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Displaying items by tag: Castleconnell

#Rowing: The men’s quadruple gave four top internationals the chance to show their speed at Skibbereen Regatta. Shane O’Driscoll, Paul O’Donovan, Gary O’Donovan and Mark O’Donovan won in a very good time of six minutes 29.9 seconds. NUIG’s two women’s coxed fours were also impressive – the B crew won well from the A crew in the Division One A Final. Two junior 16 competitors from Castleconnell, Norma Silke and Lauren O’Brien, zoomed away from the rest to win the Division Two double sculls, while Lee’s senior crew took the honours in the women’s quadruple. Enniskillen’s junior 18 crew won the Division One coxed four.  

Skibbereen Grand League Regatta, National Rowing Centre, Day One (Selected Results; with Per Centage of Projected World Best Time)

Men

Eight – Division Two – A Final: 1 Queen’s (nov) 7:04.6. 3 Univ of Limerick (club two) 7:25.3, 6 Col Iognaid (jun 16) 7:40.6.

Four, coxed – Div One – A Final: 1 Enniskillen (jun 18A) 7:09.5 (82.18), 2 UCD (inter) 7:11.7 (81.78), 3 NUIG (sen) 7:12.9 (81.54). B Final: 2 NUIG (club one) 7:29.8 (78.48).

Pair – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (sen) 7:43.6 (80.46), 2 Commercial (sen) 7:50.8, 3 Enniskillen (jun 18A) 7:56.4; 4 Cork A (inter) 8:04.8 (76.95). C Final: 3 St Michael’s (club one) 8:10.1 (76.11).

Sculling,

Quadruple – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen/UCD (sen) 6:29.9 (85.41), 2 Commercial (sen) 6:49.0 (81.42), 3 Shandon (jun 18A) 6:52.2 (80.79), 4 St Michael’s (club one) 7:11.0 (77.26).

Double – Div Two – A Final: 1 Castleconnell (jun 16) 8:51.7, 2 Shandon (club two) 9:17.3 (71.24). B Final: 2 Athlunkard (jun 18B) 9:57.4.

Single – A Final: 1 UCD (P O’Donovan; senior) 7:58.3 (81.78 per cent), 2 Skibbereen (G O’Donovan; sen) 8:03.4 (80.88), 3 UCD (A Goff; lightweight) 8:17.1 (78.66). B Final: 2 Skibbereen (K Mannix; intermediate) 8:21.6 (77.95); 5 Three Castles (R Quinn; jun 18A) 8:36.4 (75.71).

Women

Eight – Div Two – A Final: 1 Shandon (club two) 7:47.5; 4 NUIG (nov) 8:09.8. 5 Col Iognaid (jun 16) 8:12.8. Four, coxed – Division One – A Final: 1 NUIG B (inter) 8:03.5 (80.87),  NUIG A (inter) 8:12.6 (79.37), 3 Cork (sen) 8:18.4 (78.45); 6 UCC (club one) 8:40.7 (75.9).

Pair – A Final: 1 UCC (sen) 8:39.8 (79.06), 2 Cork (inter) 8:40.5 (78.96), 3 Fermoy (jun 18A) 8:47.1 (77.97). B Final: 3 Belfast BC (club one) 9:14.9 (74.07); 6 Cork A (jun 18A) 9:35.7 (71.39)

Sculling

Quadruple – Div One – A Final: 1 Lee (sen) 7:35.2 (80.18), 2 Fermoy, Carlow, Skibbereen, Kenmare 7:36.6 (79.94), 3 Workmans (jun 18A) 7:48.1 (77.98).

Div Two, coxed – A Final: Cork (jun 18B) 8:34.6, 2 Lee A (club two) 8:47.4, 3 Carlow (jun 16), 4 Garda (club two) 9:00.0. B Final: 2 UCD A (nov) 9:21.4.

Double – Div Two – A Final: 1 Castleconnell (jun 16) 8:51.7, 2 Shandon (club two) 9:17.3. B Final: 2 Athlunkard (jun 18B) 9:57.4.

Single – A Final: 1 Old Collegians (S Puspure; sen) 8:33.5 (82.97), 2 Killorglin (M Dukarska; sen) 8:45.0 (81.14), 3 UCD (A Crowley; inter) 9:06.8 (77.91). B Final: 3 Col Iognaid (C Nic Dhonncha; jun 18A) 9:38.1 (73.69), 4 Lee Valley (E O’Mahony; club one) 9:45.6 (72.75).

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Lukas Babac won the Dirty Dozen Challenge run by Castleconnell Boat Club, with Declan O’Connor of St Michael’s second. The Slovakian was a bronze medallist in the lightweight single sculls at the World Championships this year. Monika Dukarska of Killorglin was the top woman sculler, with Ruth Kilkenny of Castleconnell second. The final was run over six kilometres. Jim Quinlan and Clara O’Brien of Castleconnell won the junior 18 competition.  

Published in Rowing

#MCIB - The dangers of boating while under the influence have been highlighted in the official report into an incident on the Shannon near Limerick city earlier this year.

One man died and three others were hospitalised after their boat capsized north-east of Limerick city in the early hours of Thursday 4 February, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

The official report into the incident by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) has found that the four men, none of whom had any boating experience, were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs when they took the boat from Castleconnell Boat Club shortly before 4am.

The small aluminium boat had its drain plug removed, as is standard when storing such boats ashore, and quickly began taking on water as the four men paddled to an area known as the Gap of the Dam, where the river narrows, and into a torrent fed by heavy rainfall in the previous fortnight.

Losing control of the boat as they guided it to trees on a spit of land in the river, it grounded on submerged rocks and capsized, throwing all four men into the water. None were wearing lifejackets.

One man caught his leg under the capsized boat, another was swept away while attempting to lift the boat off his friend, and a third became entangled in undergrowth after losing his footing, while the fourth managed to contact emergency services with his mobile phone after several attempts.

Gardaí and teams from the Limerick Fire Service and Killaloe Coast Guard arrived between 4:35am and 4:45am but faced great difficulty mounting a rescue attempt due to the fast-flowing water and low light conditions, though all four were recovered by 7am.

Two firemen were commended by the MCIB for their courage in staying in the water for over two hours to assist the man trapped in undergrowth, though he was unresponsive when finally recovered from the water and later pronounced dead due to drowning at Limerick University Hospital.

Impaired judgement due to drugs and/or drink taken over a number of hours was cited as the main factor in the tragedy by the MCIB, explaining the men’s recklessness in taking out a boat in darkness with no experience and lacking safety gear.

