Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme Seascapes ..Hello and welcome aboard Seascapes your maritime programme This week we have a preview of the Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race out of Wicklow Sailing Club which is fast approaching you can ..........Scroll down the page to listen to the podcast ....................we meet Marine Biologist Dr Tim Butter on the issue of Dumping in Dublin Bay and the view taken by the Irish Underwater Council .....................Ron Coveney on his late dearly beloved grandfather and the tale of the Nelly Fleming which sailed out of Youghal.........Pierce Purcell of The Irish Sailing Association is in our Galway Studios from where he brings us news of a dinghy festival which is part of Dinghy West Regatta out of Galway Bay Sailing Club ....we have the results of our Seascapes competition for copies of Harding McGregor Dunnett’s “ Shackleton’s Boat – The Story of the James Caird” and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Respect the Water Campaign was launched this week ................first this week to the maritime town of Youghal where Ron Coveney remembers how his late grandfather Patrick Joseph Ahearn told the story to Noel Cronin on Community Radio Youghal and to Ron how he was the last to see the Nelly Fleming ..........

Ron Coveney who assembled the tale of The Nelly Fleming for Seascapes ....... those audio extracts of Ron’s late grandfather Patrick Joseph Ahearn in conversation with Noel Cronin were originally broadcast on Community Radio Youghal ........

Marine Notice No. 26 of 2016

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has received reports of vessels’ propellers becoming entangled in ropes of Marker Buoys used to indicate the position of pots used for fishing Lobster, Crab, or other fish or shellfish. This can occur because the length of rope used to fix Marker Buoys is too long, resulting in the line floating on or just below the surface.

The use of too long a line of rope can result in a situation where even vessels that have taken a wide berth around Marker Buoys could have their propellers fouled by the rope.

Fishers who carry out pot fishing (whether commercially or non-commercially) are reminded of their obligation to other users of the sea.

Furthermore, non-commercial pot fishers are reminded of the regulations recently made by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine covering such activity (S.I. No. 31 of 2016 Non-Commercial Pot Fishing (Lobster and Crab) Regulations 2016) which inter alia limits the numbers of pots permitted per boat to a maximum of six, and such pot fishing to the months of May to September.

Any mariners who spot any Marker Buoys/Ropes (or any other object) in the water which is deemed to represent a danger to navigation should communicate information on same to other vessels in the area and to the Irish Coast Guard, or to the local competent authority so that a hazard warning can be issued if appropriate, and any required follow-up action can be taken.

Dredging on the Burford Bank

Next here on Seascapes to Dublin Bay and the concerns being raised by the Irish Underwater Council about the spoil from dredging on the Burford Bank , they have no argument with the Dublin Port Company but question the methods of the Environmental Protection Agency ...... we talked to Marine Biologist and diver Dr Tim Butter about his early interest in the marine and what the concerns of the diving community are ....

Dr Tim Butter talking to Seascapes about the dredging of Dublin Bay , here on Seascapes next Friday we’ll be speaking with Eamonn O’Reilly , Chief Executive of Dublin Port Company in a wide ranging interview on the dredging operation , the newly opened Seafarers Centre and the Starboard Home concert in the National Concert Hall later this month.....

Dinghy Festival

So on to Galway and to Pierce Purcell – on the Dinghy Festival happening next month in Galway Bay Sailing Club and other activities on the Western seaboard....

Galway Bay Sailing club's specially set up website for information on theevent.www.dinghyfest.com as part of the Access and Participation Strategy of ISA this is part of the Try Sailing initiative to encourage bigger and better regional events encouraging sailors to travel and support their classes.

One of the next big events is a 1720 White Sails Try Sailing Challenge to be held as part of Cork Week. Many clubs are entering teams and encouraging at least one junior to be part of the crew. Royal Cork are training a team from a local company who up to a couple of weeks ago never sailed before as their representatives.

The 2016 Cork City Marathon took place last Bank Holiday Monday there was a 5 person relay team supporting the RNLI, Paula Mulcahy, Tom O'Connor, Olivia Wall, Jane Carbery and ouresteemed colleague John Lynch. ....bravo all for raising funds for the lifeboats....you can see their photo on the Seascapes webpage

RNLI

The RNLI this week launched its annual national drowning prevention campaign, Respect the Water, and this year the charity is warning the public to watch out for key dangers that can catch people out in or near water.

The campaign which will run throughout the summer months comes a week after the RNLI, the Coast Guard and Irish Water Safety issued a joint statement advising caution to those engaged in recreational activities in or near water during hot weather as the number of call outs rose sharply.

To our Seascapes competition which was for copies of The Story of the James Caird by Harding McGregor Dunnett courtesy of The Collins Press ...the winners who correctly ansewered that the whaling station was in Stromness are .....

David Bannister, Raheen , Limerick

Grace Tierney , Stamullen, Co Meath

Dave Atrill ,Little Oakley, Harwich

The World Ships Society

Next to the era of the Cold War with shades of the Hunt for Red October , we met up with Captain Dan Conley who was a guest of The World Ships Society , Cobh Branch and was a visitor to the Irish Naval base on Haulbowline where he gave an illustrated talk on his submarine exploits, we asked him about the reality of life below the waves and the legacy of Clare man John Philip Holland...........

Captain Dan Conley author of “Cold War Command “ and distinguished submariner who we met when he was a recent guest of the World Ships Society , Cobh Branch and gave a highly entertaining illustrated talk at the Naval Base in Haulbowline....

“ Cork and Irish rowing was shocked by the unexpected death of Paul ( Sindy ) McCarthy of Cork Boat Club. Involved in rowing all his life, Sindy, as he was known to all, won the 1987/88 Cork Sculling Ladder and the Men’s Intermediate Eight Championship of Ireland with Cork Boat Club in 1990.

In between, he competed with Clonmel Rowing Club at Henley Royal Regatta when they were short a few decent oarsmen.

Paul is survived by his wife Claire and daughter Fia. He will be missed by all. May he rest in peace.”

This year’s must-see summer exhibition, ‘Race to the End of the Earth’ from the American Museum of Natural History, will be on display at Titanic Belfast for the first time, from 25th June to 28th August.

