#MaritimeFestivals - This year's Dublin Bay Prawn Festival is moving a month earlier to tie in with the St Patrick's festivities in Ireland's capital.

As ever, your favourite prawn dishes will be the star of the show at the food village in the heart of Howth from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 March.

The full programme of events is yet to be announced, but the three days of food and fun are set to kick off once again with the 'mystery dine-around' on Friday 18 March, with a wine reception and courses from some of Howth's finest seafood restaurants. (Tickets priced at €65 per head are going fast.)

In addition, this year's festival will feature an evening of music and dance celebrating Irish, Slovakian and Brazilian culture.

For more details are they are announced, visit the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival website HERE.

Pontoons in Cape Clear, West Cork a small craft harbour in Killybegs, County Donegal and dredging works in Howth, County Dublin are part of an €18m Capital Investment Package in 2016 for the development of Ireland’s fishery harbour network announced today by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney T.D. See the full table below.

Announcing the investment package, the Minister said “In total I am allocating €18m for this year's Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Capital Programme. I have set aside €16m towards safety, maintenance and new development works at the six Fishery Harbour Centres at Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Dingle, Rossaveel and Killybegs. I am also making €2m available for a Local Authority Harbour Programme, and I am assessing specifically what is required to address storm damage at Local Authority owned fishery harbours.”

Flagship projects in the 2016 Capital Programme (see table1) include the provision of dedicated Ferry pontoons on the West Pier in Howth, infrastructure upgrades in Dunmore East, commencement of the Dinish Wharf expansion Project in Castletownbere, expansion of the small craft harbour in Ros an Mhíl and the Smooth Point pier extension in Killybegs. The Minister continued, “While there are a number of flagship projects for completion this year, of equal importance is the preparatory work for significant potential projects in Howth, Dunmore East, An Daingean and Ros an Mhíl”

The 2016 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Capital Programme outlined by the Minister also contains funding of €2m to assist coastal Local Authorities repair, maintain and develop piers, harbours and slipways under their ownership. The Minister stated “I am delighted to continue to support Local Authorities in their efforts to maintain and develop the fishery harbour network which provides much needed facilities for our rural fishing and marine focussed communities. A number of smaller fishing piers around the coast experienced some damage during the recent storms and we are currently assessing how best to assist Local Authorities in carrying out repairs”

Concluding on the 2016 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Capital Programme, the Minister said “This year’s programme is significant on a number of fronts, firstly it provides for the continuation of this Governments strategy to develop and improve the facilities at our fishery harbours in 2016. Secondly it prepares the groundwork for potential projects in the coming years all of which will benefit the fishing industry, seafood processing sector, other ancillary marine industries.”

Table 1- Fishery Harbour & Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme 2016 

The Irish Coast Guard Unit based on the West Pier in Howth Harbour is looking for volunteers. 

The Unit is interviewing to fill trainee positions as Cliff Rescue Climbers, Coastal Search and Boat Crew. No experience is necessary.

All training, certifications, and the required personal equipment is provided. Volunteers are expected to live within minutes of Howth, carry a pager 24/7 to be available for callouts, and attend weekly training.

For more information, email [email protected]

#IrishHarbours - Concerns over rising silt levels in Howth Harbour have made the pages of the Swords Gazette, which quotes the Harbour Users Action Group as saying launches at low water on a spring tide are now impossible.

Not only is the harbour's busy fishing industry under threat, but coastguard and lifeboat rescues – the harbour is home to Howth RNLI – could also be affected.

"The potential for that is very serious," said the group's Brian Turvey, who claims that various Governments have passed the buck for responsibility since the harbour was last dredged in the early 1980s.

"We've got to the stage now where we have about a metre and a half of silt accumulated," he added, noting the problems that poses for boats with deeper keels.

His comments echo a recent statement by local TD Tommy Broughan, who said it is "critical that the harbour does not become unworkable as a result of the build-up of silt".

#IrishHarbours - Concerns expressed by a number of readers to Afloat.ie over fishing activity in Dun Laoghaire's inner harbour have been assuaged by the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company.

Two trawlers were spotted around noon last Friday (4 December) dragging a full-sized fishing net between them around the inner harbour.

But Dun Laoghaire's acting harbour master Simon Coate has since confirmed to Afloat.ie that the boats in question were fishing with permission for sprat.

Coate added that the forage fish species comes into the harbour in large numbers on a regular basis at this time of year.

Harbour concerns of a different kind have been heard in Howth, with local TD Tommy Broughan taking the Department of the Marine to task over the lack of any timetable or specific funding for dredging the harbour area - where local yacht club users have found conditions getting worse.

In a post on his website, Deputy Broughan said he was "contacted by members of the Howth Harbour Users Action Group who are very concerned about the build-up of silt in the harbour and the damaging effect this is having on all aspects of this important harbour.

"Howth Harbour has not been dredged for decades. I understand it was last dredged in 1981 or 1982 and I do not recall a dredging programme in the harbour in many years representing the area.

"The action group reports that this neglect has led to almost 6ft of silt building up in the harbour and an operational crisis for all the fishing and leisure craft which use it."

While welcoming investment in infrastructural works at the fishery harbour centre, Deputy Broughan underlines that it is "critical that the harbour does not become unworkable as a result of the build-up of silt".

Read more on this story HERE.

A fundraiser for a Maritime Museum in Howth will feature the sinking of the RMS Tayleur on Lambay in 1854.