The board recommends the issue of a Marine Notice reminding the public of the dangers of operating any water craft under the influence.

The full report from the MCIB is available to download below.

Published in MCIB

Castleconnell Boat Club has released a statement regarding the capsize on the Shannon:

Early this morning (Thursday 4th February) Castleconnell Boat Club was informed that a number of individuals had entered the club grounds at World’s End at approximately 4am. The club was only recently accessible after weeks of total flooding, and much of the surrounding area had been under water, or damaged. Four men removed one of the club safety launches, which was without an engine, and put it on the water.

With flooding still an issue the water was very high, and the water extremely fast. We have been told that the men got into difficulty very quickly, and we believe they capsized nearby. Early news reports say that that emergency services spent several hours rescuing them and that they are being treated in Limerick Hospital.

Safety is always the top of CCBC agenda and the thoughts of anyone on such dangerous water especially at that time of night, and without means to propel the boat is frightening in the extreme. No members have been permitted on the water for over two months, due to safety concerns.

The dangers of water cannot be over emphasised and we commend the bravery and the professionalism of the Coast Guard, and the Emergency Services.

Our thoughts and best wishes are with the individuals and their families at this terrible time.

Yours in rowing,

Francis Moloney

Club President CCBC

Published in News Update

#Rowing: The fastest crew at the Castleconnell head of the river on Saturday was the composite men’s senior eight of the host club and the University of Limerick, who set a time of 10 minutes and 25 seconds. The fastest women’s crew, Castleconnell’s intermediate eight, came home 18th overall in a big field.

Castleconnell Head of the River, Saturday (Selected Results):

Overall: 1 Castleconnell/Univ of Limerick men’s senior eight 10:25, 2 Castleconnell men’s jun 18A quadruple 10:48, 3 Muckross men’s masters eight 11:03, 4 St Michael’s men’s senior four 11:04, 5 St Michael’s men’s masters eight 11:04, 6 Castleconnell/Killorglin men’s senior double sculls 11:08; 18 Castleconnell women’s inter eight 11:47.

Men

Eight – Intermediate: Shannon 12:04. Masters: Muckross A 11:03.

Four – Inter, coxed: Shannon A 11:25. Jun 18A, coxed: Waterford 11:52.

Pair – Senior: St Michael’s B 11:53. Jun 18A: Col Iognaid 12:55.

Sculling, Quadruple – Jun 18A: Castleconnell 10:48. Jun 16, coxed: Col Iognaid 11:37.

 Double – Senior: Castleconnell, Killorglin 11:08. Inter: Castleconnell B 11:10. Junn 18A: Castleconnell A 11:33. Jun 16: St Michael’s 12:14.

Single – Senior: 1 D O’Connor 11:55. Inter: A Mozdzer 12:46. Novice: D O’Hare 13:25. Under-23: D Lynch 12:39. Jun 18A: A O’Connor 12:22. Jun 16: M Dundon 13:00. Masters: S McDonnell 13:22.

Women

Eight – Inter: Castleconnell 11:47. Novice: Univ of Limerick A 14:38.

Four – Senior: UCD 12:07.

Pair – Jun 18A: Col Iognaid B 14:32.

Sculling

Quadruple – Novice, coxed: St Brendan’s A 13:30. Jun 16, coxed: Col Iognaid 13:04. 

Double – Inter: Castleconnell 13:54. Jun 18A: St Michael’s 13:10. Jun 16: Col Iognaid 14:38. 

Single – Inter: R Kilkenny 14:16. Masters: N McCarthy 15:58. Novice: S Slattery 14:43. Jun 18A: G O’Brien 14:31. Jun 16: C O’Brien 14:18.

