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Displaying items by tag: Dun Aengus Dock

Submissions numbering 200 in total, have been received from the public on plans for a major redevelopment of Galway Harbour.

The vision for the harbour would involve the transformation of 17 acres of land surrounding the inner port's dock area.

The plan sets out to deliver a sustainable urban living quarter with a key focus on public realm space.

Proposed public amenities include cross-city walking and cycling routes, cultural and event spaces, recreational water sport facilities and a re-imagined street network.

Galway Bay FM has more here 

Published in Galway Harbour

#WaterfrontProperty - Mayor of Galway councillor Pearce Flannery, says the proposed €100 million development at the Docks would be a major step forward for the city.

His observation writes Galway Bay FM, was made at day two of the oral hearing concerning thedevelopment which would create a 26 thousand square metre office complex and public square in the heart of the city.

The building of the complex across Dock Road, Queen Street and Bothar na Long is led by Gerry Barret’s company Edward Capital.

Mayor Flannery told the hearing the Bonham Quay development provides an opportunity to energise the city, bringing vibrancy and new life into Galway.

He said the city has lost big firms such as AirBnB and LinkedIn to Dublin, while other cities have forged ahead because Galway has been constrained with development.

He stressed the plan is not about a building but about people, adding that the project would attract high-volume jobs into the area.

For more on the development story, click here.

Published in Waterfront Property

#VESSEL VOLVO VILLAGE – Following yesterday's historic arrival of the Deo Volente, the first container ship to be unloaded in Galway Harbour which took six hours to complete concluded the delivery of logistics for the Volvo Ocean Race Grand Finale, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The cargo of containers packed with the spectator stand for the prestigious events 'Pop-Up' Village had travelled from Lisbon. But before any of this could be done the heavy-lift cargoship had to enter through the Galway's port dock gates. This was followed with the vessel making manoeuvres in the confines of the tidal basin of Dun Aengus Dock. It was a tight squeeze as the 105m long vessel edged closer to the berth in the basin which was witnessed by onlookers lining the quays.

The vessels cargo was almost the entire race village which is a travelling show that traverses the globe as part of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012. It provided a "new challenge for Galway Harbour in handling containers" said Harbour Master Captain Brian Sheridan and I am delighted that the operation went better than anticipated.

After overnighting in the port, Deo Volente sailed this morning en-route to Rotterdam to pick up a cargo bound for the St. Lawrence Seaway. Currently the vessel is underway off the south-west coast.

Published in Galway Harbour

#GALWAY HARBOUR- A proposed €200m outer deepwater port will have to be withdrawn due to a failure by Galway Harbour Company to secure necessary approvals for preliminary investigations, according to a report in yesterday's Irish Times.

The ambitious plan, which intended to build following the success of the stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2009 (and to return next July), was due to have been submitted directly to the planning appeals board some months ago under the Strategic Infrastructure Act.

However, the harbour company was advised that site investigation works for the application were conducted without first securing full approval for a foreshore licence from the Department of the Environment.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is said to have been informed of the setback, which is expected to delay submission of a planning application to An Bord Pleanála until the mid-2012.

The development proposed transferring port operations outside from the existing single-dock facility (click HERE) south into Galway Bay, where reclaimed land in deeper waters would accommodate larger cruise-ships (click HERE) in addition a freight rail-link and a 200-berth marina.

Published in Galway Harbour
During the weekend call of L.E. Eithne to Galway Harbour, the Naval Service flagship shared the mid-west port with a Spanish oceanographic research vessel (RV) and a cargoship,writes Jehan Ashmore.
The port consists of a single basin named the Dún Aengus Dock where the Vigo registered RV Vizconde de Eza (2000/1,401grt) was berthed. The 53m vessel is run by the 'Secrataria General del Mer' (MARM) which is on an assignment to asses the abundance, estimation and distribution patterns of demersal-benthic species in the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. The port is of also the homeport to the Marine Institute RV vessels and their headquarters based in nearby Oranmore.

Also sharing the basin but located closer to the dock gates was Arklow Shipping Ltd's Dutch registered dry-cargo vessel Arklow Surf (2000/2,316grt). The dock is capable of handling more vessels simultaneously and of course used as a host-port of the high-profile Volvo Ocean Race which is due to return next year.

