Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Ireland is a veritable bounty of beautiful beaches, as TripAdvisor’s latest list of Ireland’s best can attest. But beyond the most highly rated bathing spots around the Irish coast, there exists a number of hidden gems to attract those seeking…

Proposals for a new blueway along the River Barrow have been blocked by planners who objected to the scheme for a hard surface along the 115km of towpath. But as The Irish Times reports, many locals and users of the…

Oscar Wilde’s surgeon dad waxed lyrical about it, Vikings lost their weapons in it, and poitín makers and anglers have shared their knowledge of its rocks and islands. The Corrib – this island’s second largest lake after Lough Neagh –…

New figures out today from British Marine, the leading trade association for the UK leisure marine industry, highlight how the marine sector has created close to £6bn in sales from boating-related tourism expenditure in 2018, a 65% growth since 2013.…

Dublin Town, the not for profit organisation charged with creating a welcoming and economically viable city environment in Dublin, has urged Dublin Port to reconsider its decision to cut cruise ship calls to the city by more than 50%, from…

Good news for Irish sailors planning a Greek sailing holiday. Go-ahead UK firm Wildwind, based in Vassiliki and run by Simon Morgan, is now offering free supplemental flights to London and accommodation at the Hilton Hotel in Gatwick during the early weeks…

Dublin Port’s decision to reduce cruise liner visits from 2021 has sparked concern among the wider tourism industry in Ireland. As covered last month on Afloat.ie, rising freight volumes and the need to create space due to Brexit will mean…

Cobh may finally get a new marina in what’s being touted as a major boost to marine tourism in the Cork Harbour town, as plans are prepared for public display. The East Cork Journal has details on the new €450,000…

#TopBeaches - Kerry dominates TripAdvisor’s list of the best Irish beaches for 2019, with the Kingdom taking six of the top 10 places. Ladies Beach at Ballybunion (9th), Coumeenoole (6th), Derrynane (5th) and Inch Beach (3rd) all make return appearances…

A houseboat with a difference adds to a growing number of quirky holiday options in Ireland. ‘Nesbit’ is a former naval tender that’s been transplanted to the farm Dawna Connolly shares with her husband and their two young children near…

#Tourism - ‘Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands’ is the new tourism brand for the Midlands region, with a particular emphasis on its inland waterways. More than 10,000 consumers gave their put to Fáilte Ireland on the development of the brand, which hopes…

#Tourism - The Port of Cork, Bantry Bay Port Company and the Royal Cork Yacht Club are joining forces to promote marine leisure in Cork at the Southampton Boat Show. The three organisations are in attendance at Stand J047 from…

#Tourism - Waterville Lakes and Rivers Trust is hosting an information event on opportunities in angling tourism for business owners and the public in Waterville and surrounding areas later this month. The event, which takes place at The Sea Lodge…

#TopBeaches - Banna Strand in Co Kerry has topped TripAdvisor’s list of Ireland’s best beaches. The stretch of sand on Tralee Bay takes the top spot in the annual table from second-placed Inchydoney in Co Cork, which had been the…

#Tourism - Boating in the Midlands’ waterways will be the focus of a major tourism push this year, as The Irish Times reports. Fáilte Ireland’s new ‘slow tourism’ initiative will concentrate on promoting existing walking and cycling greenways and ‘blueway’…

Have you tried foiling yet? UK–based sailing holiday operator Wildwind is keen to promote its recent investment in foiling kits for some of its Laser fleet, converting the standard everyday Laser in to a flying machine. ‘Can it be that easy?’ we…