November 2023 Youth Sailing
A busy week of Team Racing focus with the Fastnet Marine & Outdoor Education Centre’s TR 3.6s - with much input from Schull Community College - concluded on Friday (November 3rd) after successfully handling a decidedly mixed bag of weather.…
Ann Kirwan of National YC & Schull is Sailor of the Month (October) for Racing & Services to Sailing
1st November 2023 Sailor of the Month
The Golden Jubilee of the much-loved Ruffian 23 Class was well celebrated in 2023 at all its main centres in an enjoyable moveable feast, mostly in Ireland but culminating in Hong Kong in October with the triennial Inter-Port Championship in…
Baltimore RNLI Provides Second Medical Evacuation in Two Days from Cape Clear Island
29th October 2023 RNLI Lifeboats
A resident of Cape Clear Island off the coast of West Cork was evacuated for medical assistance following an accident on Sunday. Baltimore RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew received a call at 12.39 pm and launched their all-weather lifeboat to provide…
Baltimore RNLI were called out to provide a medical evacuation on Friday morning (28 October) from Cape Clear Island off the coast of West Cork. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their all-weather lifeboat The Alan Massey at 10.44am following a…
Lawrie Smith of Glandore is “Sailor of the Month (International)" for September
1st October 2023 Sailor of the Month
Early in the 1960s, Sid Smith – a builder and developer from Bury near Manchester – secured the site for the modest holiday home of his dreams beside the harbour in Glandore in West Cork. Summers in Glandore with much…