“ Next week here on Seascapes , Eamonn O Reilly , Chief Executive of Dublin Port Company in a wide ranging interview talks to Seascapes about “ Starboard Home” – the premiere of which takes place on Wednesday 22nd June in The National Concert Hall and the daily work of this country’s busiest port , we’ll meet some of the Sail trainees who crewed on the visiting “Morgenster “ as part of Sail Training Ireland’s Summer programme....,we visit the newly opened “ Seafarers Centre on Alexandra Road in Dublin Port where we met Ships Visitor ,Dermot Desmond of The Mission to Seafarers in a magnificent facility that they share with Stella Maris....funded and built by the Dublin Port Company and with a major contribution from the International Transport Federation – the seamen’s union ...all that and much more here on Seascapes , until next Friday night , tight lines and fair sailing .”

Record 65 yachts to arrive in Wicklow Town for 2016 Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race

On Saturday 18th June, the epic Volvo Round Ireland departs Wicklow Bay… this is one of the biggest and most gruelling off-shore challenges in the world attracting entrants from all 5 continents.

This is the biggest ever race since the race was founded in 1980 with a record 65 entrants starting to arrive next week (that compares with just 36 entries over the last two sailings of the race).

Some of the biggest and fastest will take part in this year’s race, including the UK’s fastest off-shore yacht – the spectacular Mod 70 Concise Ten.

Meanwhile renowned US sailor, Lloyd Thornburg will be bringing his MOD 70 Phaedo 3 to Wicklow following an incredibly successful run of world records and regatta wins. The world-famous superfast multihull, capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots, has already set multiple speed records on the international circuit.

In a major nod towards the prestige of the Volvo Round Ireland, the Sultanate of Oman is sending their flagship trimaran, the magnificent Mod 70 Musandam-Oman Sail, to compete in this year’s race.

They will be joined by yachts of all sizes including small two-handers with family crews. As the race is all on handicap, the tiny boats have just as much of a chance of winning as the super yachts. 

Marcus Connaughton

Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme Seascapes ...this week more on Cork Harbour Festival with Eimear Fitzgerald of Meitheal Mara ....... as boats are back in the water its time to get those Life Jacketss tested but more importantly if your near the water this weekend wear a lifejacket ..... we meet Liam Meagher and hear about The Rebel Plunge; reporter Joe MAG RAOILLAIGH on Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s – Fishing for Litter campaign on board ; British Ambassador to Ireland Dominick Chilcott on HMS Caroline and the Battle of Jutland as HMS Caroline opened this week to visitors in Belfast ............ author of The Lure of Far Away Places - Norman Freeman on “Tragedy off the coast of Brazil which features in his recent book ...music from Molgoggers fresh from their recent visit to the Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival and “Hard on the Beach Oar” .......first this week on Seascapes to a new initiative ....... Marine litter currently poses a dire, vast and growing threat to the marine and coastal environment.... that's according to the United Nations Environment Programme that advises the UN on environmental matters. Every year millions of tons of manmade litter ends up in the world oceans, much of it that lasts for years as we heard from students in Midleton some months ago ......... our waters are no exception and litter is now a constant presence.......... That's why Bord Iascaigh Mhara the seafood development agency is asking Irish fishing boats to start fishing for litter..... here's a report from RTE’s Joe MAG RAOILLAIGH aboard the Celtic Chieftain prawn trawler...........Scroll down the page to listen to the podcast

That was skipper of the Celtic Chieftain Patrick Smyth finishing that report for Seascapes from Joe Mag Raollaigh and further information about Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s Fishing for Litter programme is available from the agency......

Clare County Council is urging visitors to Clare’s main beaches this June Bank Holiday Weekend to take responsibility for their rubbish by bringing it home with them.

The Council has employed additional resources to deal with the increase in litter that has resulted from the rise in visitor numbers to beaches such as Kilkee, Lahinch and Spanish Point. The local authority says it is also installing additional refuse facilities at Clare’s Blue Flags in an effort to minimise littering while litter wardens have been deployed to monitor littering activity.

Next here on Seascapes to the Cork Harbour Festival which runs over the coming week ..Eimear Fitzgerald of Meitheal Mara who previewed Ocean to City – An Ras Mor last Friday has more this week ...

Eimear Fitzgerald of Meitheal Mara on The Cork Harbour Festival....

Across the harbour, East Cork communities can enjoy a bonanza of outdoor fun. Swell Surf School will offer special rates on surfing and coasteering lessons, Whitegate Rowing Club will host a coastal rowing regatta, and Aghada Eco Adventures will host an afternoon of free family fun with kayaking and water trampolining! For those with an archaeological interest, Neptune Kayak offer a unique tour to visit Ireland’s only inter-tidal megalithic tomb at Poulnalibe creek, Rostellan.

Crosshaven, Passage West and Cobh will all host events, with the Irish Navy offering a glimpse into life in the defence forces, with free naval vessel tours in Cobh. Cork Nature Network will lead a scenic harbour bird watching walk along Mahon Point, and Cork Singer’s Club will round off a busy day with a rousing evening of sea shanties and folksong at ‘Songs of the Sea’ in the Spailpín Fánach, Cork City. The full festival programme of over 50 events is available online at www.corkharbourfestival.com

You can visit the oldest yacht club in the world the Royal Cork and Try Sailing or hear about the history of the club from archivist Dermot Burns ....

Next here on Seascapes from the Cork Harbour Festival to South America and this tale from the writer and broadcaster Norman Freeman taken from his most recent collection of stories “ The Lure of Far Away Places “ ....this a “Tragedy off the Coast of Brazil “ .....

Tragedy Off the Coast of Brazil by Norman Feeman....this week saw the centenary of the Battle of Jutland and the opening in Belfast in The Titanic Quarter of the only surviving vessel whicxh has been restored the HMS Caroline which we hope to bring you more about in coming months ...however lets hear from the British Ambassador to Ireland HE Dominick Chilcott whom we spoke to some time ago about the vessel....