Galway and neighbouring Limerick City with its Ted Russell Dock, are the only dock-gate accessed ports on the island of Ireland. In the case of Galway there is an exception as freight operations are also available from an outer pier on the seaward side of Dún Aengus Dock though only for domestic purposes. From this pier the dedicated Aran Islands freight service is operated by Lasta Mara TEO's Blath na Mara (1983/330grt). As for Limerick, vessels can also berth outside the dock but they tend to be small port-work related craft that use the outer berth on the Shannon Estuary.

The Galway Harbour Company in recent years have proposed plans for a new outer port, to be built in four stages with a completion date set for 2017. This would enable larger deeper drafted vessels such as tankers and cruiseships to dock in the new port. In the meantime cruiseships anchor off Mutton Island. In addition a freight rail-link, berthing for an inshore fishing fleet and a 216 berth marina are proposed.

To read more about the port proposals visit http://www.galwayharbour.com/news.php?id=11and for aerial visual impressions click HERE.

Published in Galway Harbour
Galwegian members of Team Ireland who participated at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games are guests today of a celebratory reception on board the navy's flagship L.E. Eithne (P31) which is berthed in Galway Harbour's Dun Aengus Dock, writes Jehan Ashmore.
In recognition of the achievements of the Special Olympics athletes in Athens, Gary Cunningham, Oranmore; Ruairi O'Toole, Spiddal; John Loughnane, Ballinasloe; Jonathon Griffin, Ballinasloe; Denise Flattery, Briarhill; Linda Cannon, Athenry; Emma Finneran, Christine Kelly and Fionnuala Treacy from Ballinasloe will be guests of honour at the reception.

The world games which were held during June and July saw over 7,500 athletes from 185 countries participate in the Greek capital. Team Ireland in total brought home 107 medals, with athletes from Galway securing 11 medals and a number of ribbons in a variety of sports.

Speaking about the reception, Regional Director Myra Merrick said: "We are honoured to have the Naval Service docking in Galway especially for the function. The athletes deserve a warm reception and recognition for their wonderful success. It's a huge achievement in itself to participate at World Games level, let alone bring back a medal".

"The event presents an exceptional opportunity for the public to extend congratulations to our local sporting heroes, explore the Defence Forces vessel and meet the officers" she added.

The 1984 built /1,910 tonnes 'helicopter patrol vessel' and her seven fleetmates are all each assigned to a particular charity. In the case of L.E. Eithne she is associated with Our Lady's for Sick Children, Crumlin in Dublin.

Published in Galway Harbour
The saga of Thor Gitta's prolonged stay in Galway to load two former Aran Islands ferries bound for Mauritius, culminated with the cargoship's departure this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Due to a series of incidents, mishaps and delays the Thor Gitta has been at the centre of attention. Crowds of Galwegians witnessed the loading of both ferries during the past week.

First to be loaded was the Clann na nOileáin on Wednesday in an operation than took four-hours while on Friday her sister Clann Eagle I took six-hours to be winched safely onto the cargo-deck during freshening winds.

It is ironic that since Thor Gitta 's arrival to the port's Dún Aengus Dock on 5 April that it would also nearly be the same time taken for the estimated 25-day delivery voyage of the ferries to the Indian Ocean island.

During the 8,300 mile journey Thor Gitta will make several port of calls with the first call to La Rochelle. The Bay of Biscay port is the next largest port south of Les Sables d'Olonnes, where the fast-ferries where built at the OCEA boatyard for her original owners Bád Arann Teoranta which traded as Aran Direct on routes from Rossaveal to the islands.

Thor Gitta was built in 1996 and is also designed to carry 364 TEU (twenty-foot equivilant unit) containers and belongs to an-eight strong fleet operated by the Danish company, Thor Rederi A/S of Svendborg.

One of the reasons why the heavylift vessel was delayed in loading was to ensure the correct positioning of the ferries so not to further disrupt other port call cargo allocation while on the long repositioning voyage to Mauritius.

The 4,078 tonnes cargsoship is also scheduled to make en-route calls to Pointe Noir in the Congo, Cape Town and Pemba in Mozambique before finally reaching the southern Indian Ocean destination.

When the ferries were completed in 2005 and 2006 they were valued between €5-6m but they only served up to September 2008 when the 243 passenger aluminium built craft were laid-up at the Connemara harbour due to financial difficulities.