Published in Rowing
#RowingCastleconnell: The fastest crew of the day at the Castleconnell Head of the River was the Castleconnell/Clonmel composite quadruple of David Quinlan, Alan Prendegast, Adrian Sheehan and Stewart Shannon. St Joeeph's won the boy's quad. The junior eight from St Michael’s posted the fastest time in this class. David O’Malley, Eoghan Whittle and Conor Carmody were among the junior scullers who had good results, and Presentation had the strongest junior pair of the day. Conditions were challenging, with strong head winds during the day and some showers in the late morning.
Crew NumberEvent Team NameStartFinishTime 
257mens senior 4X- Castleconnell BC A - Castleconnell BC/Clonmel RC 3:14:343:25:240:10:50 
224mens J18A 4X- St. Josephs College RC 4:31:014:41:530:10:52 
259mens senior 4X- Shannon RC - Shannon RC/University of Limerick RC 5:06:285:17:390:11:11 
235mens masters 8+ Shannon RC A (d 395)2:12:162:23:410:11:25 
260mens senior 4X- St. Michaels Rowing Club 6:39:306:50:560:11:26 
132mens J15 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club E4:43:414:55:090:11:28 
28mens intermediate I 4+ Presentation College RC 4:31:544:43:260:11:32 
27mens intermediate I 4+ Colaiste Iognaid RC 4:35:304:47:040:11:34 
231mens J18A 8+ St. Michaels Rowing Club 5:00:415:12:320:11:51 
174mens J16 4X+ Clonmel RC 4:00:084:12:040:11:56 
172mens J16 4X+ Carrick-on-Shannon RC 5:25:555:37:530:11:58 
227mens J18A 8+ Presentation College RC 2:51:013:03:010:12:00 
26mens intermediate I 4+ Athlunkard BC 2:59:353:11:400:12:05 
214mens J18A 2X Athlone BC 3:32:043:44:130:12:09 
251mens senior 2- St. Michaels Rowing Club B0:46:130:58:240:12:11 
254mens senior 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club 1:07:041:19:200:12:16
255mens senior 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club B4:14:594:27:230:12:24
222mens J18A 4X- Athlunkard BC 1:27:391:40:040:12:25
267U23 (ns) mens senior 2X Castleconnell BC - Castleconnell BC/Colaiste Chiarain RC 2:52:063:04:350:12:29
117mens J15 4X+ Athlunkard BC 4:06:254:18:560:12:31
228mens J18A 8+ Presentation College RC B2:51:303:04:040:12:34
25mens intermediate I 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club 3:51:144:03:520:12:38
225mens J18A 4X- St. Josephs College RC B2:05:322:18:110:12:39
212mens J18A 2- Presentation College RC 1:14:181:27:010:12:43
24mens intermediate I 2X Garda Siochana BC B3:00:243:13:110:12:47
20mens intermediate I 2X Athlone BC B2:30:072:42:560:12:49
173mens J16 4X+ Castleconnell BC 4:40:304:53:220:12:52
252mens senior 2- St. Michaels Rowing Club C3:13:463:26:390:12:53
171mens J16 4X+ Athlone BC 3:52:084:05:020:12:54
382womens J18A 8+ Shannon RC 0:37:060:50:000:12:54
237mens masters 8+ St. Michaels Rowing Club (d 431)2:38:472:51:440:12:57
202mens J18A 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club A (O'Malley) 2:41:392:54:420:13:03 
122mens J15 4X+ Colaiste Iognaid RC C6:52:247:05:300:13:06 
116mens J15 4X+ Athlone BC 4:33:024:46:100:13:08 
215mens J18A 2X Colaiste Iognaid RC 6:41:466:54:550:13:09 
195mens J18A 1X St. Josephs College RC A (Fallon) 2:17:242:30:350:13:11 
209mens J18A 2- Clonmel RC 1:20:051:33:170:13:12 
15mens intermediate I 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club E (O'Connor)3:47:374:00:490:13:12 
111mens J15 2X Killorglin RC 0:38:170:51:300:13:13 
23mens intermediate I 2X Garda Siochana BC 2:13:532:27:100:13:17 
245mens novice 4+ University of Limerick RC 3:02:173:15:340:13:17 
161mens J16 2X Castleconnell BC A 4:20:364:33:540:13:18 
210mens J18A 2- Colaiste Iognaid RC 2:01:562:15:160:13:20 
256mens senior 2X University of Limerick RC 3:03:583:17:190:13:21 
378womens J18A 4X- Castleconnell BC 4:15:234:28:450:13:22raced as 2x
124mens J15 4X+ Killorglin RC 2:02:402:16:040:13:24 
9mens intermediate I 1X NUI Galway BC (Breen)4:03:214:16:500:13:29 
164mens J16 2X Clonmel RC 5:13:095:26:410:13:32
265U23 (ns) mens lightweight 1X Castleconnell BC (Quinlan)0:51:531:05:260:13:33
180mens J16 8+ Presentation College RC 3:41:373:55:120:13:35
162mens J16 2X Castleconnell BC B3:34:083:47:440:13:36
185mens J18A 1X Athlunkard BC A (Gallagher) 4:44:224:57:580:13:36
187mens J18A 1X Castleconnell BC (Whittle)0:35:030:48:400:13:37
399womens senior 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club 3:07:253:21:050:13:40
114mens J15 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club B3:42:583:56:380:13:40
107mens J15 2X Colaiste Iognaid RC B5:01:205:15:000:13:40
126mens J15 4X+ Presentation College RC 5:22:205:36:000:13:40
266U23 (ns) mens senior 1X Castleconnell BC (Sheehan)0:51:331:05:170:13:44
379womens J18A 4X- Colaiste Iognaid RC 2:08:272:22:110:13:44
223mens J18A 4X- Shannon RC 6:53:087:06:540:13:46
194mens J18A 1X Shannon RC D (Carmody)1:11:351:25:230:13:48
100mens J15 2X Athlunkard BC 1:45:361:59:240:13:48
211mens J18A 2- Colaiste Iognaid RC B1:55:572:09:450:13:48
165mens J16 2X Colaiste Chiarain RC 1:22:481:36:370:13:49
69mens J14 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club 1:52:192:06:080:13:49
16mens intermediate I 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club F (O'Connor)1:12:281:26:180:13:50
1mens intermediate I 1X Athlone BC A (Molloy) 0:55:481:09:400:13:52
246mens senior 1X Clonmel RC (Prendergast)0:52:131:06:070:13:54
197mens J18A 1X St. Josephs College RC C (Killeen)1:52:472:06:410:13:54
7mens intermediate I 1X Garda Siochana BC C (Murphy)4:25:434:39:410:13:58
248mens senior 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club B (Waldron)0:36:060:50:040:13:58
113mens J15 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club 4:33:584:47:560:13:58
233mens masters 1X Shannon RC (O'Callaghan) (b 38)6:58:417:12:400:13:59
398womens senior 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club C (Clavin)3:36:403:50:400:14:00
403mens J14 8X+ Colaiste Iognaid RC - invitation3:35:583:49:590:14:01
220mens J18A 2X Tralee RC 3:31:123:45:140:14:02
207mens J18A 1X Tralee RC C (Walsh)4:24:344:38:370:14:03
5mens intermediate I 1X Garda Siochana BC A (Kelly) 1:14:501:28:550:14:05
128mens J15 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club 1:02:181:16:240:14:06
53mens J14 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club C4:26:164:40:230:14:07
178mens J16 4X+ St. Josephs College RC 3:48:214:02:280:14:07
182mens J18A 1X Athlone BC A (Egan) 1:30:071:44:140:14:07
119mens J15 4X+ Clonmel RC 2:58:403:12:470:14:07
109mens J15 2X Colaiste Iognaid RC D4:27:534:42:010:14:08
238mens novice 1X Athlone BC (Munnelly)0:50:391:04:500:14:11
13mens intermediate I 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club C (Quinn)0:40:030:54:160:14:13
104mens J15 2X Clonmel RC 1:22:131:36:260:14:13
348womens J16 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club 4:10:184:24:310:14:13
138mens J16 1X Clonmel RC A (Anderson) 1:10:111:24:260:14:15
146mens J16 1X St. Josephs College RC A (Dillon) 2:34:392:48:560:14:17