Seascapes and Sail Training Ireland are offering the opportunity to one lucky individual between the age of 18 to 30 to a complimentary bursary voyage on board one of Sail Training Ireland’s vessels this season .
What we want you to do is write to us and in no more than 400 words tell us about an individual that you would care to nominate for this bursary and why

...you can send your correspondence by letter to Sail Training Ireland Bursary, Seascapes , RTE Radio 1, Fr Mathew Street, Cork or by email to [email protected] .
The closing date for entries for this Seascapes / Sail Training Ireland Bursary is Friday 24th June and we’ll be announcing the winner on Seascapes on Friday 1st July . The judging panel will be drawn from the Seascapes team and the board of Sail Training Ireland ....so send those letters and emails now...we’ll have all the details on the Seascapes webpage.......www.rte.ie/radio1/seascapes you can also visit the Sail Training Ireland website which is www.sailtrainingireland.com

Finally this week to the Rebel Plunge – which takes place on the River Lee next week ...Liam Meagher has all the details

You can read more about Open Water Swimming on the Seascapes webpage .....Do take care on or near the water ......

Well that’s about it for this week , on the sound desk this week Niall O Sullivan , next week here on Seascapes we meet Submariner Captain Dan Conley , author of “Cold War Command” who was a recent visitor and guest of the World Ship Society , Cobh Branch when we met up at the Naval Base in Haulbowline.....we bring you the story of the Nelly Fleming which sailed out of Youghal and was the subject of a recent book by Mike Hackett, Ron Coveney tells us about his strong family ties to the Nelly Fleming and the bond that existed between himself and his grandfather who sailed aboard the vessel..... Pierce Purcell has news of activity on the Western seaboard ...... we’ll have the results of our James Caird competition and as concern mounts over the dumping of spoil in Dublin Bay at the Burford Bank we talk to diver and Marine biologist Tim Butter about the site which is in a Special Area of Conservation........All that and much more here on Seascapes , until next Friday night, tight lines and fair sailing .”

Marcus Connaughton

Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme Seascapes, this week we hear from Gery Flynn, Features Editor of Inshore Ireland magazine about the latest edition ; before we preview the Cork Harbour Festival next Friday we hear from Eimear Fitzgerald about Ocean to City – An Ras Mor which goes ahead next weekend ; Hugh Oram on the shipbuilding tradition in Waterford and Whyte’s ...........This weekend the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival is in full swing where you can see a replica of the James Caird bound for Dingle about which we’ll hear more shortly and we have copies of Harding McGregor Dunnett’s book “The Story of the James Caird “ courtesy of The Collins Press .... the United States Coastguard Cutter Eagle pays a visit to Dublin’s Sir John Rogerson Quay – not to be missed and we have details of a Sail Training Ireland / Seascapes competition for a voyage aboard one of their vessels this Summer and how you can take part by nominating an individual between 18 to 30 years of age......first on Seascapes to the 2nd year of the Marine Industry Awards hosted by the National Maritime College of Ireland which will be held at the end of next month as part of Sea Fest , so we met up with Kevin O Driscoll here on Seascapes to hear about the Awards

Those Marine Awards take place in Galway on 30th June.....
Next here on Seascapes to our Galway Studios where the Features Editor of Inshore Ireland magazine has all the detail on their Spring issue....

The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, America’s Tall Ship, arrived in Dublin, on Thursday, Eagle will moor up at Sir Rogerson’s Quay Wall.......... Barque Eagle will be open for free public tours on the following dates and times:

• Saturday, May 28th: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Sunday, May 29th: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Monday, May 30th: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

At 90 meters (295ft) in length, Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the stars and stripes and the only active square-rigger in United States government service. Constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, , and originally commissioned as Horst Wessell by the German Navy,
Eagle was a war reparation for the United States following World War II. Eagle is a three-masted barque with more than 6797 square meters (22,300 sqFt) of sail and 9.7 kilometers of rigging. Eagle has served as a classroom at sea to future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience as part of the Coast Guard Academy curriculum.

The last time Barque Eagle visited here was to the port of Waterford in 2011 a month prior to The Tall Ships visit........ After departing Dublin, Eagle will set her course for London,
For a continuous stream of information about Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, including port cities, tour schedules, current events and cadet and active duty crewmember photographs, follow the “U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle” Facebook page. All U.S. Coast Guard imagery is public domain and can be shared widely.

Next here on Seascapes to Eimear Fitzgerald of Meitheal Mara with the details of next weekend’s Ocean to City – An Ras Mor...

Later this year on Seascapes , your maritime programme we’ll be bringing news of a major development to create awareness of the work done by Sail Training Ireland whom we’ve featured regularly on the programme since their foundation and indeed covered their annual awards ceremony at the beginning of the year. Sail Training Ireland is the National Sail Training Organisation of Ireland and a Charity with Youth Development at its core. Their aim is to make Sail Training voyages on Tall Ships and Sailing Vessels accessible for the young people of Ireland.
Sail Training Ireland is a member of Sail Training International and represents Ireland on the International Council and Board of Trustees of Sail Training International. As it happens in the coming weeks this year’s programme of opportunities for Sail Trainees takes off in earnest with the chance for those interested to go aboard the various vessels being used by Sail Training Ireland including “The Maybe” ; “The Spirit of Oysterhaven” and latest addition “The Brian Boru” .

To coincide with the imminent visit of the “Morgenster “ which we were last aboard at Drogheda’s Maritime Festival last Summer we have a special announcement to make here on Seascapes.

In my role as Goodwill Ambassador for Sail Training Ireland sporting my snazziest bow tie .........Seascapes and Sail Training Ireland are offering the opportunity to one lucky individual between the age of 18 to 30 to a complimentary bursary voyage on board one of Sail Training Ireland’s vessels this season . What we want you to do is write to us and in no more than 400 words tell us about an individual that you would care to nominate for this bursary and why ...you can send your correspondence by letter to Sail Training Ireland Bursary, Seascapes , RTE Radio 1, Fr Mathew Street, Cork or by email to [email protected] .
The closing date for entries for this Seascapes / Sail Training Ireland Bursary is Friday 24th June and we’ll be announcing the winner on Seascapes on Friday 1st July . The judging panel will be drawn from the Seascapes team and the board of Sail Training Ireland ....so send those letters and emails now...we’ll have all the details on the Seascapes webpage.......www.rte.ie/radio1/seascapes you can also visit the Sail Training Ireland website which is www.sailtrainingireland.com
Those details on those Sail Training opportunities ....can be found on the Seascapes webpage but do hurry as there are only a few berths available ......

