Tom MacSweeney
Tom MacSweeney writes a column for Afloat.ie. He is former RTE Marine Correspondent/Presenter of Seascapes and has a monthly Seascapes Podcast on the Community Radio Network and Podcast services
Twenty-two boats are entered for this Friday’s Inishtearaght/Skelligs Race, organised by Kinsale Yacht Club and SCORA. The fleet includes defending champion Aurelia (J122), Cristina (NMD43), Blue Oyster (Oyster 37) and double-handed entries such as Katanca, Cinnamon Girl, Valfreya and Mach2.…
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The United Nations agency for the sea has adopted the first-ever international code of safety for the use of autonomous ships. The IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee is meeting in London at its 111th session, which…
RMS Leinster Memorial To Be Unveiled in Dun Laoghaire This October
10th May 2026 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
There is finally going to be a permanent memorial to those who died in the sinking of the R.M.S. Leinster on 10th October 1918. It will be unveiled on Saturday, October 10, the RMS Memorial Committee has told its supporters…
Port of Cork has launched a new weekly service route to the United States with global shipping company CMA CGM. The service commenced with the container vessel MV CMA CGM LOUGA sailing from Ringaskiddy Depwater Port. Atlantic Gateway Simon Smith,…
The Chief Executive of Hibernia Line, which has announced a new year-round ferry service between Ringaskiddy in Cork Harbour and Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France, has said that Ireland has been over-reliant on East Coast ports to carry freight to Europe.…
There will be a hundred events across Cork City and the harbour towns during the Cork Harbour Festival from May 30 to June 8. Niamh Glavin and Izzy Prendergast promote Cork Harbour Festival 2026. Photo: Clare Keogh Details of those…
A five-year plan for the future of Cork Port, described as a a "clear strategy" by the company's Chief Executive; has been launched. The Corporate Strategy has four major points - People, Infrastructure, Business and 'Planet,' to "power future growth,…
The Executive Chair of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, Paschal Hayes, has retired from his position before the end of his term. In a statement, the SFPA said Mr Hayes is stepping down after almost 45 years of service across…
Being family-oriented, encouraging sailing that combines good racing with leisure, is at the heart of Calves Week in Schull, West Cork, where there are already sixteen boats on the entry list for the event in August. Mark Murphy, Communications and…
Could Bantry Harbour become a location for superyachts? The marketing approach of Cork Port Company representatives at the Seatrade Cruise Global conference in Miami, Florida, is interesting! The conference is the world cruise shipping industry’s largest gathering. The Cork delegation…
There is limited inspection of large ‘factory’ fishing vessels operating off Ireland, an Oireachtas committee has heard. The issue emerged during a session of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs examining the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). Committee…
The RNLI today released statistics for last year showing that lifeboats across the island of Ireland launched 967 times at its 46 lifeboat stations, bringing 912 people to safety, 17 of whom were lives saved. 280 of those launches were…
The ‘cruise ship season’ began at Cork Port today with the arrival of AIDAluna on its maiden call to Cork harbour. With 2,000 guests and over 600 crew aboard, it is the first of six vessels which will make maiden…
The revival of the Rankin Class continues apace in Cork Harbour with two further boats located in the campaign to restore the dinghy fleet. “It might have seemed a pipe-dream when we started, but we now have an active fleet…
Racing at the Fireball Munster Championships has been cancelled for Saturday due to a gale warning. Monkstown Bay Sailing Club organisers confirmed the decision in a notice issued ahead of the weekend racing schedule. “Unfortunately due to the gale warning…
The RNLI plans to reduce its all-weather lifeboat fleet as part of a strategic shift in how it delivers lifesaving services. Chief Executive Peter Sparkes said the move reflects a major change in the nature of incidents at sea. “The…
Focused on the sound of the sea through music, song and particularly sea shanties, a new maritime festival is planned for the Cork Harbour town of Carrigaline in June. “This is primarily focused on song to promote maritime interest –…
Dungarvan Sailing Club Celebrates 80 Years, Hurler Roots and Calls for Harbour Dredging
28th March 2026 Tom MacSweeney
Dungarvan Sailing Club owes a lot to the hurling counterparts of the county team. One of them brought from Stateside the plans for the first dinghy built for club sailing and which was its foundation for the growth that has…
As the oldest yacht club in the world, the Royal Cork has extensive historical records, recording a rich and varied past stretching back to the early 18th century. One of the biggest attendances for a club members’ meeting turned up…
International hotel groups are moving into the cruise sector with a new generation of luxury yachts, led by the launch of the Orient Express Corinthian. The vessel, developed for the French Accor Group, is described as the “world’s largest sail…