273womens intermediate I 2- University of Limerick RC 0:41:490:56:060:14:17
18mens intermediate I 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club H (Quinn)3:37:373:51:540:14:17
339womens J16 2X Carrick-on-Shannon RC 4:44:474:59:060:14:19
14mens intermediate I 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club D (O'Connor)0:53:131:07:330:14:20
184mens J18A 1X Athlone BC C (Hannon)4:21:424:36:020:14:20
11mens intermediate I 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club A (O'Brien) 0:30:250:44:460:14:21
373womens J18A 2X Carrick-on-Shannon RC 5:13:455:28:060:14:21
108mens J15 2X Colaiste Iognaid RC C5:08:185:22:400:14:22
137mens J16 1X Castleconnell BC B (Hogan)1:26:151:40:370:14:22
189mens J18A 1X Colaiste Iognaid RC (Coyne)1:18:011:32:240:14:23
135mens J16 1X Carrick-on-Shannon RC (Hartigan)3:25:293:39:540:14:25
219mens J18A 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club 0:58:221:12:480:14:26
106mens J15 2X Colaiste Iognaid RC 1:44:581:59:260:14:28
76mens J15 1X Carrick-on-Shannon RC A (Mc Cabe) 3:29:293:43:580:14:29
113mens J15 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club 3:43:433:58:120:14:29
351womens J16 8+ Shannon RC 3:27:193:41:500:14:31
6mens intermediate I 1X Garda Siochana BC B (MacEoin)1:15:191:29:500:14:31
229mens J18A 8+ Shannon RC 2:59:133:13:450:14:32
213mens J18A 2- St. Michaels Rowing Club 1:35:581:50:300:14:32
196mens J18A 1X St. Josephs College RC B (Bennett)3:00:483:15:200:14:32
62mens J14 4X+ Presentation College RC 4:25:124:39:450:14:33
186mens J18A 1X Athlunkard BC B (Meehan)3:20:133:34:470:14:34
191mens J18A 1X Shannon RC A (Browne) 1:12:031:26:390:14:36
188mens J18A 1X Clonmel RC (Channon)0:52:451:07:210:14:36
3mens intermediate I 1X Athlunkard BC (Devereux)1:08:591:23:360:14:37
393womens novice 8+ Garda Siochana BC 4:23:114:37:500:14:39
319womens J15 4X+ Clonmel RC 1:19:361:34:190:14:43
203mens J18A 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club B (O'Connor)0:25:560:40:410:14:45
183mens J18A 1X Athlone BC B (Hannon)0:55:141:09:590:14:45
134mens J16 1X Cappoquin RC (Buckley)3:00:133:14:590:14:46
169mens J16 2X Presentation College RC 5:11:565:26:420:14:46
4mens intermediate I 1X Clonmel RC (Murphy)0:51:031:05:500:14:47
150mens J16 1X St. Josephs College RC E (O'Rourke)4:48:165:03:050:14:49
94mens J15 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club B (Mc Keon)5:28:205:43:100:14:50
396womens senior 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club A (O'Sullivan) 0:36:260:51:160:14:50
115mens J15 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club C3:45:154:00:050:14:50
95mens J15 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club C (Mc Keon)5:30:275:45:180:14:51
301womens J14 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club 5:47:356:02:280:14:53
129mens J15 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club B1:09:491:24:420:14:53
239mens novice 1X Cappoquin RC A (Aherne) 4:01:294:16:240:14:55
302womens J14 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club B3:23:423:38:380:14:56
312womens J15 2X Colaiste Iognaid RC 4:16:114:31:070:14:56
121mens J15 4X+ Colaiste Iognaid RC B7:07:207:22:160:14:56
140mens J16 1X Colaiste Chiarain RC A (Banahan) 3:09:453:24:440:14:59
86mens J15 1X Colaiste Iognaid RC B (Convery)1:23:461:38:460:15:00
77mens J15 1X Carrick-on-Shannon RC B (Jordan)3:28:513:43:520:15:01
340womens J16 2X Shannon RC 5:09:385:24:400:15:02
376womens J18A 2X Colaiste Iognaid RC 3:58:154:13:180:15:03
366womens J18A 2- Colaiste Iognaid RC 4:23:514:38:540:15:03
50mens J14 2X Presentation College RC 3:03:423:18:450:15:03
269womens intermediate I 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club (O'Sullivan)1:19:091:34:150:15:06
84mens J15 1X Clonmel RC (Britton)2:20:212:35:280:15:07
377womens J18A 4X- Athlunkard BC 0:49:361:04:430:15:07
175mens J16 4X+ Presentation College RC 5:10:375:25:450:15:08
2mens intermediate I 1X Athlone BC C (Noonan)0:48:461:03:550:15:09
10mens intermediate I 1X Shannon RC (Blackwell)3:01:583:17:070:15:09
142mens J16 1X Colaiste Chiarain RC C (Hogan)0:31:550:47:050:15:10
56mens J14 4X+ Castleconnell BC 2:15:372:30:470:15:10
131mens J15 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club D2:39:502:55:010:15:11
130mens J15 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club C3:55:264:10:370:15:11
21mens intermediate I 2X Athlunkard BC 1:00:181:15:310:15:13
241mens novice 1X Carrick-on-Shannon RC (Lavin)3:30:503:46:040:15:14
247mens senior 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club A (Lynch) 0:26:440:41:590:15:15
398womens senior 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club C (Clavin)0:27:110:42:290:15:18
236mens masters 8+ Shannon RC B - Clonmel RC/Shannon RC (b 323)0:56:511:12:100:15:19
363womens J18A 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club A (Madden) 4:45:255:00:440:15:19
97mens J15 2X Athlone BC B3:06:013:21:220:15:21
12mens intermediate I 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club B (Murphy)1:04:091:19:310:15:22
141mens J16 1X Colaiste Chiarain RC B (Bayle)3:49:334:04:570:15:24
316womens J14 4X+ Athlone BC 1:54:542:10:190:15:25
206mens J18A 1X Tralee RC B (Pope)2:07:292:22:540:15:25
384womens masters 8+ Shannon RC B (b 289)2:43:132:58:380:15:25
102mens J15 2X Castleconnell BC C4:32:204:47:450:15:25
154mens J16 1X St. Josephs College RC I (Moran)5:02:005:17:260:15:26
160mens J16 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club B (Oyewo)2:35:142:50:400:15:26
240mens novice 1X Cappoquin RC B (Povey)2:58:203:13:470:15:27
139mens J16 1X Clonmel RC B (Anderson)1:06:071:21:350:15:28
326womens J15 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club B5:02:545:18:240:15:30
96mens J15 2X Athlone BC 3:03:243:18:550:15:31
68mens J14 4X+ St. Josephs College RC C5:05:065:20:390:15:33
360womens J18A 1X Colaiste Iognaid RC B (Cushen)3:53:344:09:070:15:33
309womens J15 2X Athlone BC B4:27:214:42:550:15:34
93mens J15 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club A (Lane) 5:29:365:45:100:15:34
136mens J16 1X Castleconnell BC A (Meehan) 1:43:411:59:160:15:35
364womens J18A 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club B (Klimek)0:37:440:53:190:15:35
365womens J18A 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club C (Sherin)1:44:091:59:490:15:40
208mens J18A 1X Tralee RC D (Stuart)3:30:163:45:570:15:41
272womens intermediate I 2- Shannon RC 3:08:373:24:190:15:42
308womens J15 2X Athlone BC 4:26:544:42:360:15:42
350womens J16 8+ Athlunkard BC 1:50:252:06:100:15:45
159mens J16 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club A (Cowton) 1:13:041:28:500:15:46
359womens J18A 1X Colaiste Iognaid RC A (Cushen) 1:26:441:42:300:15:46
311womens J15 2X Clonmel RC 3:17:283:33:150:15:47
325womens J15 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club 5:57:236:13:100:15:47
151mens J16 1X St. Josephs College RC F (Cusack)5:14:365:30:230:15:47