Hugh Oram on the historic port of Waterford anmd the Whytes ........you can read more about the great Clippers in Daniel J Nolan’s fine book on the topic.....
Kevin Kenny of Athy Heritage Centre has been in touch with a link to details of the James Caird installation The website for the JamesCaird100 is www.JamesCaird100.org.
, at the end of last year we spoke to Brendan O Brien , gransdson of Tom Crean about the vessel....

Brendan O Brien talking to Seascapes about the James Caird , to win those copies of Harding McGregor Dunnett’s book just name the whaling station that a hundred years ago last weekend as Eugen Furlong reminded us was indentified by Crean and Shackleton by the seal factory whistle.....

“Next week here on Seascapes we talk to Eimear Fitzgerald about the Cork Harbour Festival ; we’ll have music from The Molgoggers ; Joe MagRiollaig brings us news of a Bord Iascaigh Mhara initiative “Fishing for Litter” ....we hear about the Rebel Plunge ; more on that bursary courtesy of Seascapes and Sail Training Ireland ..............all that and much here on Seascapes , until next Friday night , tight lines and fair sailing. “

Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme Seascapes,  this week we congratulate Finn Lynch who is the latest member of the Irish sailing team bound for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro following the World Championships in Mexico this week......Laura Hannon visits Tourin House near Cappoquin on the banks of An Abhainn Mor for Seascapes where she meets with Dennis Murray and hears about the great rowing tradition on the Munster Blackwater..............

First this week on Seascapes to an award winning documentary film maker from Tipperary – Richie O Donnell who has produced a fine piece of work which follows the fortunes of three small fishing communities in Galway ; Norway and Newfoundland as they struggle to maintain their way of life in the face of mounting economic and ecological challenges , a few weeks ago Richie O Donnell came into studio and we discussed how “Atlantic “ took shape......

Here on Seascapes we’re talking with documentary film maker Richie O Donnell about his latest release “Atlantic “ which also looks at the issue of super trawlers which appear in Irish waters off the West Coast with devastating effect....

You can see “Atlantic “ in The Abbey Tavern in Howth next Thursday evening , tickets are available from the venue –Admission is €7 euro ., the screening is being hosted by Friends of Howth Maritime Museum ...many thanks to Pat Murphy for alerting Seascapes to this screening , the narration on “Atlantic” is by distinguished actor Brendan Gleeson.....

Congratulations to a young man whom we’ve been following for over a decade here on Seascapes .........At the Laser class World Championships in Mexico on Wednesday night 20 year old Finn Lynch from Carlow became the youngest ever Irish sailing helmsman to qualify for the Olympic Games.

The World Championships was the third and final trial in the selection series for three contenders including London 2012 veteran James Espey along with up and coming Baltimore sailor Fionn Lyden. James Espey led by 6 points going into the final trial but finished 24 places behind Finn. Fionn Lyden narrowed the gap on James by finishing 11 places ahead of him at the Worlds but still finished the trial third.

Sailing for the National Yacht Club, Finn Lynch emerged from the four day preliminary round of the world championship as the only Irish sailor to reach the Gold fleet for the top 56 competitors in the 112-strong event. That result helped secure an advantage over Espey and Lyden who sailed the finals in the separate Silver fleet, overall they finished 67th and 78th respectively. Lynch placed 54th in the Gold and overall. ........

Competing in the Men’s single-handed event, Lynch will now join newcomers Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey along with London 2012 veteran Annalise Murphy and Ryan Seaton with Matt McGovern to be nominated by the board of the Irish Sailing Association to the Olympic Council of Ireland for inclusion in the Irish team at Rio 2016

Next here on Seascapes to An Abhainn Mor , a few weeks ago Laura Hannon headed for Cappoquin and Tourin House on the river to meet up with Dennis Murray....

The film “Badoiri “ is being screened on RTE One Television on Monday night .....Using still images and film footage taken over thirty years ago photographer Joe St Leger tells the story of capturing images of the last of the hooker boatmen of Connemara.

For centuries Galway hookers sailed the waters of Galway Bay transporting people, goods and animals and connecting remote coastal communities with the Aran Islands, Galway city and market towns like Kinvara. Celebrated every year in the annual Cruinniu na mBad...... Transport and fishing once provided work for hundreds of these boats and their crews but by the 1960s their working days were coming to an end and many old boats were abandoned.

In the 1980’s attempts were made to revive interest in the craft starting with the annual Crinniú na mBád or Gathering of the Boats in Kinvara and to preserve for future generations the skills needed to build and to sail them.......

This film “ Badoiri “ by Joe St Leger uses photographs taken during the revival to document what remained of the Galway hookers and of the people aboard .....the film can be seen this Monday night 23rd May @ 7.30pm on RTE One Television not to be missed...........

This weekend also on television you can see Kenneth Branagh as “Shackleton “ marking the centenary of the loss of The Endurance on More 4 on this Sunday night @ 9.00pm .....

Next Friday night prior to the opening of the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival ....John Kearon will give an illustrated talk on the restoration of the “ASGARD “.....conserving Erskine Childers historic yacht...

Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme Seascapes, this week we have a report from last weekend’s commemoration in Ventry of the O‘Rahilly from Grainne McPolin for Seascapes, we’ll also be hearing from historian Brandn O Ciobhain on the background to the event ; Sarah Murphy visits the world heritage site and exotic maritime heritage port city of Valparaiso in Chile at the foot of the Andes and we’ll hear the music of Astor Piazzolla arriving by land rather than by sea .................first this week here on Seascapes we met up with scientist Denis Crowley in Galway some weeks ago as the Skipper Expo was concluding, we talked to Denis about his work as a scientist with the Marine Institute in Galway, the Holland 1 ROV and the research vessels Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer.....................here then is Denis Crowley.........

