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Displaying items by tag: Holidays

The Holiday World Show in association with The Sunday Times, opened its doors today at the RDS Simmonscourt Complex in Dublin. The three-day show, which runs tomorrow and Sunday, will have numerous exhibitors with worldwide destinations and all types of holidays on offer.
As part of the show, visitors can attend a series of free talks held each day. One of the talks will be about "Cruise Holidays" –All You Need To Know, presented by cruise travel specialist, John Galligan of (John Galligan Travel) which starts at 3pm on Saturday. For a full list of the other speakers click HERE

The following ferry and  cruise operators are exhibiting at the show: Azamara Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Celtic Link Ferries, Cruise & Maritime Voyages, Cruise Holidays, Travel.ie, Hurtigruten, John Galligan Travel, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruise Lines, Pullmantur Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Saga, Silversea Cruises, Thomas Cook and Voyages To Antiquity.

Also exhibiting is Emerald Star for those interested in taking a cabin-cruiser holiday on the Shannon.

For opening times of Holiday World Show (incorporating the Caravan & Motor Home Show) see below

Friday 28 January 1.00 pm - 8.00 pm 

Saturday 29 January 11.00 am - 5.30 pm

Sunday 30 January 11.00 am - 5.30 pm

For a full listing of exhibitors, ticket prices and further information about the show logon to www.holidayworldshow.com

Published in Cruise Liners
The Summer Holidays are nearly here - have fun and stay safe at the seaside
With the school holidays fast approaching, NI Coastguards are encouraging children to stay safe whilst at the beach and along the coast.
Last month, Northern Ireland Coastguards dealt with a number of incidents that involved young people being overwhelmed by the power of the sea or being cut off by the tide. Some young people have attempted to swim to islands but have underestimated the strength of tides and the distance that they need to swim.
The Coastguard would like to encourage young people to stay within their depth and to check tide times before they arrive at the beach.
Coastguard Sector Manager Gordon Munro says,
"We'd like everyone who visits our coast to have a great time. So before you go check out the weather and the tide times (these can often be found at the entrance to the beach). That way you can ensure that the tide doesn't take you by surprise and that you don’t get cut off.
"Inflatable boats and toys can be great fun, but we’d rather that you used them in swimming pools than at the beach. If you do use one at the beach, make sure that it is tethered to an adult and never use it if there is an offshore wind. Inflatables can so easily be blown off shore, then overturn.
Make sure that children are supervised properly by adults. We deal with numerous cases of lost children every year and it can be very distressing for children and adults alike.
Try to go to a lifeguarded beach if you can and stay within the flagged area.

If you notice that someone is in difficulty, either alert the lifeguard if one is available or call the Coastguard on 999.
Finally, have a great time and return home safely."
If you want to prepare for your day out on the coast, you might like to visit Directgov for Kids where there are games and activities for children. Visit http://kids.direct.gov.uk/ andclickontheworld,thengotothe'watchstation'inthe'places'icon.

With the school holidays fast approaching, NI Coastguards are encouraging children to stay safe whilst at the beach and along the coast.

Last month, Northern Ireland Coastguards dealt with a number of incidents that involved young people being overwhelmed by the power of the sea or being cut off by the tide. Some young people have attempted to swim to islands but have underestimated the strength of tides and the distance that they need to swim.

The Coastguard would like to encourage young people to stay within their depth and to check tide times before they arrive at the beach.Coastguard Sector Manager Gordon Munro says,"We'd like everyone who visits our coast to have a great time.

So before you go check out the weather and the tide times (these can often be found at the entrance to the beach).

That way you can ensure that the tide doesn't take you by surprise and that you don’t get cut off."Inflatable boats and toys can be great fun, but we’d rather that you used them in swimming pools than at the beach. If you do use one at the beach, make sure that it is tethered to an adult and never use it if there is an offshore wind. Inflatables can so easily be blown off shore, then overturn.Make sure that children are supervised properly by adults.

We deal with numerous cases of lost children every year and it can be very distressing for children and adults alike.Try to go to a lifeguarded beach if you can and stay within the flagged area.If you notice that someone is in difficulty, either alert the lifeguard if one is available or call the Coastguard on 999.Finally, have a great time and return home safely."If you want to prepare for your day out on the coast, you might like to visit Directgov for Kids where there are games and activities for children. Visit http://kids.direct.gov.uk/ 

Published in Marine Warning

The Kingstown to Queenstown Yacht Race or 'K2Q', previously the Fastnet 450

The Organising Authority ("OA") are ISORA & SCORA in association with The National Yacht Club & The Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The Kingstown to Queenstown Race (K2Q Race) is a 260-mile offshore race that will start in Dun Laoghaire (formerly Kingstown), around the famous Fastnet Rock and finish in Cork Harbour at Cobh (formerly Queenstown).

The  K2Q race follows from the successful inaugural 'Fastnet 450 Race' that ran in 2020 when Ireland was in the middle of the COVID Pandemic. It was run by the National Yacht Club, and the Royal cork Yacht Club were both celebrating significant anniversaries. The clubs combined forces to mark the 150th anniversary of the National Yacht Club and the 300th (Tricentenary) of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Of course, this race has some deeper roots. In 1860 the first-ever ocean yacht race on Irish Waters was held from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) to Queenstown (now Cobh).

It is reported that the winner of the race was paid a prize of £15 at the time, and all competing boats got a bursary of 10/6 each. The first race winner was a Schooner Kingfisher owned by Cooper Penrose Esq. The race was held on July 14th 1860, and had sixteen boats racing.

In 2022, the winning boat will be awarded the first prize of a cheque for €15 mounted and framed and a Trophy provided by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world.

The 2022 race will differ from the original course because it will be via the Fastnet Rock, so it is a c. 260m race, a race distance approved by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club as an AZAB qualifier. 

A link to an Afloat article written by WM Nixon for some history on this original race is here.

The aim is to develop the race similarly to the Dun Laoghaire–Dingle Race that runs in alternate years. 

Fastnet 450 in 2020

The South Coast of Ireland Racing Association, in association with the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay and the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork, staged the first edition of this race from Dun Laoghaire to Cork Harbour via the Fastnet Rock on August 22nd 2020.

The IRC race started in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday, August 22nd 2020. It passed the Muglin, Tuscar, Conningbeg and Fastnet Lighthouses to Starboard before returning to Cork Harbour and passing the Cork Buoy to Port, finishing when Roches's Point bears due East. The course was specifically designed to be of sufficient length to qualify skippers and crew for the RORC Fastnet Race 2021.

At A Glance – K2Q (Kingstown to Queenstown) Race 2024

The third edition of this 260-nautical mile race starts from the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay on July 12th 2024 finishes in Cork Harbour.

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