127mens J15 4X+ Presentation College RC B4:21:174:37:060:15:49
85mens J15 1X Colaiste Iognaid RC A (Buckley) 2:18:222:34:110:15:49
54mens J14 4X+ Athlone BC 4:42:544:58:430:15:49
338womens J16 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club (Murphy)0:31:210:47:130:15:52
274womens intermediate I 2X Cappoquin RC 3:10:483:26:430:15:55
335womens J16 1X Shannon RC A (Coll) 3:33:023:48:570:15:55
200mens J18A 1X St. Josephs College RC F (Gavin-Munnelly)2:17:532:33:490:15:56
375womens J18A 2X Castleconnell BC B1:17:391:33:370:15:58
324womens J15 4X+ Shannon RC 5:08:585:24:590:16:01
355womens J18A 1X Castleconnell BC B (Griffin)0:44:251:00:290:16:04
310womens J15 2X Castleconnell BC 3:33:303:49:370:16:07
199mens J18A 1X St. Josephs College RC E (Gavin-Munnelly)1:51:072:07:140:16:07
286womens J14 2X Colaiste Chiarain RC 2:50:233:06:320:16:09
179mens J16 4X+ St. Josephs College RC B3:01:373:17:460:16:09
70mens J14 4X+ St. Michaels Rowing Club B3:05:143:21:230:16:09
170mens J16 2X Presentation College RC B5:11:255:27:440:16:19
49mens J14 2X Killorglin RC 1:58:202:14:390:16:19
353womens J18A 1X Carrick-on-Shannon RC B (Mc Cabe)2:47:543:04:200:16:26
371womens J18A 2X Athlunkard BC 2:46:543:03:220:16:28
291womens J14 4X+ Athlone BC D3:11:293:27:570:16:28
133mens J16 1X Athlone BC (Temple)0:57:301:13:590:16:29
55mens J14 4X+ Athlone BC B5:27:405:44:100:16:30
387womens novice 1X Shannon RC A (Lane) 1:41:421:58:130:16:31
198mens J18A 1X St. Josephs College RC D (Jones)2:41:092:57:400:16:31
341womens J16 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club 1:23:201:39:520:16:32
268womens intermediate I 1X Garda Siochana BC (Holden)2:40:172:56:520:16:35
293womens J14 4X+ Clonmel RC 1:17:201:33:550:16:35
330womens J16 1X Carrick-on-Shannon RC B (Kelly)2:48:483:05:250:16:37
354womens J18A 1X Castleconnell BC A (Silke) 0:54:141:10:520:16:38
314womens J15 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club 1:07:361:24:170:16:41
289womens J15 4X+ Athlone BC B3:56:574:13:380:16:41
318womens J15 4X+ Castleconnell BC 1:33:121:49:550:16:43
295womens J14 4X+ Colaiste Iognaid RC 2:21:302:38:130:16:43
294womens J14 4X+ Colaiste Chiarain RC 0:40:460:57:300:16:44
44mens J14 2X Castleconnell BC 5:03:285:20:130:16:45
342womens J16 2X St. Michaels Rowing Club B1:01:241:18:110:16:47
297womens J14 4X+ Colaiste Iognaid RC C4:04:134:21:060:16:53
388womens novice 1X Shannon RC B (Ryan)0:54:531:11:480:16:55
91mens J15 1X Shannon RC A (Kerley) 1:31:301:48:250:16:55
112mens J15 2X Presentation College RC 2:55:013:11:560:16:55
271womens intermediate I 1X University of Limerick RC B (Green)0:46:491:03:460:16:57
88mens J15 1X Colaiste Iognaid RC D (O’halloran3:18:453:35:430:16:58
370womens J18A 2X Athlone BC 1:08:331:25:320:16:59
31mens J14 1X Athlone BC B (Byrne)2:13:212:30:210:17:00
385womens novice 1X Carrick-on-Shannon RC (Mulvey)2:48:173:05:180:17:01
278womens J14 1X Colaiste Chiarain RC A (Hogan) 0:39:280:56:300:17:02
345womens J16 4X+ Castleconnell BC B3:03:043:20:080:17:04
79mens J15 1X Castleconnell BC B (Silke)1:03:411:20:480:17:07
277womens J14 1X Clonmel RC (Sutcliffe)3:17:053:34:130:17:08
390womens novice 2X Athlunkard BC 3:18:053:35:140:17:09
87mens J15 1X Colaiste Iognaid RC C (Coen)3:19:273:36:360:17:09
268womens intermediate I 1X Garda Siochana BC (Holden)1:05:351:22:470:17:12
287womens J14 2X Shannon RC 1:16:221:33:360:17:14
205mens J18A 1X Tralee RC A (Hanafin) 2:01:232:18:380:17:15
391womens novice 4+ Garda Siochana BC 1:38:151:55:300:17:15raced as 4x+
285womens J14 2X Castleconnell BC B2:45:283:02:440:17:16 
66mens J14 4X+ St. Josephs College RC 3:09:183:26:340:17:16 
357womens J18A 1X Castleconnell BC D (Cunningham)1:51:272:08:460:17:19 
105mens J15 2X Clonmel RC B1:40:321:57:520:17:20 
317womens J15 4X+ Athlunkard BC 3:21:093:38:310:17:22 
80mens J15 1X Castleconnell BC C (Brazier Smalle)1:03:101:20:350:17:25 
402womens J14 8X+ Colaiste Iognaid RC B - invitation5:10:165:27:430:17:27 
346womens J16 4X+ Clonmel RC 2:11:052:28:340:17:29 
368womens J18A 2- Shannon RC A 2:19:282:36:570:17:29 
327womens J16 1X Athlunkard BC (Reale)4:28:194:45:500:17:31 
404womens J15 1x W15 1x Athlone inv1:42:262:00:020:17:36 
336womens J16 1X Shannon RC B (Davis)3:38:403:56:170:17:37 
328womens J16 1X Cappoquin RC (Laughlin)3:15:303:33:080:17:38 
390womens novice 2X Athlunkard BC 2:27:362:45:150:17:39 
296womens J14 4X+ Colaiste Iognaid RC B3:15:093:32:480:17:39 
329womens J16 1X Carrick-on-Shannon RC A (Gannon) 2:46:183:03:570:17:39 
204mens J18A 1X St. Michaels Rowing Club C (Doev)2:47:353:05:170:17:42 
292womens J14 4X+ Castleconnell BC 3:49:054:06:490:17:44 
38mens J14 1X Killorglin RC A (Houlihan) 0:38:540:56:380:17:44 
290womens J14 4X+ Athlone BC C2:06:462:24:380:17:52 
347womens J16 4X+ Clonmel RC B2:11:352:29:340:17:59 
63mens J14 4X+ Presentation College RC B2:56:413:14:410:18:00 
51mens J14 2X Shannon RC 2:00:102:18:150:18:05 
64mens J14 4X+ Shannon RC 6:01:026:19:100:18:08 
401womens J14 8X+ Colaiste Iognaid RC - invitation4:19:534:38:030:18:10 
386womens novice 1X Killorglin RC (Murphy)0:33:460:51:560:18:10 
391womens novice 4+ Garda Siochana BC 2:25:322:43:460:18:14raced as 4x+
103mens J15 2X Castleconnell BC D1:53:302:11:490:18:19 
343womens J16 4X+ Athlunkard BC 4:58:075:16:270:18:20 
82mens J15 1X Castleconnell BC E (Nash)1:20:361:39:010:18:25 
258mens senior 4X- Castleconnell BC B2:57:453:16:190:18:34 
394womens novice 8+ University of Limerick RC 2:29:022:47:410:18:39
358womens J18A 1X Castleconnell BC E (O'Neill)2:55:363:14:150:18:39
67mens J14 4X+ St. Josephs College RC B4:09:224:28:110:18:49
307womens J15 1X Tralee RC (Mc Elligott)1:56:382:15:290:18:51
39mens J14 1X Killorglin RC B (Murphy)0:32:470:51:400:18:53
303womens J15 1X Cappoquin RC (Murphy)3:12:193:31:170:18:58
282womens J14 2X Athlone BC 1:11:041:30:040:19:00
193mens J18A 1X Shannon RC C (Clancy)2:00:472:20:100:19:23
81mens J15 1X Castleconnell BC D (Mc Keon)1:18:321:37:590:19:27
57mens J14 4X+ Clonmel RC 3:05:183:24:490:19:31
45mens J14 2X Clonmel RC 2:33:012:52:400:19:39
275womens J14 1X Carrick-on-Shannon RC A (Duggan) 2:49:463:09:270:19:41
29mens intermediate I 4+ Presentation College RC B5:19:215:39:070:19:46
276womens J14 1X Carrick-on-Shannon RC B (Mulvey)2:45:513:05:400:19:49
283womens J14 2X Carrick-on-Shannon RC 5:07:435:27:370:19:54
284womens J14 2X Castleconnell BC 2:07:532:27:560:20:03
37mens J14 1X Clonmel RC C (Mc Kenna)1:21:151:41:260:20:11
288womens J14 4X+ Athlone BC 1:15:521:36:090:20:17
36mens J14 1X Clonmel RC B (Bates)1:16:501:37:080:20:18
35mens J14 1X Clonmel RC A (0'Donnell) 1:21:481:42:110:20:23
315womens J15 2X Tralee RC 1:57:202:19:240:22:04
401womens J14 8X+ Colaiste Iognaid RC - invitation2:44:283:06:500:22:22
305womens J15 1X Castleconnell BC B (Barton)0:59:361:22:150:22:39
64mens J14 4X+ Shannon RC 4:11:164:34:050:22:49
149mens J16 1X St. Josephs College RC D (Moran)5:12:260:00:00dnf
Published in Rowing