The Atlantic Ocean Climate Scholars Programme 2016 is an intensive, accredited workshop aimed at examining how climate and oceans interact, with particular examples from the Atlantic Ocean and higher latitudes. The workshop will consist of lectures, practical sessions and fieldtrips delivered by experts from Ireland and Germany. It is open to International postgraduate students (Masters and Doctoral) of marine, atmosphere and climate-related sciences and will be held in Galway, Ireland from 12 to 20 September 2016.

Atlantic Ocean Climate Scholars is a collaboration between the Strategic Marine Alliance for Research & Training (SMART), NUI Galway, Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Partnership for the Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), the Helmholtz Climate programme REKLIM and is supported by the Nippon Foundation.

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The impacts of human activities on natural climate mechanisms will be examined in detail with reference to the 2013 IPCC Assessment Report. All major components of the climate system will be addressed, with special focus on the Atlantic Ocean and its ecosystems. Tools for modelling and observations will be presented, as well as sessions on policy and societal response to global climate change. Workshop sessions will focus on:
· The role of the carbon system in the ocean

· The role of Marine Ecosystems and the services they provide

· The basic science that underpins Climate Modelling

· Future tools for modelling, measuring and observing the Atlantic Ocean

· Climate policy, legal framework, and marine management for the Atlantic Ocean

Applications to join Atlantic Climate are through online application form and will remain open until the deadline of Friday 3 June 2016 at 18:00 UTC. Further information is available on the SMART Website or by contacting [email protected]. Also please find attached the event poster for Atlantic Ocean Climate Scholars Programme 2016.

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Dr John Treacy whom we spoke to recently.... has been appointed Honorary Research Officer for the Maritime Institute of Ireland, who operate the National Maritime Museum of Ireland. Over the next five years he will be conducting academic research and publication to promote and preserve Ireland's rich and diverse maritime heritage. He hope’s this will serve to increase awareness of the critical place maritime affairs have had; past, present and future, to the political, social and economic well-being of the island of Ireland.......Congratulations John from Seascapes and the maritime community .....fair sailing”

Next here on Seascapes to South America and a city whose streets are resplendent with multi coloured buildings and avenues of Jacaranda trees, Sara Murphy travelled to Valparaiso and has this tale about the World Heritage site for Seascapes .....

Sarah Murphy on the historic city of Valparaiso, the music was “Libertango “ from Astor Piazzolla and you can see some of Sarah’s photographs of Valparaiso on the Seascapes webpage ...
www .rte.ie/radio1/seascapes

We’ll be bring you highlights from the H.E. President Michael D Higgins visit to Banna Strand and the Casement commemorations here on Seascapes in a few weeks time .....

The Kerry Amateur Radio Group will participate as an Award Station in this year's International Marconi Day event on tomorrow Saturday 23rd April, which celebrates the birthday of “the father of radio communications,” Gugliemo Marconi.
The group of Amateur Radio enthusiasts will set up a radio communications station at Colaiste Brhreanainn on the site of the former Marconi Station in Ballybunion, Co. Kerry.

Amateur Radio operators worldwide will participate in the international event which will see them attempt to make radio contact with special stations set up at the location of former Marconi radio communication stations like the one in Ballybunion.
A certificate is awarded to those Amateur Radio operators who make successful radio contact with a prescribed number of Marconi stations.

The Marconi station in Ballybunnion made history by establishing the first transatlantic voice radio transmission in March 1919 to the Marconi Station located at Louisberg, Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland.

The Kerry Amateur Radio Group have previously participated in this event, making radio contacts with Amateur Radio operators in countries and continents all over the globe including the Falkland Islands, Russia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Africa and America to name a few.

Some details of the event and the history of the Marconi station can be found on the Amateur Radio website QRZ.com at the following address http://qrz.com/db/ei6yxq

Next here on Seascapes to the Kerry village of Ventry where last weekend Ventry Historical Society held a Centenary Commemoration in honour of the O’Rahilly, the dedication ceremony of a marble bench looking out to sea took place last Saturday in glorious weather, originally from Ballylongford, Michael O Rahilly bought a Summer house in Ventry where he and his wife wanted their children to be fluent in the Irish language. The commemoration was a celebration of the life of The O Rahilly, Grainne McPolin went along for Seascapes to meet historian Brendan O Ciobhain ..........

At a special ceremony held on Saturday last, Sligo Bay RNLI officially named its new Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Sheila & Dennis Tongue, at its station in Rosses Point. You can see and read more on the Seascapes webpage.....

Peter Killen, a member of the Irish Council of the RNLI, accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the RNLI before handing her over into the care of Sligo Bay Lifeboat Station. He paid tribute to the donors Sheila & Dennis Tongue who had left a generous legacy to the RNLI in recognition of the vital life-saving work of the charity and as a thank-you for the happy days they spent living on the coast at Exmouth.

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The couple were born in Birmingham in the 1920s and on Dennis’s retirement they moved to Devon where they lived until their eighties, overlooking the coast. The couple did not have any children and it was during their retirement that they came to know and admire the work of the RNLI and recognise its place in the life of the communities it served.

The couple were represented today by their nephews Raymond and Philip Tongue who travelled to Ireland for the special occasion.
Philip had the honour of officially naming the lifeboat during the ceremony which was also attended by the donor family of Elsinore, Sligo Bay’s former lifeboat which during her 13 years on service launched 189 times and brought 155 people to safety.
The new state of the art Atlantic 85 lifeboat was introduced into the RNLI fleet in 2005. The lifeboat is 8.4 metres in length and weighs 1.8 tonnes. Improvements on its predecessor include a faster top speed of 35 knots, radar, provision for a fourth crew member and more space for survivors.
Since the new lifeboat went on service on Sligo Bay in November it has launched four times to call outs.

During the event, Willie Murphy, Sligo Bay RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said the naming ceremony and service of dedication was a wonderful occasion in the history of the lifeboat station, and marked the tremendous generosity of Sheila and Dennis Tongue.
‘It is wonderful to have the opportunity to thank the family directly for this amazing generosity. We assure you that you will always have a warm welcome here among us and we genuinely hope you will come and visit. We also commit to you our utmost dedication in ensuring that this wonderful new lifeboat is indeed a lifesaver in Sligo Bay.’