This led to the company going into receivership and the vessels were put up for auction in Galway last February. Despite bids reaching €950,000, they were withdrawn at the auction hosted by the Cork based auctioneer, Dominic J. Daly.

In the following month the fast-ferries were sold to the French owner for a new career based from the island state which is in the Mascarene Islands. Mauritius is neighboured by the smaller islands of Agalega, Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the French island of Réunion some 200km to the southwest.

Published in Ports & Shipping
In a third attempt to load two former Aran Islands ferries at Galway yesterday, operations took on a new twist as the cargoship chartered in to transport them was detained according to a report in todays Irish Times.
The Thor Gitta, a 4078 tonnes heavy lift cargoship was held at the port's Dun Aengus Dock as new complications arose in an effort to transport the two passenger fast-ferries Clann na nOileáin and Clann Eagle 1 which are bound for Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.

Harbourmaster Capt. Brian Sheridan, confirmed yesterday evening that the Danish flagged vessel had been detained at lunchtime on the instructions of the admiralty marshal, a High Court judge, acting under maritime law. Until matters are resolved, a ship's keeper has been placed onboard by the Revenue Commissioners.

Published in Ports & Shipping
The heavy lift cargoship Thor Gitta is due to make a second attempt to load two former Aran Islands fast ferries in Galway Docks tomorrow morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.
It is envisaged that the operation to hoist the sisters, Clann Eagle I and Clann na nOileáin which each weigh 170 tonnes will be completed by tomorrow evening. The Danish flagged heavy liftship is expected to remain in port until Friday so as to make further preparations in advance of the long delivery voyage to the ferries new owners in Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.

In the first attempt to load the ferries last week, the Clann na nOileáin fell into the Dun Aengus Dock when the sling rope broke causing the French built 234-passenger craft to fall some 12m /40ft. Onboard the ferry were three people who were taken to hospital but were later released.

Thor Gitta is fitted with two deck-mounted cranes and this feature is also similarly found on the Patanal, which grounded in Casla Bay at the entrance to Rossaveal, nearly a fortnight ago. The German owned 7,002grt was the first vessel chartered to bring the fast-ferries from Rossaveal, but the ferries were subsequently sailed to Galway after the ship was refloated.

The 120m Patanal has undergone "underwater and internal inspections and repairs," according to Capt. Brian Sheridan, harbourmaster of Galway Port Company though he added "that the vessel would remain subject to an inspection by the Marine Survey Office before she can be released".

According to a statement released by the Patanal's owners, Harren & Partner, the vessel is then to be taken to dry dock in Bremerhaven for further repairs.

Since the incident the vessel has been at anchorage off Black Point on the Co. Clare side of Galway Bay where she was monitored initially for pollution and the tug Celtic Isle in attendance. The tug is operated by Celtic Tugs and is normally based in Foynes, Co. Limerick.

Published in Ports & Shipping

Irish Olympic Sailing Team

Ireland has a proud representation in sailing at the Olympics dating back to 1948. Today there is a modern governing structure surrounding the selection of sailors the Olympic Regatta

Irish Olympic Sailing FAQs

Ireland’s representation in sailing at the Olympics dates back to 1948, when a team consisting of Jimmy Mooney (Firefly), Alf Delany and Hugh Allen (Swallow) competed in that year’s Summer Games in London (sailing off Torquay). Except for the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Ireland has sent at least one sailor to every Summer Games since then.