# ROWING: St Joseph’s of Galway had a good day at the Castleconnell/Bulls and Bears head of the river on the Shannon on Saturday. The Junior 18A eight from the school was the fastest crew and the Junior 18A quadruple also won.

Castleconnell Bulls and Bears Head of the River, Saturday (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Junior 18A: 1 St Joseph’s 10:06, 2 St Joseph’s B 10:14, 3 Col Iognaid 10:45. Junior 16: 1 St Joseph’s 10:56, 2 St Joseph’s B 11:06, 3 Col Iognaid 11:13. Masters: Shannon C 11:42.

Four – Intermediate One, Coxed: 1 Col Iognaid 11:29, 2 Fossa 11:34, 3 St Michael’s 11:52.

Pair – Senior: 1 St Michael’s G 11:15, 2 St Michael’s E 11:19, 3 Castleconnell/Clonmel 11:36. Junior 18A: 1 Clonmel 11:59, 2 Presentation Col 12:45, 3 Commercial 12:54.

Sculling, Quadruple, coxed – Junior 18A: 1 St Joseph’s 10:14, 2 Athlone 10:48, 3 Presentation Col 10:58. Junior 16: 1 Commercial 11:24, 2 Clonmel 11:27, 3 Presentation Col 11:39.

Double – Intermediate: 1 St Michael’s 11:13, 2 Garda 11:28, 3 St Michael’s B 11:40. Junior 18A: 1 Commercial B 12:13, 2 Commercial A 12:18, 3 Presentation Col B 12:28. Junior 16: 1 Castleconnell 11:57, 2 Clonmel 12:05, Athlone 12:05.

Single – Senior: 1 Commercial (D’Estelle Roe) 12:12, 2 Commercial (Gleeson) 12:32, 3 Offaly (O’Donoghue) 13:15. Intermediate One: 1 St Michael’s (Lazda) 12:29, 2 Commercial (Yeomans) 12:30, 3 University of Limerick (Haugh) 12:34. Novice: 1 Clonmel (Murphy) 12:44, 2 Clonmel (Chadfield) 12:57, 3 Offaly (Gannon) 13:52. Junior 18A: 1 Athlone (Molloy) 12:16, 2 Commercial (Yeomans) 12:31, 3 Commercial (Yeomans) 12:37, 4 St Michael’s (Despard) 12:37. Masters: Offaly (Hussey) 13:17. Junior 16: 1 St Michael’s (O’Malley) 12:05, 2 Neptune (Flynn) 12:45, 3 St Michael’s (O’Connor) 12:49.

Women

Eight – Novice: 1 Commercial 13:29, 2 Univ of Limerick B 14:43. Junior 18A: 1 Shannon 11:36, 2 Commercial 13:11, 3 Castleconnell 13:29. Junior 16: 1 Shannon 12:40, 2 Shannon B 12:51, 3 Commercial 15:39.