A lifeboat station was established at Sligo Bay in 1998. Situated at Rosses Point it is flanked by stations at Ballyglass to the south and Bundoran to the north.
In 1998, a D class lifeboat was sent to the station for evaluation and in 1999 an Atlantic 21 class lifeboat B-525 Spix’s Macaw was placed on temporary station duty on 12 March.
An Atlantic 21 class lifeboat B-512 US Navy League was placed on station on the 26 October.
On the 2 February 2002, B-781 Elsinore, an Atlantic 75 class, was put on service.
The new lifeboat, an Atlantic 85 and the latest version of the B class, was placed on service on the 19 November last year.
A crowd of well-wishers turned up to see the lifeboat officially named today with a bottle of champagne poured over the side of the boat before it launched at the end of the ceremony.

This summer Sailing In Dublin Club are planning to cruise right around Ireland on their club yacht "Silver Wind", with a number of weeks on the South, West and North Coasts of Ireland. If you are interested in joining them for a week or more contact [email protected]
Also artist Brian Palm has an exhibition in Duke Street Gallery running until the end of May on “The Myths of the Helga” which was opened last Thursday by Commodore Hugh Tully, Flag Officer Commanding, The Naval Service and attended by His Excellency Dominick Chilcott, British Ambassador to Ireland......you can see more on the Seascapes webpage ......

Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme Seascapes ...(scroll down to listen) this week maritime historian Sean Rickard writes about the Shannon Turf Boats; we have a report from the recent Fishermans Friend Irish Mens Shed Association Awards held in the National Maritime Museum we’ll be hearing from Barry Sheridan, CEO of the Irish Mens Shed Association and Martin Stimson from Fishermans Friend, we’ll also meet Adrian Holden and Ray Byrne of the Cooley Peninsula Mens Shed Group members of the Irish Mens Shed Association who were overall winners of The Fishermans Friend Award ........first this week to Youghal where Ron Coveney went along for Seascapes to visit Safehaven Marine who are designers and builders of Pilot boats; patrol boats; crew transfer vessels; hydrographic survey catamarans and military craft, the company was established in 1996 and is based in Youghal and Little Island, they have built over one hundred and ten vessels and have supplied craft to over twenty six countries worldwide and are leaders in their field ..............we hear about one of their unique designs “The Barracuda“ as Ron Coveney spoke to Managing Director Frank Kowalski ..........

Frank Kowalski, Managing Director of SafeHaven Marine in Youghal talking to Ron Coveney for Seascapes ... you can see and read more on the Seascapes webpage and also you can visit the SafeHaven Marine website 

Next here on Seascapes to the Shannon and its riverine heritage Sean Rickard has this account of The Shannon Turf Boats...

“ Even before the arrival of the Vikings, the River Shannon was used by indigenous people as a local highway for traffic serving the various communities and villages along its banks. Traffic only crossed at opposite sides of the river but also served to transport goods and people along great stretches to opposite ends of the river system. This riverine traffic increased significantly in the late 18th Century on the expansion of regional metropoli like Limerick Kilrush and Ennis and following the construction of the canals that linked the Shannon with Dublin. Much of the traffic remained regional and here we examine the historic turf trade on the lower part of the Shannon Estuary.

Like all maritime transport, using a waterway was smoother, safer and more efficient throughout history than the alternative use of terrestrial transportation . Who would build and maintain roads and protect them from Highwaymen? So riverine traffic at this section of the river remained very popular, particularly at serving the city of Limerick and conversely the rural hinterland well into the 20th Century largely attributed to the proximity of a large bog at Poolnasherry one of the main suppliers of turf to Limerick and as a regional port of convenience to transatlantic trade. Indeed, Limerick enjoyed a similar with Shannonside towns as Galway city has with the nearby Aran Islands.

During the riverine turf transporting period, mostly small hookers along with other small vessels collectively plied the River Shannon .....Though Cots, Gandelows, Curraghs, Gabbards and other vessels ran turf along the Shannon, by far the most popular vessel in the trade from the 18th Century to its demise was the Shannon Hooker.

These vessels were generally very similar if not identical to the modern replica “Sally O’Keefe” itself built in Querrin near Scattery Island, many vessels in the trade....as the shipwrights that built them would attest had a close resemblance to the Galway Hookers such as Leath Bhads; Gleoiteogs and Pucans with obvious differences in construction.

In 1845 an average turf boat normally employed a boatman and a boy or indeed two men and a young lad for the larger vessels and they normally earned about £200 pounds a year. They transported turf which was in the main landed at Arthurs’ Quay in Limerick City and these vessels often returned with a variety of cargoes sourced at Limerick. Turf boats were predominantly owned by the prominent merchants in their respective communities but were also owned by turf dealers in the city of Limerick.

Over the centuries there were several tragic losses and tall tales about turf boats kept alive in folk memory and handed down as part of the oral tradition of the riverine communities. All traditional sea and riverine faring often invoked a strong belief in the supernatural . One custom among the Shannon boatmen was described by local writer of the period Gerald Griffin in 1833 who wrote ...

“ .......it is perhaps, not generally known, even in Ireland, that the Shannon, which derives its name from its patron, St Senanus, is yet further honoured by the countenance of two minor spiritual dignitaries, Saints Margeret and Martin.

The former is looked up to in all cases of peril on the water, and every good boatman preserves a faithful copy of her remarkable life about his person, as an infallible talisman; offering up occasionally a few paters and aves to win more special regard. St Martin however, on the contrary, seems to win their homage and attention in some countries, rather out of fear than out of respect.

A holiday is kept to honour him once a year and they seem to understand his temper so well, that if chance, or accident, should blow them out of harbour during its tedious lapse, they anticipate, with no little degree of certainty, some unprecedented calamity. With such prepossessions, it was no wonder it should have excited the astonishment of all boatmen on the river, to see, on one of those festivals of rest, the Coobah, a handsome cutter rigged turf boat, off Ringmoylan, beating up against a strong easterly gale, which was every hour becoming more formidable ...”

