Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of Seascapes your maritime programme, tonight our thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing crew members from the Irish Coastguard Sikorsky S -92 Rescue Helicopter 116 lost off the West Coast near Blacksod in County Mayo earlier this week; Mark Duffy; Paul Ormsby and Ciaran Smith and the late Captain Dara Fitzpatrick; all members of a tightly knit maritime and rescue service community on this island of ours .............
first on Seascapes this week we bring you some of the highlights of last weekend’s gathering in Tullamore of the Inland Waterways Historical Society where a great array of speakers spoke on aspects of the Limerick Navigation from its opening in 1750s right up to modern times.......with illustrated talks from historians such as Sharon Slater on the Limerick Canal and Una Kierse on Killaloe which were informative and engaging........Dr William O’Connor spoke about the environmental impact Ardnacrusha Hydroelectric Plant has had on migratory fish and on the Shannon river........So to ace reporter Ron Coveney who attended the event on Seascapes behalf and spoke first to President of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland – John Dolan....
John Dolan President of the IWAI ......so to Brian Goggin who spoke on the history of the navigation
Next we hear from Una Kierse whom we’ve met here before on Seascapes talking about her beloved Killaloe ....
From Una Kierse to Dr William O’Connor who talked to Ron Coveney about the environmental impact of Ardnacrusha......
The voice of Dr William O‘Connor .....next to Sharon Slater on the Canal system in Limerick.........
Tony Browne recalled the hustle and bustle of Limerick docks in the height of their popularity.
From Tony Browne we’ll leave the final word from the conference to Brian Goggin and the future....
Ron Coveney for Seascapes at the Inland Waterways Historical Society Conference on the Shannon Navigation in Tullamore last weekend .......our thanks to Donal Boland .....
Thanks to Ger Crowley from Bray Harbour Action Group who has been in touch with Seascapes , he told us about the group and its meeting last month , welcoming a report by District
Manager Des O Brien to the Bray Municipal District concerning the harbour....
“This is a welcome development, said Ger Crowley BHAG chairman, it indicates a commitment by the Council to remedy this threat to the ongoing viability of the harbour. It is reassuring to hear that the sand in the harbour is not contaminated.
The favoured approach, therefore, of using it for beach nourishment looks like a win-win solution benefiting both the harbour and the beach”.
They are deeply concerned about the possibility of delay as the build-up of sand is they state “ a ticking time-bomb which if not addressed could well leave the harbour as a permanent derelict eyesore”
The goodwill the Bray Harbour Action Group say towards improving the harbour is terrific and they have been really delighted by the positive public response . There is a facebook page and Twitter feed @BrayHarbourActionGroup . You can see images on the Seascapes webpage .....
Music next and Cobh’s finest – Molgoggers with “Eliza Lee”
Molgoggers - Cobh’s shantymen from their CD “ Absolutely Marvellous – Songs of the Sea” and Eliza Lee featuring the voice of John Crone.....
More music next here on Seascapes , songwriter and fisherman Martyn Travis from Dunmore East and “Deckhand on A Trawler”
Loop Head Lighthouse which reopens this weekend its steeped in history and rich in maritime heritage with its origins dating back to the 1670s. The existing tower style lighthouse was constructed in 1854 and was operated and maintained by a keeper who lived within the lighthouse compound. In January 1991, the lighthouse was converted to automatic operation, and today is monitored by the CIL.
Loop Head Lighthouse will remain open daily (10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.) until November 5th. Admission to the lighthouse, which includes the exhibition and guided tour of the site, is Adults (€5), Children (€2) and Family Passes for up to 2 adults + 3 children (€12). Visit www.loophead.ie or www.clare.ie for more information on Loop Head Lighthouse and the Loop Head Peninsula.
The much anticipated Auction of the LE AISLING takes place in almost a weeks time on Thursday 23rd March at midday in the Carrigaline Court Hotel with auctioneer Dominic Daly taking care of proceedings ....more detail on the Seascapes webpage www.rte.ie/radio1/seascapes .
Next week here on your maritime programme Seascapes we feature the RNLI/ Respect the Water campaign and the joint initiative by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Gaelic Athletic Association which was launched recently in Croke Park , we’ll be hearing from Professor Mike Tipton of Portsmouth University ; the CEO of the RNLI – Paul Boissier; Lifeboatman and seafarer Joe Maddox of Kilmore Quay ; Lyndsey Davey from Skerries – who plays for Dublin and is a three time GAA All Star and the legendary Micheal O Muireachearthaigh , so until next Friday night tight lines and fair sailing.”
