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Displaying items by tag: Irish Marinas

Cahersiveen Marina is situated two miles up Valentia River from Valentia Harbour, the marina is well protected in all wind directions and is convenient for sailing to Valentia Island and Dingle Bay as well as for visiting some of the spectacular uninhabited islands in the surrounding area. Boasting a host of sheltered sandy beaches, the region is renowned for salt and fresh water fishing as well as being good for scuba diving. Within easy walking distance of the marina lies the historic town of Cahersiveen, incorporating an array of convivial pubs and restaurants.

 

Cahersiveen Marina

The Pier, Cahersiveen, Co. Kerry, Ireland

Tel 00353 66 9472777  Fax: 00353 66 9472993

Email: [email protected]

www.cahersiveenmarina.ie

VHF: Ch M

Access: H24

Published in Irish Marinas

Fenit Harbour Marina is tucked away in Tralee Bay, not far south of Shannon Estuary. It offers a superb cruising ground being within a days sail of Dingle and Kilrush, the marina also provides a convenient base from which to visit inland attractions such as the tourist towns of Tralee and Killarney. This 120 berth marina accommodates boats up to 15m LOA and benefits from deep water at all states of the tide. The small village of Fenit incorporates a grocery store as well as pubs and restaurants while among the local activities are horse riding, swimming from the nearby sandy beaches.

Published in Irish Marinas

Dingle is Ireland's most westerly marina, lying at the heart of the sheltered Dingle Harbour and is easily reached both day and night via a well buoyed approach channel. The surrounding area is an interesting and unfrequented cruising ground, with several islands, bays and beaches for the yachtsman to explore. The marina lies in the heart of the old market town, renowned for its hospitality and traditional Irish pub music. Besides enjoying the excellent seafood restaurants and 52 pubs, other recreational pastimes include horse riding, golf, climbing and diving.

Dingle Marina

Strand Street, Dingle, Co. Kerry

Tel: 00353 66 9151629

Email: [email protected]

www.dinglemarina.com

VHF: Ch M

Access: H24

Published in Irish Marinas

Portaferry Marina lies on the east shore of the Narrows, the gateway to Strangford Lough on the north east coast of Ireland. A marine nature reserve of outstanding natural beauty, the Lough offers plenty of recreational activities. The marina, which caters for draughts of up to 2.5m, is fairly small, accommodating around 30 yachts. The office is situated about 200m from the marina itself, where you will find ablution facilities along with a launderette. Portaferry incorporates several pubs and restaurants as well as a few convenience stores, while one of it's prime attractions is the Exploris Aquarium. Places of historic interest in the vicinity include Castleward, and 18th century mansion in Strangford, and Mount Stewart House and Garden in Newtownards.

Portaferry Marina

11 The Strand, Portaferry, BT22 1PF

Tel: 07703 209780  Email: [email protected]

Published in Irish Marinas

Ardglass Marina (also known as Phennick cove marina) is situated just south of Strangford, Ardglass has the capacity to accomodate up to 33 yachts as well as space for small craft. Despite being relatively small in size, the marina boasts an extensive array of facilities, either on site or close at hand. Most of the necessary shops, including grocery stores, a post office, chemist and off-licence, are all within a five-minute walk from the marina. Among the local onshore activities are golf, mountain climbing in Newcastle, which is 18 miles south, aswell as scenic walks at Ardglass and Delamont Park.

Published in Irish Marinas
6th November 2012

Carlingford Marina

Carlingford Lough is an eight mile sheltered haven between the Cooley Mountains to the south and the Mourne Mountains to the north. The marina is situated on the southern shore, about four miles from Haulbowline Lighthouse, and can be easily reached via a deep water shipping channel. Amon the most attractive destinations in the Irish Sea, Carlingford is only 60 miles from the Isle of Man and within a day's sail from Strangford Lough and Ardglass. Full facilities in the marina include a first class bar and restaurant offering superb views across the water

 

Carlingford Marina, Co. Louth

Tel: 042 937 3073  Fax: 042 937 3075

Email: [email protected]

www.carlingfordmarina.ie

Published in Irish Marinas

Situated on the south shore of Belfast Lough, Bangor is located close to the Irish Sea cruising routes. The Marina is right at the town's centre, within walking distance of shops, restaurants, hotels and bars. The Tourist information centre is across the road from the marina reception and there are numerous visitors' attractions in the Bourough. The Royal Ulster Yacht Club and the Ballyholme Yacht Club are both nearby and welcome visitors.

 

Quay Marinas Limited

Bangor Marina, Bangor, Co. Down, BT20 5ED

Tel: 028 91453297  Fax: 028 9145 3450

Email: [email protected]

www.quaymarinas.com

Published in Irish Marinas

Located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, Carrickfergus Marina and harbour incorporates two sheltered area suitable for leisure craft. The harbour is dominated by a magnificent 12th Century Norman Castle which, recently renovated includes a film theatre, banqueting room and outdoor models depicting the castle's chequered history. The marina is located 250 metres west of the harbour and has become increasingly popular since opeing in 1985. A range of shops and restaurants along the waterfront caters for most yachtsmen's needs.

