Displaying items by tag: Blackrock Diving Tower

Q: Give examples of marine leisure tourism?

Sports: sailing, surfing, diving and fishing Heritage: Unesco coastal villages, archaeological sites of interest, biospheres and historical points of interest Arts: coastal museums, art galleries, museums, wrecks Education: Eco-tourism, field courses, NGOs. Food: Seafood restaurants, Seafood festivals

6th May 2023

Galway's Blackrock Diving Tower Will Have "Rolling Closures" for Next Fortnight

Galway’s iconic diving tower at Blackrock, Salthill, will be the subject of “rolling closures” over the next fortnight to allow for maintenance work

Galway City Council began work on the tower earlier this week, with power washing, followed by painting.

However, limited access allowed for a full moon dip by the “ Blackrock howlers”, marking the moon rise at 2120 on Friday night.

A sunrise swim to mark Pieta House’s “Darkness into Light “ fundraising walk was also scheduled for Ladies Beach at 5.30 am on Saturday.

Galway City Council says that the intention is to “prioritise the painting of the tower as quickly as possible”.

However, it noted that it was “weather dependant, hence the need for potential rolling closures”.

An Tostal regatta

Swimmers are asked to keep close to the vicinity of Blackrock Tower from 1300 on both Saturday and Sunday, while rowing and sailing take place off Salthill for An Tostal regatta.

Published in Galway Harbour

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13th August 2020

Watchful Eye On Galway Bay Diving Tower After Overcrowding Controversy

File image of Blackpool Diving Tower in Salthill

Salthill’s Blackrock Diving Tower reopened yesterday (Wednesday 12 August) with Galway city officials keeping a watchful eye after it was closed following reports of overcrowding, according the Connacht Tribune reports.

Access to the tower was barred on Tuesday amid social distancing fears as crowds made the most of the sunny weather to take a dip in the warming waters of Galway Bay — which may have also helped keep alive two paddle boarders rescued earlier today after 15 hours at sea.

A spokesperson said the council will continue to monitor crowds at the tower to ensure social distancing in the queue to the platform is maintained.

The Connacht Tribune has more on the story HERE.

Published in Galway Harbour

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23rd March 2016

Public Hearing In Galway On Blackpool Diving Tower Upgrades

#Galway - Next Wednesday is the date for a public consultation on planned upgrades and repairs to the Blackpool Diving Tower in Salthill.

As the Galway Advertiser reports, the hearing will take place at the Salthill Hotel from 7pm to 10pm on Wednesday 30 March.

Published in Galway Harbour

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6th December 2015

Viral Video Shows Dangerous Salthill Storm Swimming 'Stunt'

#StormDesmond - It was a 'red' alert for western coastal counties this weekend as Storm Desmond blew in from the Atlantic with extreme gusts and downpours.

But amid the damage and disruption across the country, Galway-based photographer Cathal Devlin took to social media to share his dismay at the recklessness of two would-be divers who decided the stormy conditions presented the perfect time to take a dip.

Devlin's video of the "stunt" at Blackrock Diving Tower in Salthill – which clearly shows the young men ignoring basic water safety advice by diving into rough seas, with blasts of spray occasionally obscuring the pier – has gone viral in the 24 hours since he first uploaded it to Facebook. But he says he did not post it for entertainment purposes.

"I do not know if they are strong swimmers or not, that is not the case," Devlin writes. "If any one of them got into difficulties there was no one there to do anything for them.

"The voluntary and rescue services are kept busy enough without having to worry about this type of stupid behaviour."

Published in Water Safety

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Marine Leisure & Aquatic Tourism

Domestic coastal tourism expenditure was approximately €698 million in 2018, while domestic marine tourism generated €381 million.

Activities such as walking/ running along the coast, swimming and beach visitations are among the most popular activities for domestic visitors on both day and overnight trips.

While participation rates in pursuits such as bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas and visiting nature reserves, etc. in coastal areas were lower, these activities did see the highest frequency of both day and overnight trips for those active in these activities.

According to the National University of Galway (NUIG) research the average expenditure per coastal day trip in 2018 was calculated at €95. The equivalent for coastal overnight trips was €310. The estimated water-based activity expenditure per person per trip across the sample was €56 rising to €73 for the subsample that actually undertake waterbased activities on their coastal visits. The results also indicate that domestic tourists undertake the majority of their marine activities on the West and South coasts of Ireland and that there are notable differences in participation rates across age groupings, social classes and by family makeup.

A domestic tourist is defined in this report as a person who spends at least one night away from home on their trip. Total expenditure by domestic tourists in coastal areas was estimated to be €698 million in 2018, which represents 35% of the total expenditure by domestic tourists (using the broader Fáilte Ireland measure for domestic tourists that includes business trips equating to 10.92 million in total trips and €2,006 million in total revenue).

The marine-related activity expenditure, or what might truly be referred to as domestic marine tourism, is estimated to generate revenue of €381 million with €172 million being spent on water-based activities. Marine tourism makes up an estimated 19% of total domestic tourism expenditure.

Marine Leisure Tourism - FAQ

What is marine leisure tourism?

Coastal tourism refers to land-based and water-based tourism activities taking place on the coast for which the proximity to the sea is a condition including also their respective services. Coastal and Marine Tourism & Leisure are seen as one of the Blue Economy (BE) sectors that can help unlock the potential of multi-use of space at sea by engaging with Blue Growth (BG) sectors such as Aquaculture and Marine Renewable Energy among others.

Give examples of marine leisure tourism?

Sports: sailing, surfing, diving and fishing Heritage: Unesco coastal villages, archaeological sites of interest, biospheres and historical points of interest Arts: coastal museums, art galleries, museums, wrecks Education: Eco-tourism, field courses, NGOs. Food: Seafood restaurants, Seafood festivals

What marine leisure tourism studies have been conducted in Ireland?

NUI Galway carried out a survey of domestic residents in Ireland in 2019 as part of a survey entitled "Valuing and understanding the dynamics of Ireland's Ocean Economy". The purpose of the household survey was to profile the domestic market for single-day trips (leisure) and overnight trips (tourism) for coastal and marine-related activities in Ireland. The results of the survey are also used to estimate what proportion of an Irish resident's total domestic tourism expenditure is in coastal areas (coastal tourism) and what proportion is spent on undertaking marine-related activities (marine tourism).

What were the results of the NUI marine leisure tourism study?

The NUI results highlight the important contribution that Ireland's marine and coastal resources make to the leisure experiences of the general population and the importance of the domestic tourism market to local coastal economies. The analysis indicates that domestic coastal tourism expenditure was approximately €698 million in 2018, while domestic marine tourism generated €381 million. Activities such as walking/ running along the coast, swimming and beach visitations are among the most popular activities for domestic visitors on both day and overnight trips. While participation rates in pursuits such as bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas and visiting nature reserves, etc. in coastal areas were lower, these activities did see the highest frequency of both day and overnight trips for those active in these activities. Satisfaction with the available marine-related leisure facilities was also found to be very high across all activities.