Blogs
An Avoidable Collision Course - Caitlín Uí Aodha on the Fishing Industry's Concerns About Lack of Consultation on the Impacts of Offshore Renewables
2nd April 2022 Wavelength Podcast
The devastating invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s forces has focused minds on reducing energy dependence on Russia, with Ireland Inc gearing up to be the “Saudi Arabia” of offshore renewable. However, the Government’s delay in setting up a liaison…
The past two years would have been difficult enough for Irish sailing as we navigated our way - usually with reasonable success – towards keeping our sport as active as possible through various manifestations of the pandemic regulations. But in…
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…
America’s Cup Hosting: Barcelona’s Bazooka Bid Blows Cork Harbour Out of the Water
26th March 2022 W M Nixon
The revelation that the mighty Spanish sailing resort and port city of Barcelona has been secretly putting together a powerful hosting bid for the 2024 America’s Cup in the heart of vibrant Catalonia has been bruising news down Cork Harbour…
SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race Is St Patrick’s Parade For Sailing In Ireland
19th March 2022 W M Nixon
For most of us, the pandemic has been a matter of two years in limbo. And it maybe isn’t over yet, even if everyone is behaving as though we’re well into the end game. But for gallant little Wicklow Sailing…
SOS Bearna Opposes Galway County Plan to Permit Building to Within 15 metres From the Shoreline
18th March 2022 Wavelength Podcast
When former president Mary Robinson was speaking about the horrific invasion of Ukraine on RTE’s Late Late Show last week, she reminded us that climate change hasn’t gone away. SOS Bearna is the name of a community group in Galway…
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…
Lough Ree Clinkerfest To Celebrate Our Classic Boat-building Heritage With Sailing Sport
12th March 2022 W M Nixon
While the sailing programme during the past two years has managed to be played out afloat in a truncated form whenever changing regulations permitted, anything which involved a significant shoreside element of socialising was either cancelled completely, or else moth-balled…
Dr Karen Weekes: First Irish Woman to Row Solo Across the Atlantic (Podcast)
5th March 2022 Wavelength Podcast
“So your boat goes up the size of the wave, and then it goes down a bit and sometimes you might surf it or whatever but yeah, they were very very big..”. I’m useless at measuring things, I don’t know…
One minute it’s winter, and a socially-constrained pandemic-plagued winter at that. And next thing you know, it’s summer, freedom is declared, and our clubs are switching into instant overdrive as sailors go crazy trying to compensate for two years of…
After a difficult two years when sailing activities were restricted by the Covid pandemic, the Commodore of Kinsale Yacht Club on the southern coastline of County Cork, Matthias Hellstern, says the ”main focus this year is club racing and getting…
The debate about the future form of Dublin Port moved up a gear or two in mid-February with the revelation of the existence of the Docklands Business Forum, and its enthusiasm for moving the working docks elsewhere. With 200 or…
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…
Irish Cruising Club Found Freedom At Sea But Restrictions Ashore During 2021
19th February 2022 W M Nixon
“The Freedom of the Seas” is a grand hifalutin notion altogether, particularly when you try to explain the special joys of cruising to a sailing enthusiast who can only measure pleasure afloat through successful racing results. But as the exchanges…