#CruiseLiners - Galway welcomed its first cruise liner call of 2016 last weekend in the shape of the 'luxury mega-yacht' L'Austral, as the Connacht Tribune reports.

Though the vessel only stopped for a day, its 400 passengers and crew made the most of their visit, with sightseeing in the city and a tours to the Burren Kylemore Abbey among their options.

L'Austral's subsequent port of call is Cobh this Sunday (15 May), while Galway's next visitor is as soon as tomorrow (Saturday 14 May) when the Azores calls on the City of the Tribes.

That's one of six remaining cruise calls for Galway in the 2016 season, with Bremen on 11 June, Astor on 10 July, the Pacific Princess and Albatross on 2 and 8 August respectively, and the Prinsendam on 2 September all set to follow.

#Inishbofin - Inishbofin has become the first Irish island to be recognised for its sustainable tourism efforts in an international awards scheme.

As The Irish Times reports, a number of the Connemara island's residents and local organisations will share in the Ecotourism award sanctioned by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Angling, sailing and stand-up paddle boarding are some of the aquatic activities that helped clinch the accolade that's already gone to sustainable seaside attractions in Spiddal and Clifden.

In other news, county councillors are mooting a programme of safety works on slipways across Galway, according to Galway Bay FM.

The move follows the controversial restriction of access to the slipway at Galway Docks last month in the wake of the Buncrana tragedy in March.

#MarineScience - Galway's Oslo Bar will host an evening of marine science talks on Tuesday 24 May as art of the international Pint of Science festival.

Taking place simultaneously over three evenings in May in Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Canada, the USA, Brazil, Australia and South Africa, Pint of Science aims to encourage engagement with science beyond the lab or the lecture hall in the more approachable environment of a local pub.

The Oslo Bar in Galway city centre will host two evenings, one on the science of the human body on Monday 23 May, and a series of marine science topics from 7.30pm on Tuesday 24 May, MCed by Dr Nóirín Burke of the Galway Atlantaquaria.

Niall Keogh of GMIT will discuss the seabirds and cetaceans that populate Ireland's offshore waters, and Raissa Hogan of NUI Galway celebrates the diversity of Irish cold-water corals.

Representing INFOMAR and the Marine Institute, Oisín McManus will talk mapping the mountainous terrain that lies beneath the waves around Ireland, while Dr Tríona McGrath broaches the serious subject of ocean acidification.

For ticket information see the Pint of Science website HERE.

#Galway - Galway Harbour Company has blocked open access to a slipway in Galway Docks weeks after the Buncrana tragedy, as the Connacht Tribune reports.

The move was made a month after five members of the same family, including three children, died after their car slipped into Lough Swilly from the open slipway at Buncrana, Co Donegal on Sunday 20 March.

Galway's docks slipway had been used freely by recreational boaters – but as of last Thursday (21 April) local sailing clubs have been informed that the slipway can only be used with permission.

Access times have also been restricted to 9am-5pm on weekdays and by appointment on Saturdays in what the harbour company says is a move to avoid "risk to life".

But one local user has branded the locking-up of the slipway as "ridiculous" and said "there should have been a more measured response and consultation".

The Connacht Tribune has much more on the story HERE.

#Rowing: The Victor Ludorum Trophy for best school was won by St Joseph’s of Galway at the Irish Schools’ Championships at O’Brien’s Bridge in Clare today. Daire Lynch of Clonmel CBS was the best single sculler. Methodist College, Belfast, won the women’s under-23 eight.

#Galway - The liferaft at Blackrock Diving Tower on Galway Bay is not likely to be reinstated, as Galway Bay FM reports.

Concerns over risks posed by the raft were reiterated at a meeting of Galway City Council earlier this week, following a poor health and safety assessment of the amenity last year.

The raft was removed from the tower in 2014 after it was associated with incidents of falls and near drownings recorded by lifeguards, according to the Connacht Tribune.

Afloat.ie reported late last month on a public consultation regarding long-awaited upgrades and repairs to the iconic diving tower in Salthill.

#Galway - BreakingNews.ie reports that post-mortems on two bodies recovered from Galway waters over the weekend are scheduled for today (Monday 18 April).

Gardaí have confirmed that the body of soldier Private Ben Garrett (21), who was missing since 31 March, was recovered from Galway Docks on Sunday morning (17 April).

Another body was found in Galway Bay on Saturday morning (16 April) in the search for Anthony Henehan, last seen entering the water at Wolfe Tone Bridge in Galway city on 10 March.

A much-admired ongoing restoration project, which had resulted in the full return to original condition of the classic sloop-rigged 26ft South Coast One Design Pegasus, almost ended in tragedy with an explosion aboard the newly-launched boat on the Galway Bay SC moorings at Rinville near Oranmore at the weekend.

What would have been the boat’s second full season after her restoration ended before it had properly begun. She was rigged and ready to have her sails set, but an attempt to boil a kettle resulted in the gas explosion which blew the deck and cabin off the hull, set the hull on fire, brought the mast down, and sank the boat within one and a half minutes.

Fortunately both sailors on board were wearing lifejackets, and despite their burns and injuries, were able to get to a nearby boat. But while one of them was later released from hospital after treatment for burns, the other has been kept in for observation, though it is thought his injuries are not serious.

#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.

#Search - Galway Bay FM reports that coastal searches resumed this afternoon in Galway for a man who was spotted entering the water last night (Thursday 10 March).

The search began in Galway Docks after the man, believed to be in his 30s, was seen entering the water at Wolfe Tone Bridge over the Corrib, but no trace has been found.

A separate search for a person calling for help on the shoreline near Mutton Island has also yielded no results thus far, and it is not yet known if the two events are related.