  • 1948 – London (Torquay) — Firefly: Jimmy Mooney; Swallow: Alf Delany, Hugh Allen
  • 1952 – Helsinki — Finn: Alf Delany * 1956 – Melbourne — Finn: J Somers Payne
  • 1960 – Rome — Flying Dutchman: Johnny Hooper, Peter Gray; Dragon: Jimmy Mooney, David Ryder, Robin Benson; Finn: J Somers Payne
  • 1964 – Tokyo — Dragon: Eddie Kelliher, Harry Maguire, Rob Dalton; Finn: Johnny Hooper 
  • 1972 – Munich (Kiel) — Tempest: David Wilkins, Sean Whitaker; Dragon: Robin Hennessy, Harry Byrne, Owen Delany; Finn: Kevin McLaverty; Flying Dutchman: Harold Cudmore, Richard O’Shea
  • 1976 – Montreal (Kingston) — 470: Robert Dix, Peter Dix; Flying Dutchman: Barry O’Neill, Jamie Wilkinson; Tempest: David Wilkins, Derek Jago
  • 1980 – Moscow (Tallinn) — Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Jamie Wilkinson (Silver medalists) * 1984 – Los Angeles — Finn: Bill O’Hara
  • 1988 – Seoul (Pusan) — Finn: Bill O’Hara; Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy; 470 (Women): Cathy MacAleavy, Aisling Byrne
  • 1992 – Barcelona — Europe: Denise Lyttle; Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy; Star: Mark Mansfield, Tom McWilliam
  • 1996 – Atlanta (Savannah) — Laser: Mark Lyttle; Europe: Aisling Bowman (Byrne); Finn: John Driscoll; Star: Mark Mansfield, David Burrows; 470 (Women): Denise Lyttle, Louise Cole; Soling: Marshall King, Dan O’Grady, Garrett Connolly
  • 2000 – Sydney — Europe: Maria Coleman; Finn: David Burrows; Star: Mark Mansfield, David O'Brien
  • 2004 – Athens — Europe: Maria Coleman; Finn: David Burrows; Star: Mark Mansfield, Killian Collins; 49er: Tom Fitzpatrick, Fraser Brown; 470: Gerald Owens, Ross Killian; Laser: Rory Fitzpatrick
  • 2008 – Beijing (Qingdao) — Star: Peter O’Leary, Stephen Milne; Finn: Tim Goodbody; Laser Radial: Ciara Peelo; 470: Gerald Owens, Phil Lawton
  • 2012 – London (Weymouth) — Star: Peter O’Leary, David Burrows; 49er: Ryan Seaton, Matt McGovern; Laser Radial: Annalise Murphy; Laser: James Espey; 470: Gerald Owens, Scott Flanigan
  • 2016 – Rio — Laser Radial (Women): Annalise Murphy (Silver medalist); 49er: Ryan Seaton, Matt McGovern; 49erFX: Andrea Brewster, Saskia Tidey; Laser: Finn Lynch; Paralympic Sonar: John Twomey, Ian Costello & Austin O’Carroll

Ireland has won two Olympics medals in sailing events, both silver: David Wilkins, Jamie Wilkinson in the Flying Dutchman at Moscow 1980, and Annalise Murphy in the Laser Radial at Rio 2016.

The current team, as of December 2020, consists of Laser sailors Finn Lynch, Liam Glynn and Ewan McMahon, 49er pairs Ryan Seaton and Seafra Guilfoyle, and Sean Waddilove and Robert Dickson, as well as Laser Radial sailors Annalise Murphy and Aoife Hopkins.

Irish Sailing is the National Governing Body for sailing in Ireland.

Irish Sailing’s Performance division is responsible for selecting and nurturing Olympic contenders as part of its Performance Pathway.

The Performance Pathway is Irish Sailing’s Olympic talent pipeline. The Performance Pathway counts over 70 sailors from 11 years up in its programme.The Performance Pathway is made up of Junior, Youth, Academy, Development and Olympic squads. It provides young, talented and ambitious Irish sailors with opportunities to move up through the ranks from an early age. With up to 100 young athletes training with the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway, every aspect of their performance is planned and closely monitored while strong relationships are simultaneously built with the sailors and their families

Rory Fitzpatrick is the head coach of Irish Sailing Performance. He is a graduate of University College Dublin and was an Athens 2004 Olympian in the Laser class.

The Performance Director of Irish Sailing is James O’Callaghan. Since 2006 James has been responsible for the development and delivery of athlete-focused, coach-led, performance-measured programmes across the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway. A Business & Economics graduate of Trinity College Dublin, he is a Level 3 Qualified Coach and Level 2 Coach Tutor. He has coached at five Olympic Games and numerous European and World Championship events across multiple Olympic classes. He is also a member of the Irish Sailing Foundation board.

Annalise Murphy is by far and away the biggest Irish sailing star. Her fourth in London 2012 when she came so agonisingly close to a bronze medal followed by her superb silver medal performance four years later at Rio won the hearts of Ireland. Murphy is aiming to go one better in Tokyo 2021. 

Under head coach Rory Fitzpatrick, the coaching staff consists of Laser Radial Academy coach Sean Evans, Olympic Laser coach Vasilij Zbogar and 49er team coach Matt McGovern.