Four – Novice, coxed: 1 Commercial 12:52, 2 Athlone 13:32, 3 Commercial B 16:20.

Pair – Junior: Commercial 14:45.

Sculling

Junior 16, coxed: 1 St Michael’s B 12:58, 2 Col Iognaid 13:18, 3 St Michael’s F 13:19.

Double – Junior 18A: 1 St Michael’s E 13:07, 2 Commercial 13:16, 3 Clonmel 13:43. Junior 16: 1 Col Iognaid 13:37, 2 Tralee B 13:57, 3 Offaly 14:34.

Single – Intermediate: 1 Commercial (Foley) 13:39, 2 St Michael’s (McEvoy) 13:48, 3 Garda (Holden) 14:38. Novice: 1 Commercial (Foley) 13:58, 2 Shannon (Ryan) 14:27, 3 Univ of Limerick (O’Sullivan) 14:56. Junior 18A: 1 Commercial (Rodger) 14:14, 2 St Michael’s B (Sheehan) 14:36, 3 Castleconnell (Donegan) 14:42. Junior 16: 1 Commercial (Lambe) 14:00, 2 St Michael’s (Murphy) 14:05, 3 Castleconnell (Griffin) 14:31.

Published in Rowing

Two foreign oarsmen who are studying at the University of Limerick, Rob Weitemeyer from Canada (a double World Championship medallist) and Christian Vennemann from Germany, teamed up with rowers from University of Limerick, Athlone and Neptune to win the Bulls and Bears event at the Castleconnell Head of the River today at O'Brien's Bridge.

The men’s senior pair was won by the Garda/University of Limerick crew of Niall Kenny and James Brynn and UL/Garda also won the senior fours.

Castleconnell Head of the River (List of Winners; Times to Be Finalised)
mens intermediate I 1X     University of Limerick RC B (Sheehan)  
mens intermediate I 2-     Neptune RC    0:12:59
mens intermediate I 2X     Clonmel RC    0:12:10
mens intermediate I 4+     St. Michaels Rowing Club    0:11:42
mens J14 1X     Colaiste Chiarain RC B (O'Connor)   
mens J14 2X     Athlone BC   
mens J14 4X+     Castleconnell BC C   
mens J16 1X     Colaiste Iognaid RC A (Mc Carthy)    0:13:51
mens J16 2X     Colaiste Iognaid RC    0:13:00
mens J16 4X+     St. Michaels Rowing Club    0:12:04
mens J16 8+     Clonmel RC    0:11:58
mens J18A 1X     Athlone BC B (Molloy)    0:13:23
mens J18A 2-     Castleconnell BC    0:13:10
mens J18A 2X     St. Michaels Rowing Club D   
mens J18A 4X-     St. Michaels Rowing Club    0:11:30
mens J18A 8+     Fermoy RC    0:11:08
mens masters 8+     St. Michaels Rowing Club (e 433)    0:12:28
mens novice 1X     Clonmel RC A (Allen)  
mens senior 2-     University of Limerick RC E - Garda Siochana BC/University of Limerick RC    0:11:04
mens senior 2X     St. Michaels Rowing Club    0:11:53
mens senior 4-     University of Limerick RC - Garda Siochana BC/University of Limerick RC    0:11:11
mens senior 8+     St. Michaels Rowing Club    
U23 (ns) mens senior 1X     Castleconnell BC (O'Connor)    
womens intermediate I 1X     Garda Siochana BC A (Holden)    
womens intermediate I 2X     University of Limerick RC    0:14:13
womens intermediate I 4+     St. Michaels Rowing Club    0:12:58
womens J14 1X     Shannon RC A (Nash)    0:25:15
womens J14 2X     Colaiste Chiarain RC   
womens J14 4X+     Shannon RC    0:16:12
womens J16 1X     Castleconnell BC B (Russell)   
womens J16 2X     Castleconnell BC D   
womens J16 4X+     Shannon RC    0:13:54
womens J16 8+     Shannon RC    0:14:03
womens J18A 1X     St. Michaels Rowing Club A (Sherin)    0:13:10
womens J18A 2X     Castleconnell BC   
womens J18A 4X-     St. Michaels Rowing Club    0:12:56
womens J18A 8+     Clonmel RC    0:15:32
womens novice 1X     Castleconnell BC (Mc Devitt)   
womens novice 8+     Clonmel RC    0:13:33
womens senior 1X     University of Limerick RC (O'Sullivan)    0:15:19
womens senior 2X     University of Limerick RC   
womens senior 4X-     University of Limerick RC - Lee RC/University of Limerick RC    0:12:55
Womens Novice 4X+     Athlunkard BC    0:15:01
Womens Novice 4X    Garda BC    0:14:24
mens J16 4X+     Clonmel RC    0:12:50

Published in Rowing
Page 2 of 2

Ireland's Offshore Renewable Energy

Because of Ireland's location at the Atlantic edge of the EU, it has more offshore energy potential than most other countries in Europe. The conditions are suitable for the development of the full range of current offshore renewable energy technologies.

Offshore Renewable Energy FAQs

Offshore renewable energy draws on the natural energy provided by wind, wave and tide to convert it into electricity for industry and domestic consumption.

Offshore wind is the most advanced technology, using fixed wind turbines in coastal areas, while floating wind is a developing technology more suited to deeper water. In 2018, offshore wind provided a tiny fraction of global electricity supply, but it is set to expand strongly in the coming decades into a USD 1 trillion business, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). It says that turbines are growing in size and in power capacity, which in turn is "delivering major performance and cost improvements for offshore wind farms".

The global offshore wind market grew nearly 30% per year between 2010 and 2018, according to the IEA, due to rapid technology improvements, It calculated that about 150 new offshore wind projects are in active development around the world. Europe in particular has fostered the technology's development, led by Britain, Germany and Denmark, but China added more capacity than any other country in 2018.

A report for the Irish Wind Energy Assocation (IWEA) by the Carbon Trust – a British government-backed limited company established to accelerate Britain's move to a low carbon economy - says there are currently 14 fixed-bottom wind energy projects, four floating wind projects and one project that has yet to choose a technology at some stage of development in Irish waters. Some of these projects are aiming to build before 2030 to contribute to the 5GW target set by the Irish government, and others are expected to build after 2030. These projects have to secure planning permission, obtain a grid connection and also be successful in a competitive auction in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS).