As Sean Rickard writes such stories as this by Gerald Griffin would vanish in a lifetime, as the Shannon turf trade ended at Limerick City shortly before the Great War, and though efforts had been made to revive it, it has passed into the realm of our cherished maritime heritage. The Story of the Shannon Turf Boats by Sean Rickard – you can read this and see a photo of the Sally O’Keefe on the Seascapes webpage......

Well from the River Shannon to the National Maritime Museum where a few weeks ago the Irish Mens Shed Association and the Awards sponsor Fishermans Friend held an exhibition of artworks created by Mens Shed groups throughout the island of Ireland to encapsulate the essence of what the Mens Shed concept represents Seascapes spoke to Barry Sheridan, CEO of Irish Mens Shed Association and Marin Stimson of Fishermans Friend....

Well from the background of the event to the overall winners the Mens Shed Group from the Cooley Peninsula, we can hear from Ray Byrne in a moment first to Adrian Holden of The Cooley Peninsula Mens Shed Group...

The MOD 70s, Musandam – OmanSail and Concise 10 have registered as entrants to the 2016 Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race.

Ned Collier-Wakefield will bring Concise 10 to Wicklow in June after having picked up his weight in rum as the prize for winning the Grand Prix Multi Hull event and smashing the all-time course record in the Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race in March.

Musandam – OmanSail holds the record for a circumnavigation of the island of Ireland under sail, achieved in May of last year and the team are looking forward to beating this record in a race setting. The Omani team in 2016 will be much the same as last year, with their skipper Sidney Gavignet. However, we are excited to see that Kerryman Damian Foxall, a Round the World veteran, will return to their team for the 2016 Volvo Round Ireland.

The official race record for a monohull is held by Mike Slade who completed the race in 2 days 17 hours 48 minutes 47 seconds in ICAP Leopard 3 in 2008.

National award for new Doolin Pier development

The new Doolin Pier development has won the prestigious Irish Concrete Society Award for Infrastructural Projects delivered during 2015.

The award was presented this week to Clare County Council, the contractor L & M Keating Ltd; consulting engineers Punch Consulting, Malachy Walsh & Partners and the main material suppliers for the €6m project, namely Banagher Precast Concrete, Cairealacht Chill-Bhride Teo, Ryan Bros. (Ennis) and McGrath's Quarry.

Among the other shortlisted projects which competed for the Infrastructure Award were the Corrib Tunnel Infill in Co Mayo, the Cloghran AIS Substation in Dublin, Dublin Airport Concrete Apron, Carrigtwohill Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cork and Bridge Projects in Donegal, Sligo and Tyrone.

“Thats all for this weeks edition of Seascapes, on the sound desk this week Bryan Fitzpatrick, next Friday night we meet Dennis Crowley, a scientist at The Marine Institute in Galway ; Sara Murphy takes Seascapes listeners on a visit to Valparaiso, the World Heritage site in Chile a place and a port that resonates with the giants of Irish maritime history from Bransfield to Halpin, Admiral Guillermo Brown to Bernardo O’Higgins .....and we have a report from Ventry where this weekend a special ceremony takes place to mark the centenary.

Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme Seascapes ...(scroll down to listern). Hugh Oram talks to the programme about his latest book on Sandymount published by The History Press Ireland and we hear the story of Sandymount Pier .......The Venture Cup of Speedboat racing is coming here in July you can see and read more here ..... MARei has secured three quarters of a million euros in further funding from NTR ; Dr Edward Bourke will be giving a talk in Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club in Ringsend on Thursday next on “ Maritime Aspects of the 1916 Rising “ as the final talk in the series of Glenua Sailing Centre lecture season .....................first this week we bring you a report from last weekend’s Seminar on the Sea and the Easter Rising titled “ Revolution on an Island” and held in the National Maritime College of Ireland organised and hosted by The Irish Maritime Forum ...... the sessions were chaired by Dr John Borgonovo, School of History, University College Cork and by Commander Brian FitzGerald of the Naval Service, the event drew a large attendance in Ringaskiddy where we met many regular Seascapes listeners ... we’ll be talking to Dr Ian Speller and Dr John Treacy we hear first from Daire Brunicardi, retired Senior Lecturer at the National Maritime College he is a Master Mariner and a Fellow of the Nautical Institute he delivered a paper on The Royal Navy during the Easter Rising...

Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme Seascapes .....this week we’ll be hearing from
Richard McCormick, President of the Maritime Institute on the re publication of John de Courcy Irelands’ “The Sea and the Easter Rising “ also details about a series of illustrated talks over the coming months in The National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dun Laoghaire to mark the centenary of 1916 ; we preview the Maritime Forum scheduled for this Saturday in the National Maritime College of Ireland we’ll be speaking with James Robinson former President of The Nautical Institute and we mark the 10th Anniversary of John de Courcy Ireland’s passing...first to the National Maritime Museum of Ireland on Haigh Terrace in Dun Laoghaire and to Richard McCormick who explained to Seascapes the illustrated panels that can be seen in the Museum assembled by Padraic O Brolchain ......

Richard McCormick, President of the Maritime Institute, those lectures in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland began last month with Pat Murphy’s talk on the ASGARD, next Tuesday 5th April – Dr John Treacy will speak on The Silent Shore, The Aud, Roger Casement and Banna Strand ...whilst later this month Cormac Lowth will deliver a lecture on The Aud and The Helga in the 1916 Rising, you can find the full list of lectures on the Seascapes webpage – www.rte.ie/radio1/seascapes

Described as one of the greatest figures in our maritime history –Dr John de Courcy Ireland teacher, author, mariner, historian, adventurer and a great crusader for this country’s maritime and marine heritage passed away ten years ago on the 4th April in 2006 so we remember him with these extracts taken from a recording produced by The Marine Institute titled “The Seafaring Irish – A Life ..........

Dr John de Courcy Ireland author of many books including the recently republished “The Sea and the Easter Rising” available from The National Maritime Museum......John is the subject of an illustrated lecture in tribute to the highly respected maritime historian Dr John de Courcy Ireland on Thursday 9th June in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland ......

