Lorna Siggins
Lorna Siggins is a print and radio reporter, and a former Irish Times western correspondent. She is the author of Search and Rescue: True stories of Irish Air-Sea Rescues and the Loss of R116 (2022); Everest Callling (1994) on the first Irish Everest expedition; Mayday! Mayday! (2004); and Once Upon a Time in the West: the Corrib gas controversy (2010). She is also co-producer with Sarah Blake of the Doc on One "Miracle in Galway Bay" which recently won a Celtic Media Award
The Government has allocated €13 million in increased funding to promote the” environmentally sustainable development” of the seafood industry. Budget 2021 has approved total funding for the Irish sea fisheries Programme at €151 million. Minister for Marine Charlie McConalogue welcomed…
If there is an ill wind that doesn’t blow some good, it is the numbers taking to the sea and inland waterways during Covid-19. As The Sunday Times reports today, this season has been the busiest ever for outdoor pursuit…
Calls for Ministerial Action & for Scientific Studies after High Court Ruling on Trawling Ban by Larger Vessels Inside 6 Nautical Miles
10th October 2020 Fishing
The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has called on Minister for Marine Charlie McConalogue and Minister of State for Biodiversity Pippa Hackett to “act swiftly” over a High Court decision that overturns a ban on fishing by vessels over 18 metres…
Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s role in certifying the Irish mussel industry as “sustainable” has earned it an “Ocean Hero” award from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The MSC, based in Britain, is an international non-profit organisation which sets “globally recognised, science-based…
High Court Says Ban on Larger Vessels Fishing Within Six Mile Limit Has "No Legal Effect"
8th October 2020 Fishing
The High Court has found that a ban on trawling or fishing within seine nets by vessels over 18 metres in length inside the six-mile nautical limit has “no legal effect”. Mr Justice Michael McGrath issued his judgment on foot…
The two Galway fishermen who rescued two paddleboarders in August have been honoured at a mayoral reception. Mayor of Galway Mike Cubbard described Patrick Oliver and his son Morgan as “Claddagh royalty” when he presented them with a framed presentation…
Government Drops any Inquiry into Encounter Between Fishing Vessel & Royal Navy Frigate
2nd October 2020 Fishing
The Government has opted not to pursue an incident where a British navy ship instructed an Irish fishing vessel to leave grounds where it was working some 60 miles off the Donegal coast. The 32-metre fishing vessel Marlíona, registered in…
When Fergus Farrell was paralysed after a workplace accident, he may never have imagined he would watch the sunrise as he plied a currach across Galway Bay. However, the former rugby player did just that with close friend and extreme…
Currach Crossing by Two Galway Rugby Players Planning Transatlantic Row
29th September 2020 Currachs
Two extraordinary men are set to row a currach from the Aran island of Inis Oírr to Galway city this morning to highlight their bid to cross the Atlantic in 2022. Extreme adventurer and former professional rugby player Damian Browne…
Galway Seabed Survey for Submarine Fibre Cable Between Iceland & Ireland
26th September 2020 Galway Harbour
Iceland has selected Galway as the European landing location for international telecommunications cables. Farice, a company fully owned by the Icelandic Government, currently owns and operates two submarine cables linking Iceland to Northern Europe. It has been undertaking preparatory work…
Penalty Points System for Fishing Offences May be Subject to New Court Challenge
24th September 2020 Fishing
The Irish South and West Fish Producers’ Organisation (IS&WFPO) says it intends to initiate a constitutional challenge to the penalty points system for fishing offences introduced by the new government. Taoiseach Micheál Martin signed the system of administrative sanctions into…
French-Registered Fishing Vessel Detained by Naval Service off Blasket Islands
23rd September 2020 Navy
A French-registered fishing vessel has been detained by the Naval Service off the south-west coast. The LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63) detained the vessel for alleged breaches of fishing regulations after a boarding inspection approximately 11 nautical miles south-west of…
World Maritime Day "Lá Mara" to be Marked by Udaras na Gaeltachta Marine Webinar
23rd September 2020 News Update
Ireland’s “blue economy” and the opportunities for Gaeltacht communities will be debated at a marine “webinar” hosted by State agency Udarás na Gaeltachta on Thursday to mark world maritime day. Offshore renewable energy, standards for sustainable harvesting of both wild…
The Dubliners' ode to Irish shellfish in their song Molly Malone may have been relying on inaccurate information. New research by University College, Cork (UCC) scientists reports there is “inconsistent” data on the location of Irish cockles in previous studies. Cockles…
Galway Fishermen Who Located Paddleboarders Record Another Rescue
24th September 2020 Galway Harbour
The Galway father and son who located two missing paddleboarders off the Aran islands last month have recorded another rescue. Patrick and Morgan Oliver pulled a man from the river Corrib this morning after he was spotted in the water…
Government responsibility for offshore islands has been transferred to the Department of Rural and Community Development. The islands had previously been within the brief held by the recently reconstituted Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht. Minister…
Three divers were rescued by the RNLI Clifden lifeboat yesterday after their rigid inflatable boat (RIB) caught fire in Bertraghboy bay near Roundstone, Co Galway. Shortly before 3 pm yesterday (Monday, Sept 21st) Clifden RNLI launched their Shannon class all-weather…
Two airline pilots on board a yacht which collided with a tanker off Greystones in the Irish Sea last year have disputed criticism of their experience in a report by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB). The MCIB inquiry into…
Coastal & Minority Language & Music Celebrated in Galway 2020 Production in Connemara
14th September 2020 Galway Harbour
The fragility of coastal languages, music and poetry will be celebrated by ten artists from five countries with minority languages at a Galway 2020 show opening in south Connemara next week. Musician Liam Ó Maonlaí, who participated in the last…
Further Evidence of Sea Level Rise Along the Atlantic Coast Uncovered on North Connemara Inter-Tidal Zone
13th September 2020 Coastal Notes
Discovery of the remains of a “drowned” prehistoric house in north Connemara may be further evidence of sea-level rise along the Atlantic coast in the last millennium. As The Sunday Times reports today, parts of a small prehistoric dwelling covered…