Published in Irish Marinas

Ballycastle is a traditional seaside town situated on Northern Ireland's North Antrim Coast. The 74-Berthed, sheltered marina provides a perfect base from which to explore the well known local attractions such as the Giant's Causeway world heritage site, the spectacular Nine Glens of Antrim, and Rathlin, the only inhabited island in Northern Ireland. The more northern coastal marina in Ireland, Ballycastle is accessible at all states of the tide, although yachts are required to contact the marina on VHF Ch 80 before entering the harbour. Along the seafront are a selection of restaurants, bars and shops, while the town centre is only about a five minute walk away.

 

Ballycastle Marina,

Bayview Road, Ballycastle, Northern Ireland

Tel: 028 2076 8525/07803 505084

Fax: 028 20766215

Email: [email protected]

VHF: Ch80

Access H24

Published in Irish Marinas

Seatons marina is a privately owned business on the north coast of Ireland, which was estabished by Eric Seaton in 1962. It lies on the east bank of the River Bann, approximately two miles downstream from Coleraine and three miles from the sea. Long term pontoon berths are available for yachts up to 11.5m with a maximum draft of 2.4m; fore and aft moorings are available for larger vessels. Lift out and mast stepping facilities are provided by a 14 tonne trailer hoist.

 

Seatons Marina

Drumslade Rd., Coleraine, Londonderry, BT52 1SE

Tel: 028 7083 2086

Email: [email protected]

www.seatonsmarina.co.uk

Published in Irish Marinas
Page 3 of 4

Sharks in Irish waters

Irish waters are home to 71 species of shark, skates and rays, 58 of which have been studied in detail and listed on the Ireland Red List of Cartilaginous fish. Irish sharks range from small Sleeper sharks, Dogfish and Catsharks, to larger species like Frilled, Mackerel and Cow sharks, all the way to the second largest shark in the world, the Basking shark. 

Irish waters provide a refuge for an array of shark species. Tralee Bay, Co. Kerry provides a habitat for several rare and endangered sharks and their relatives, including the migratory tope shark, angel shark and undulate ray. This area is also the last European refuge for the extremely rare white skate. Through a European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) project, Marine Institute scientists have been working with fishermen to assess the distribution, diversity, and monthly relative abundance of skates and rays in Tralee, Brandon and Dingle Bays.

“These areas off the southwest coast of Ireland are important internationally as they hold some of the last remaining refuges for angel shark and white skate,” said Dr Maurice Clarke of the Marine Institute. “This EMFF project has provided data confirming the critically endangered status of some species and provides up-to-date information for the development of fishery measures to eliminate by-catch.” 

Irish waters are also home to the Black Mouthed Catshark, Galeus melastomus, one of Ireland’s smallest shark species which can be found in the deep sea along the continental shelf. In 2018, Irish scientists discovered a very rare shark-nursery 200 nautical miles off the west coast by the Marine Institute’s ROV Holland 1 on a shelf sloping to 750 metres deep. 

There are two ways that sharks are born, either as live young or from egg casings. In the ‘case’ of Black Mouthed Catsharks, the nursery discovered in 2018, was notable by the abundance of egg casings or ‘mermaid’s purses’. Many sharks, rays and skate lay eggs, the cases of which often wash ashore. If you find an egg casing along the seashore, take a photo for Purse Search Ireland, a citizen science project focusing on monitoring the shark, ray and skate species around Ireland.

Another species also found by Irish scientists using the ROV Holland 1 in 2018 was a very rare type of dogfish, the Sail Fin Rough Shark, Oxynotus paradoxus. These sharks are named after their long fins which resemble the trailing sails of a boat, and live in the deep sea in waters up to 750m deep. Like all sharks, skates and rays, they have no bones. Their skeleton is composed of cartilage, much like what our noses and ears are made from! This material is much more flexible and lighter than bone which is perfect for these animals living without the weight of gravity.

Throughout history sharks have been portrayed as the monsters of the sea, a concept that science is continuously debunking. Basking sharks were named in 1765 as Cetorhinus maximus, roughly translated to the ‘big-nosed sea monster’. Basking sharks are filter feeders, often swimming with their mouths agape, they filter plankton from the water.

They are very slow moving and like to bask in the sun in shallow water and are often seen in Irish waters around Spring and early Summer. To help understand the migration of these animals to be better able to understand and conserve these species, the Irish Basking Shark Group have tagged and mapped their travels.

Remarkably, many sharks like the Angel Shark, Squatina squatina have the ability to sense electricity. They do this via small pores in their skin called the ‘Ampullae of Lorenzini’ which are able to detect the tiny electrical impulses of a fish breathing, moving or even its heartbeat from distances of over a kilometre! Angel sharks, often referred to as Monkfish have a distinctively angelic shape, with flattened, large fins appearing like the wings of an angel. They live on the seafloor in the coastal waters of Ireland and much like a cat are nocturnal, primarily active at night.

The intricate complexity of shark adaptations is particularly noticeable in the texture of their skin. Composed of miniscule, perfectly shaped overlapping scales, the skin of shark provides them with protection. Often shark scales have been compared to teeth due to their hard enamel structure. They are strong, but also due to their intricate shape, these scales reduce drag and allow water to glide past them so that the shark can swim more effortlessly and silently. This natural flawless design has been used as inspiration for new neoprene fabric designs to help swimmers glide through the water. Although all sharks have this feature, the Leafscale Gulper Shark, Centrophorus squamosus, found in Ireland are specifically named due to the ornate leaf-shape of their scales.