Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Shane Diviney and Kinsale’s Frank O’Leary are part of the crew of Peter Dubens’ North Star III, which maintained a perfect record at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Sardinia on Tuesday with a third consecutive victory. The newly launched…
Silent Anne Best Dressed Craft At Blessing of Galway Bay and Boats
8th September 2026 Galway Harbour
Silent Anne has been named best-dressed boat at the annual Blessing of Galway Bay and Boats ceremony. Mike Heenan received the award for Silent Anne during the event at the pier in the Claddagh Basin in Galway City. Fr Tom…
Ireland’s Eve McMahon and Annalise Murphy have qualified for the Gold Fleet after the five-race Preliminary Series at the ILCA 6 Women’s World Championship in Dún Laoghaire. McMahon completes the qualification stage in 17th overall, while Olympic silver medallist Murphy…
Limerick's Pat Lawless Continues in Second Place in Golden Globe
8th September 2026 Golden Globe Race
Pat Lawless with his Saltram Saga 36 cutter Silvermines Hydro continues to sail a tactically brilliant race in the early stages of the Golden Globe 2026, and on Day 3 he lies second in the overall placings, bested only by…
A three-day festival celebrating Lough Corrib and its catchment in the west takes place later this month. Corrib Féile–FLOW aims to bring together communities, environmental experts, historians, artists and visitors to celebrate a waterway that has shaped the landscape, culture…
Mayo, Dublin, Galway Very Exposed In First National Map of Climate Hazard
8th September 2026 Weather
Parts of Mayo have “very high exposure” and both Dublin and Galway are among counties most vulnerable to rising sea levels and storm surges due to climate change. A University College Cork (UCC) team has published the first national map…
The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) has reminded Irish fishing vessel operators of the conservation measures and legal requirements that apply to European lobster (Homarus gammarus). A minimum conservation reference size of 87mm and maximum size of 127mm carapace length…
Following Cormac Bradley’s report from the 2026 Flying Fifteen Championship of Ireland at Carrickfergus, a second account of the event gives another perspective on the racing and conditions on Belfast Lough. The Irish Flying Fifteen fleet was welcomed to Carrickfergus…
Unitised Traffic Report Sees Growth of 3% for Q2, 2026 - IMDO Reports
8th September 2026 Irish Ports
The latest Unitised Traffic Report for Q2 2026, published by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO), details the key points of its findings and is detailed below. Unitised traffic throughout ports on the island of Ireland recorded growth of 3%…
West Coast SAR Flight Back-Up Could Be Affected By Sale of Galway Airport
8th September 2026 Coastguard
Emergency medicine consultants in the west have expressed concern about the imminent sale of Galway Airport and the loss of a potential base for search and rescue (SAR) helicopter, air ambulance and critical care teams. As The Sunday Independent reports,…
Promoted
MGM Boats in Dun Laoghaire on Dublin Bay, has announced the new Merry Fisher 1095 Flybridge Series 2 is now in stock, bringing an updated flybridge layout, three-cabin accommodation and an opening cockpit terrace to Jeanneau’s 10.75-metre family cruiser. The…
O’Brien and Flaherty Win Flying Fifteen Irish Nationals at Carrickfergus
8th September 2026 Flying Fifteen
To paraphrase the astute football commentator who told his audience that football was a game of two halves, the Flying Fifteen Nationals, hosted this past weekend by Carrickfergus Sailing Club on the shores of Belfast Lough, could be described as…
Primary Schools Invited to Take Part in National ‘Our Ocean, Our Future’ Short Film Competition
8th September 2026 Marine Planning
The Marine Institute and Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment have launched the Explorers Education Programme’s Our Ocean, Our Future: Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Short-Film Competition, to integrate marine themes across the primary curriculum through digital storytelling. Primary school teachers…
Ireland’s Eve McMahon lies 12th overall after three top-ten finishes on the opening day of the ILCA 6 Women’s World Championship in Dún Laoghaire. The Howth Yacht Club sailor scored a sixth, fourth and eighth across Monday’s three qualifying races,…
The Department of Transport has been advised that a beam trawl survey will be undertaken on the East Coast of Ireland on behalf of the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), an executive agency of the UK’s Department…
Lough Derg Lifeboat Assists Three on Cruiser Run Aground in Scarriff Bay
7th September 2026 RNLI Lifeboats
On Sunday evening (6 September), Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI to assist three people on a 33ft cruiser that had suffered engine failure and run aground in Scarriff Bay near Mountshannon Harbour. At 3.46pm, the inshore lifeboat Jean…
Skerries RNLI volunteers had a busy weekend with the coastguard requesting they launch their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat three times within 24 hours. Shortly after 5.30pm on Saturday (5 September), Dublin Coast Guard tasked Skerries RNLI to respond to reports…
Portrush RNLI Lifeguards Rescue Bodyboarder in Flash Rip Current and Walker Trapped After Fall
7th September 2026 RNLI Lifeboats
RNLI lifeguards rescued a bodyboarder who got caught in a flash rip current off Portrush East Strand on Sunday (6 September) while, further along the coast, their lifesaving colleagues came to the aid of a walker who slipped and fell…
Irish sailor Shane Diviney has made a perfect start to the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Sardinia, with the newly launched North Star III scoring two bullets from two races on her competitive debut in the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand…
The Manx Information Commissioner has partly upheld a complaint relating to a freedom of information (FoI) request about the Liverpool Ferry Terminal, used exclusively by the Isle of Man Steam Packet. A request for an FoI was made for a…