The Irish Government provides funding to Irish Sailing. These funds are exclusively for the benefit of the Performance Pathway. However, this falls short of the amount required to fund the Performance Pathway in order to allow Ireland compete at the highest level. As a result the Performance Pathway programme currently receives around €850,000 per annum from Sport Ireland and €150,000 from sponsorship. A further €2 million per annum is needed to have a major impact at the highest level. The Irish Sailing Foundation was established to bridge the financial gap through securing philanthropic donations, corporate giving and sponsorship.

The vision of the Irish Sailing Foundation is to generate the required financial resources for Ireland to scale-up and execute its world-class sailing programme. Irish Sailing works tirelessly to promote sailing in Ireland and abroad and has been successful in securing funding of 1 million euro from Sport Ireland. However, to compete on a par with other nations, a further €2 million is required annually to realise the ambitions of our talented sailors. For this reason, the Irish Sailing Foundation was formed to seek philanthropic donations. Led by a Board of Directors and Head of Development Kathryn Grace, the foundation lads a campaign to bridge the financial gap to provide the Performance Pathway with the funds necessary to increase coaching hours, upgrade equipment and provide world class sport science support to a greater number of high-potential Irish sailors.

The Senior and Academy teams of the Performance Pathway are supported with the provision of a coach, vehicle, coach boat and boats. Even with this level of subsidy there is still a large financial burden on individual families due to travel costs, entry fees and accommodation. There are often compromises made on the amount of days a coach can be hired for and on many occasions it is necessary to opt out of major competitions outside Europe due to cost. Money raised by the Irish Sailing Foundation will go towards increased quality coaching time, world-class equipment, and subsiding entry fees and travel-related costs. It also goes towards broadening the base of talented sailors that can consider campaigning by removing financial hurdles, and the Performance HQ in Dublin to increase efficiency and reduce logistical issues.

The ethos of the Performance Pathway is progression. At each stage international performance benchmarks are utilised to ensure the sailors are meeting expectations set. The size of a sailor will generally dictate which boat they sail. The classes selected on the pathway have been identified as the best feeder classes for progression. Currently the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway consists of the following groups: * Pathway (U15) Optimist and Topper * Youth Academy (U19) Laser 4.7, Laser Radial and 420 * Development Academy (U23) Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX * Team IRL (direct-funded athletes) Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX

The Irish Sailing performance director produces a detailed annual budget for the programme which is presented to Sport Ireland, Irish Sailing and the Foundation for detailed discussion and analysis of the programme, where each item of expenditure is reviewed and approved. Each year, the performance director drafts a Performance Plan and Budget designed to meet the objectives of Irish Performance Sailing based on an annual review of the Pathway Programmes from Junior to Olympic level. The plan is then presented to the Olympic Steering Group (OSG) where it is independently assessed and the budget is agreed. The OSG closely monitors the delivery of the plan ensuring it meets the agreed strategy, is within budget and in line with operational plans. The performance director communicates on an ongoing basis with the OSG throughout the year, reporting formally on a quarterly basis.

Due to the specialised nature of Performance Sport, Irish Sailing established an expert sub-committee which is referred to as the Olympic Steering Group (OSG). The OSG is chaired by Patrick Coveney and its objective is centred around winning Olympic medals so it oversees the delivery of the Irish Sailing’s Performance plan.

At Junior level (U15) sailors learn not only to be a sailor but also an athlete. They develop the discipline required to keep a training log while undertaking fitness programmes, attending coaching sessions and travelling to competitions. During the winter Regional Squads take place and then in spring the National Squads are selected for Summer Competitions. As sailors move into Youth level (U19) there is an exhaustive selection matrix used when considering a sailor for entry into the Performance Academy. Completion of club training programmes, attendance at the performance seminars, physical suitability and also progress at Junior and Youth competitions are assessed and reviewed. Once invited in to the Performance Academy, sailors are given a six-month trial before a final decision is made on their selection. Sailors in the Academy are very closely monitored and engage in a very well planned out sailing, training and competition programme. There are also defined international benchmarks which these sailors are required to meet by a certain age. Biannual reviews are conducted transparently with the sailors so they know exactly where they are performing well and they are made aware of where they may need to improve before the next review.

©Afloat 2020