The electricity generated by each turbine is collected by an offshore electricity substation located within the wind farm. Seabed cables connect the offshore substation to an onshore substation on the coast. These cables transport the electricity to land from where it will be used to power homes, farms and businesses around Ireland. The offshore developer works with EirGrid, which operates the national grid, to identify how best to do this and where exactly on the grid the project should connect.

The new Marine Planning and Development Management Bill will create a new streamlined system for planning permission for activity or infrastructure in Irish waters or on the seabed, including offshore wind farms. It is due to be published before the end of 2020 and enacted in 2021.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE. Is there scope for community involvement in offshore wind? The IWEA says that from the early stages of a project, the wind farm developer "should be engaging with the local community to inform them about the project, answer their questions and listen to their concerns". It says this provides the community with "the opportunity to work with the developer to help shape the final layout and design of the project". Listening to fishing industry concerns, and how fishermen may be affected by survey works, construction and eventual operation of a project is "of particular concern to developers", the IWEA says. It says there will also be a community benefit fund put in place for each project. It says the final details of this will be addressed in the design of the RESS (see below) for offshore wind but it has the potential to be "tens of millions of euro over the 15 years of the RESS contract". The Government is also considering the possibility that communities will be enabled to invest in offshore wind farms though there is "no clarity yet on how this would work", the IWEA says.

Based on current plans, it would amount to around 12 GW of offshore wind energy. However, the IWEA points out that is unlikely that all of the projects planned will be completed. The industry says there is even more significant potential for floating offshore wind off Ireland's west coast and the Programme for Government contains a commitment to develop a long-term plan for at least 30 GW of floating offshore wind in our deeper waters.

There are many different models of turbines. The larger a turbine, the more efficient it is in producing electricity at a good price. In choosing a turbine model the developer will be conscious of this ,but also has to be aware the impact of the turbine on the environment, marine life, biodiversity and visual impact. As a broad rule an offshore wind turbine will have a tip-height of between 165m and 215m tall. However, turbine technology is evolving at a rapid rate with larger more efficient turbines anticipated on the market in the coming years.

 

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme is designed to support the development of renewable energy projects in Ireland. Under the scheme wind farms and solar farms compete against each other in an auction with the projects which offer power at the lowest price awarded contracts. These contracts provide them with a guaranteed price for their power for 15 years. If they obtain a better price for their electricity on the wholesale market they must return the difference to the consumer.

Yes. The first auction for offshore renewable energy projects is expected to take place in late 2021.

Cost is one difference, and technology is another. Floating wind farm technology is relatively new, but allows use of deeper water. Ireland's 50-metre contour line is the limit for traditional bottom-fixed wind farms, and it is also very close to population centres, which makes visibility of large turbines an issue - hence the attraction of floating structures Do offshore wind farms pose a navigational hazard to shipping? Inshore fishermen do have valid concerns. One of the first steps in identifying a site as a potential location for an offshore wind farm is to identify and assess the level of existing marine activity in the area and this particularly includes shipping. The National Marine Planning Framework aims to create, for the first time, a plan to balance the various kinds of offshore activity with the protection of the Irish marine environment. This is expected to be published before the end of 2020, and will set out clearly where is suitable for offshore renewable energy development and where it is not - due, for example, to shipping movements and safe navigation.

YEnvironmental organisations are concerned about the impact of turbines on bird populations, particularly migrating birds. A Danish scientific study published in 2019 found evidence that larger birds were tending to avoid turbine blades, but said it didn't have sufficient evidence for smaller birds – and cautioned that the cumulative effect of farms could still have an impact on bird movements. A full environmental impact assessment has to be carried out before a developer can apply for planning permission to develop an offshore wind farm. This would include desk-based studies as well as extensive surveys of the population and movements of birds and marine mammals, as well as fish and seabed habitats. If a potential environmental impact is identified the developer must, as part of the planning application, show how the project will be designed in such a way as to avoid the impact or to mitigate against it.

A typical 500 MW offshore wind farm would require an operations and maintenance base which would be on the nearby coast. Such a project would generally create between 80-100 fulltime jobs, according to the IWEA. There would also be a substantial increase to in-direct employment and associated socio-economic benefit to the surrounding area where the operation and maintenance hub is located.

The recent Carbon Trust report for the IWEA, entitled Harnessing our potential, identified significant skills shortages for offshore wind in Ireland across the areas of engineering financial services and logistics. The IWEA says that as Ireland is a relatively new entrant to the offshore wind market, there are "opportunities to develop and implement strategies to address the skills shortages for delivering offshore wind and for Ireland to be a net exporter of human capital and skills to the highly competitive global offshore wind supply chain". Offshore wind requires a diverse workforce with jobs in both transferable (for example from the oil and gas sector) and specialist disciplines across apprenticeships and higher education. IWEA have a training network called the Green Tech Skillnet that facilitates training and networking opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

It is expected that developing the 3.5 GW of offshore wind energy identified in the Government's Climate Action Plan would create around 2,500 jobs in construction and development and around 700 permanent operations and maintenance jobs. The Programme for Government published in 2020 has an enhanced target of 5 GW of offshore wind which would create even more employment. The industry says that in the initial stages, the development of offshore wind energy would create employment in conducting environmental surveys, community engagement and development applications for planning. As a site moves to construction, people with backgrounds in various types of engineering, marine construction and marine transport would be recruited. Once the site is up and running , a project requires a team of turbine technicians, engineers and administrators to ensure the wind farm is fully and properly maintained, as well as crew for the crew transfer vessels transporting workers from shore to the turbines.

The IEA says that today's offshore wind market "doesn't even come close to tapping the full potential – with high-quality resources available in most major markets". It estimates that offshore wind has the potential to generate more than 420 000 Terawatt hours per year (TWh/yr) worldwide – as in more than 18 times the current global electricity demand. One Terawatt is 114 megawatts, and to put it in context, Scotland it has a population a little over 5 million and requires 25 TWh/yr of electrical energy.

Not as advanced as wind, with anchoring a big challenge – given that the most effective wave energy has to be in the most energetic locations, such as the Irish west coast. Britain, Ireland and Portugal are regarded as most advanced in developing wave energy technology. The prize is significant, the industry says, as there are forecasts that varying between 4000TWh/yr to 29500TWh/yr. Europe consumes around 3000TWh/year.

The industry has two main umbrella organisations – the Irish Wind Energy Association, which represents both onshore and offshore wind, and the Marine Renewables Industry Association, which focuses on all types of renewable in the marine environment.

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