You can read more about Dr John de Courcy Ireland in Sailing By
Celebrating twenty five years of Seascapes published by The Liffey Press.....

On this Saturday The Irish Maritime Forum are hosting a one day seminar titled “ Revolution on an Island “ –The Maritime Aspects of the 1916 Rebellion at The National Maritime College of Ireland earlier today we spoke to James Robinson about the seminar and the contributing speakers.......

James Robinson on the one day seminar hosted by The Irish Maritime Forum – “Revolution on an Island” we’ll have a full report here on Seascapes next week.....

Well that’s it for this week here on Seascapes, next Friday night
We talk to Hugh Oram about his latest book on Sandymount published by “The History Press Ireland and also hear the tale of Sandymount Pier ; Bert Williams and his record cod of ninety three pounds ; we ‘ll have a full report from “Revolution on an Island” held in the National Maritime College of Ireland .... all that and much more here on Seascapes.....until next Friday night, tight lines and fair sailing. “

Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme Seascapes .......this week we hear more from the recent Dive Ireland Conference in Athlone with Richard Thorne and Rory Golden; we have music from John Beag O Flatharta from Conamara ; the winners of the history of Irish Water Safety by Tiarnan O Sullivan in our Seascapes competition ...first this week to the Lewis Symposium held at the National Maritime College of Ireland which we featured a few weeks ago we’ll be hearing from Margaret Stack ; Georgina Foley and Professor Robert Devoy .......we hear first from one of the great innovators of Ocean energy - Professor Stephen Salter, Emeritus Professor of Edinburgh University who addressed the gathering on the history of Ocean energy .....

From Emeritus Professor Stephen Salter to Professor Margaret Stack of the University of Strathclyde .....

Well from Strathclyde in Scotland and Professor Margaret Stack to Professor Robert Devoy of the Coastal Marine Research Centre ...

The voice there of Georgina Foley in The Beaufort Building from the recent Lewis Symposium honouring Emeritus Professor Tony Lewis ......

Following a four month delay, World Sailing (formerly ISAF) have confirmed that Ireland’s Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey have qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the 49erFX event.

News yesterday that Africa would not enter the event released another European place and as the next in line based on the world championships in Argentina, Providence Team IRL's Brewster and Tidey have secured qualification for Ireland. We congratulate them...

So to our competition which was for copies of the History of Irish Water Safety by Tiarnan O Sulliva , we asked you tell us where they have their headquarters ..the Answer was Galway and our winners from a large entry are ;-

Dave Attrill of Harwich

Margaret Bourke of Thurles, Co Tipperary

Peter Mc Gettigan , Lifford , Co Donegal

We return to the recent Dive Irland Conference in Athlone where we met a great friend of the programme and a regular contributor to Seascapes – Flagship Scubas Rory Golden

From Rory Golden to Richard Thorne who had a piece in the latest edition of SUBSEA Ireland’s only diving magazine ..Richard talked to Seascapes about snorkelling.....

On Monday night I was in Cobh for a fundraising night by the World Ship Society , Cobh branch where they had music by Molgoggers and raised a considerable sum for the Ballycotton RNLI Lifeboat Station ......and the following day I was at the Mens Shed gathering in the National Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire in an event supported by Fishermans Friend , we’ll hear more in the coming weeks and we’ll talking to the overall winners from the Cooley Peninsula...........

Well that’s it for this week here on Seascapes, next Friday night Richard McCormick, President of the Maritime Institute on the republication of John de Courcy Ireland's’ “The Sea and the Easter Rising “ by The National Maritime Museum and a series of illustrated talks over the coming months to mark the centenary of 1916 ; we preview the Maritime Forum scheduled for next weekend in the National Maritime College of Ireland ; and we mark the 10th Anniversary of John de Courcy Ireland’s passing we have all that and much more here on Seascapes, Happy Easter ... ...until next Friday night, tight lines and fair sailing. “

"Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme Seascapes .....this week we hear from Noel McDonagh of Lost At Sea Tragedies – L.A.S.T who we met at the recent Skipper Expo in Galway – we have copies of the History of Irish Water Safety by Tiarnan O Sullivan in our Seascapes competition ....first this week to the Dive Ireland Conference held recently in Athlone on the shores of Lough Ree hosted by Athlone Sub Aqua Club in the Hodson Bay Hotel , we met up with one of the founding fathers of the Irish Underwater Council / Comhairle Fo Thuinn veteran diver and swimmer Mick Moriarty ......

Well from Mick Moriarty to Cormac Nott ; Cian Hynes and this man Liam Sheringham of Athlone Sub Aqua Club Liam is Search And Recovery Officer .....

.............from Liam Sheringhan , Search and Recovery Officer to Dive Show CoOrdinator from Athlone Sub Aqua Club ...Cian Hynes...

next we met Secretary of the Club Cormac Nott.... 

Our thanks to PRO Pat McManus for all his assistance at The Dive Ireland Conference in Athlone, we’ll have more on Seascapes next week with Richard Thorne on snorkelling and we’ll be talking to Rory Golden of Flagship Scuba ...

So to our competition for copies of the History of Irish Water Safety by Tiarnan O Sullivan, can you tell us where they have their headquarters ..hint.... its the city of the tribes .....Answers on a postcard to Seascapes , RTE Radio 1, Fr Mathew Street, Cork or by email to seascapes@rte .ie ......

Next here on Seascapes to a good friend of the programme whom we met first on the banks of The Suir a decade ago ..he is Noel McDonagh Founder of Lost At Sea Tragedies we met up at the Skipper Expo in Galway ....

Noel McDonagh of Lost At Sea Tragedies , on Monday night in Cobh at The Commodore Hotel the World Ships Society, Cobh Branch are hosting a fund raising evening for the Ballycotton branch of The RNLI Lifeboat service, you can hear about the history of the Ballycotton Station and there’s music from “Molgoggers” ...we’ll be there ..all are welcome and admission is free. The evening commences at 20.00hrs and there are full details on the Seascapes webpage...www.rte.ie/radio1/seascapes