Tom MacSweeney
Tom MacSweeney writes a column for Afloat.ie. He is former RTE Marine Correspondent/Presenter of Seascapes and now has a monthly Podcast on the Community Radio Network and Podcast services
The Norwegian expedition cruise liner, Maud, arrived in Waterford Port this morning, the first cruise vessel in over two years, due to Covid pandemic disruption. It is the maiden voyage of the vessel, from the Norwegian cruise line company Hurtigruten.…
The Royal Cork Yacht Club has appointed a long-time club member to a new full-time role as Head of Sailing Development Eddie Rice has been a long time Crosshaven club member, competing and winning in the Laser, National 18 and…
May 10 has been set as the start date for decommissioning works on the subsea structure in the Kinsale and Seven Heads Gas Fields on the South Coast. The Kinsale Energy company which will undertake the work has told the…
Wednesday, May 4, has been set as the start date for Midweek Sailing at Kinsale Yacht Club in Cork. Dragons and Squibs will have their own racing on Thursdays. The club committee has told members: "We have an amazing amount…
Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation Lodges Complaint Against European Commission
13th April 2022 Fishing
The Chief Executive of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation (KFO) has called on the Marine Minister and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority to stand-up for Irish fishermen and the fishing industry against the European Commission. CEO Sean O'Donoghue says the KFO…
The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority row with fishing processors and exporters in Killybegs in County Donegal intensified after a second international vessel disputed the State agency’s fish weighing requirements for landings. After the Danish Maja left with its catch of…
Brittany Ferries is doubling its service from Cork to France. In addition to the regular Saturday sailing to Roscoff there will be an additional midweek service overnight on Wednesdays as part of a three-year deal signed today between the French…
No other community has experienced such a dramatic population decline as the offshore islands, according to the Islands’ Federation In 1841, the population on the islands was 34,219. By 2016 that number had reduced to 2,627. “These figures have not…
The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority has acknowledged that the Master of the Danish Fishing Vessel MV Ruth objected to the SFPA's process for weighing upon landing, at Killybegs in County Donegal on Thursday, March 31st. In a statement, the Authority…
Hook Head Sighting of Basking Sharks is "Incredible Start" to 2022 (Podcast)
1st April 2022 Tom MacSweeney
The sighting of a big number of basking sharks off Hook Head is “an incredible start” to the 2022 basking shark season, according to the Irish Basking Shark Group. It is one of a number of sightings in the past…
The Chairman of the Irish Fishing & Seafood Alliance has accused the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority of causing serious losses and the temporary closure of a processing factory in Killybegs. The Danish fishing vessel MV Ruth, arrived to land 1,270…
The Irish South and West Fish Producers’ Organisation has advised its members not to sign up to the Irish Fishing Master Register. “This is akin to what happened in South Africa in the 1950s and also in Germany in the…
Schull Harbour Sailing Club is already preparing for Calves Week in August and has issued the Notice of Race for the West Cork major annual event. “After all the uncertainty which the pandemic created for the past few years, we…
The Royal Cork YC is hoping to re-establish the ‘Mixed Dinghies’ Class at the Crosshaven-based club in Cork Harbour. “Having been very quiet for a few years, the mixed dinghy fleet is making a comeback this season,” the club has…
42 sailors have now entered the next Global Solo Challenge which will start from La Coruna in Spain, the first boats setting off in September of next year. The 42nd entrant, announced this week is Italian Riccardo Tosetto, a yachting…
The Russian-flagged general cargo vessel, Pola Anatolia, has arrived at Foynes Port in County Limerick after a seven-day voyage from Kaliningrad. The Baltic port of Kaliningrad is the only ice-free port of Russia. It is home to the headquarters of…
There are over 5,000 superyachts in the world, of which Russian oligarchs own a relatively small number – over 50 according to estimates. These are subject to sanctions by the EU and the USA and a number have been seized…
Kinsale Yacht Club has launched its Under 25 Team’s J24 and named it ‘Kinsailor.’ The boat is the last J24 to have been built by Jeremy Rogers, who also built Contessas, on the Isle of Wight. “At 31 years old…
Seven thousand people from forty countries are reported to have signed a petition protesting planning permission for a wind farm overlooking the historic spot where the River Lee begins its course to the sea at Cork Harbour. The petition describes…
An exhibition about the Naval Service has opened at the Passage West Maritime Museum, recounting how the Cork Harbour village has been a strong provider of Navy personnel. Intriguingly, it includes a detailed account of 21 years’ service by local…