Howth locals are endeavouring to open the museum and have a packed afternoon planned on 14th November at the Abbey Tavern with Gill Hoff author of the book “The Sinking of the RMS Tayleur” as one of the guest speakers.

The session will conclude with a performance of shanty songs and poems performed by the Howth Singing Circle.

The event poster is downloadable below.

Tickets are available from the Abbey Tavern, members of the committee including Dermot Quinn, Martin McLoughlin Eleanor Griffin, Sean O’Brien, Paddy Daly, Edgar McLoughlin or Pat Murphy at 087 253 13 41.

#Coastguard - Howth Coast Guard responded to two separate cliff rescue incidents within an hour of each other yesterday afternoon (Sunday 27 September).

The first call was at 4pm to a man who had slipped 10 metres while descending to the rocks at Balscaden to go shore fishing.

Coastguard volunteers arrived quickly and an EMT from the team administered medical care until the arrival of the paramedic from the Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116.

The fisherman's colleague was taken by the Howth RNLI lifeboat to Howth Harbour while he himself, with serious head injuries, was winched aboard the helicopter and taken to Beaumont.

A crew from Howth Coast Guard, along with the assistance of local Gardaí, secured the landing site and assisted with the transfer of the casualty to a waiting ambulance.

Meanwhile, at 5pm a call came in for a tourist trapped 25 meters up a 40-meter cliff at Whitewater Brook near the Baily lighthouse.

The team in Howth were closing down from the previous call at the station and were dispatched to the scene by the IRCG operations centre.

A rope cliff rescue was set up and a rescue climber got to the casualty, who was a tourist that got confused on returning from a beach below and found himself unable to ascend or descend from a steep cliff face.

The tourist was secured and brought to safety by the team, and no further medical care was required.

#Rescue - Howth's coastguard unit rescued a man on Howth Head who became trapped on a cliff ledge some five storeys above the beach below yesterday evening (Monday 7 September).

Unable to find a way off the beach, the man had climbed up the sea cliff near Ceanchor Road but soon found himself crag-fast, unable to move up or down.

Howth Coast Guard was tasked at 5pm and located the casualty on a small ledge 15 meters above the shoreline rocks.

A sea cliff rescue climber was lowered in from the top of the cliffs and, using a rescue strop, secured the casualty into a safe position clear of rockfall.

The response team used a rope rescue haul system to recover both climber and casualty to the cliff top. The casualty required no further medical assistance and was assisted by gardaí back to their transportation.

The Irish Coast Guard thanked the members of the public who alerted the emergency services using CASPER: Call 112; Ask for the correct service; Speak clearly and slowly; give a good Position; Explain the emergency; and Remain where you are.

If you spot somebody in difficulty on the coast, at cliffs or at sea, call 112 and ask for the coastguard.

#RNLI - Following a lifeboat pager alert at 1.18pm yesterday afternoon (Thursday 9 July), Arklow RNLI's volunteer crew launched to a stricken sailing vessel.

Within minutes of the alert, the lifeboat Ger Tigchleaar was en route from Arklow Harbour in good weather and slack winds to the casualty boat, a local sailing yacht about 1.5 miles north.

The vessel, with two crew onboard, had suffered engine failure. 

Under the direction of coxswain Ned Dillon, the lifeboat crew – Michael Fitzgerald, Andrew Loughlin, Jimmy Myler and Leigh Downey – secured a tow line to the vessel and brought her and her crew back safely to Arklow Harbour, bringing her alongside at the inner dock marina pontoons.



Speaking following the callout, Arklow RNLI volunteer press officer Mark Corcoran said: "Even very experienced sailors can get into difficulty. If you’re going out on the sea, be prepared and plan for the worst and always have a means of calling for help. Always respect the water."

Howth RNLI had a trickier callout to deal with three days earlier after a sailing yacht beached on rocks at Lambay Island.

The lifeboat was on scene and located the casualty vessel just before 11.00am on Monday 6 July. Volunteer lifeboat crew Ian Martin and Ian Sheridan launched their small XP inflatable boat and went ashore to investigate in poor weather conditions, with the win gusting to 58 knots and a rough sea state. 


Two men were located aboard and the decision was made by lifeboat coxswain Fred Connolly to request the coastguard helicopter to lift the casualties to safety as the sea was too rough to risk a transfer to the all-weather lifeboat using the XP inflatable.


The two men were airlifted to safety and the lifeboat returned to station in what was described by the volunteer crew as "challenging conditions".

#420 – The 420 Munster Championships in Dunmore East was sailed with a fleet of nine boats. The sailors enjoyed a fantastic weekend sailing alongside Fireballs and Flying 15s under the watchful eye of Race Officers Con Murphy and Cathy McAleavey at Waterford Harbour Sailing Club.

Dougie Elmes/Colin O'Sullivan finished the series with six race wins to take first place in the gold fleet. Despite some close finishes Lizzy & Cara McDowell were unable to break the boys domination at thee front of the fleet, but they finished with five seconds to secure second place in the Gold Fleet. Bill Staunton sailing with James McCann from RCYC completed the podium places.

Shane McLaughlin/Tim Coyne saw all their hard work training over the winter pay off when they secured first place in the Silver fleet. They were followed home by the fast improving Alex & Jamie O'Grady in second place.

Howth Yacht Club was represented by nine sailors at the event.