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#InlandWaters - The Waterways Ireland Events Programme is now open for 2019 and welcomes applications from inland waterways and waterside communities seeking support to start and grow sustainable events.

Taking place annually for the past 13 years, the programme has supported competitions, learning experiences, community, historical and educational events for people with and without disabilities across thousands of communities nationwide.

Involving angling, canoeing, rowing, sailing and power sports, arts, history, drama and learning new skills, these events have most importantly been about having fun on the waterways under the auspices of Waterways Ireland, the recreation and navigation authority for the Barrow Navigation, Erne System, Grand Canal, Lower Bann Navigation, Royal Canal, Shannon-Erne Waterway and the Shannon Navigation.

“The new vision for the event programme will activate event organisers to consider how they can build in ongoing activity and sustained use of the waterways corridors into their event,” says Sharon Lavin, head of marketing and communications with Waterways Ireland.

“Tourism and participation in recreation has a social and economic impact in waterfront communities, and events are a great way to engage communities with previously under-utilised waterways.”

The application form and guidance notes can be viewed and completed online. Terms and conditions apply. The closing date the receipt of completed applications is Wednesday 16 January.

Published in Inland Waterways

#DLHarbour - Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company has announced a new event space partnership with online platform Fillit.

Four locations in the harbour will be available for rent on short-term lease for various events, pop-ups and other promotions via the new web startup “that connects people and spaces”.

The Dun Laoghaire-based company aims to provide a one-stop shop for event planners of all scales to connect with ‘landlords’ who have available space on a temporary.

The harbour plaza, the East Pier bandstand and sun shelter, Carlisle Pier and St Michael’s Pier will all be made available through Fillit for hosting events similar to those held in the harbour in the past, such as the Red Bull Flugtag and the Beatyard festival.

The news comes just weeks after the harbour company announced its plans for an urban beach are ‘on hold’ pending ‘organisational restructure’, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

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#InlandWaters - Waterways Ireland's 2016 event programme launches 120 events celebrating the arts, heritage, adventure, and sporting communities along Ireland's inland waterways.

Now in its tenth year, the programme has sponsored over 700 events with a knock-on effect of €80m in benefits to the local waterway communities. Information on all fun activities and events can be found on the Waterways Ireland website.

Events in the programme this year include TriAthlone on Lough Ree, TriAthy X in Athy on the Barrow, the Killaloe Water Festival on Lough Derg, the Erne Classic Fishing Festival, the Shannon Blueway Adventure Festival, the Docklands Summer Festival and Phizzfest in Dublin, and the Waterways Ireland Riverfest on the Lower Bann, which this year hosts the European Boat Wakeboard Championships.

"These events supported by Waterways Ireland have revitalised rural and small urban communities, and have facilitated the development of local community associations, leading to real economic and social impacts," says Sharon Lavin, head of marketing and communications at Waterways Ireland.

"The Waterways Ireland Sponsorship Programme in 2015 supported the participation of almost 38,000 people directly in waterway activity and welcomed over 160,000 spectators to waterway events along the navigations. The economic impact of the 2015 programme along is estimated at €7.8m."

The programme announcement comes after Waterways Ireland announced its 2016 boating season, which kicked off earlier this month.

In other news, over 90 local businesses attended the 'Build Your Blueway' Networking Expo recently at The Bush Hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon, creating and developing new business opportunities across Cavan, Roscommon, Longford and Leitrim.

Organised by the Upper Shannon Erne Future Economy Project in conjunction with Waterways Ireland, the event offered activity, arts, heritage and cultural businesses the opportunity to present their business, network and develop cross-selling options with accommodation providers and others in a series of sessions.​​

Published in Inland Waterways

#ANGLING - Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has announced the launch of its 2012 Sponsorship Programme.

The IFI Sponsorship Programme aims to increase awareness of IFI and its work, recreational angling, the sustainable commercial use of the inland fisheries resource and habitat issues.

Applications are invited from organisers and event promoters that will support the aims of the IFI sponsorship programme.

Events would be supported on the basis of: the location and nature of the event; the potential of the event to introduce new users to angling in an active capacity (ie not just as spectators); and to educate and inform stakeholders of angling, environmental, commercial salmon fisheries and habitat issues.

"The sustainable use of our wonderful inland fisheries and sea angling resources must be promoted," said Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, who launched the programme.

"People of all ages can enjoy angling in urban and rural settings, off charter boats and beaches and on quiet riversides.

"In addition, traditional commercial fisheries add value to small local communities, while biodiversity awareness ensures a sustainable resource for all."

Applications and details of the sponsorship programme are available online or from your local IFI office. The closing date for submissions is 27 January 2012.

Published in Angling

#BELFAST LOUGH - Provisional dates for the 2012 Belast Lough Yachting Conference (BLYC) Regattas have been announced.

The BLYC encompasses all yacht clubs on Belfast Lough and Larne Lough and co-ordinates their individual events.

The interim schedule for 2012 runs to nine events from Saturday 9 June to Saturday 25 August:

Published in Belfast Lough
Waterways Ireland has announced details of its sponsorship programme for 2012.
Under the scheme, the authority for Ireland's inland waterways provides funding and support to groups, associations, clubs or other appropriate bodies to assist with events that enhance the use of the waterways for recreational purposes.
The sponsorship programme cannot be used to fund or contribute towards capital projects such as acquiring or developing new or existing buildings or infrastructure, nor acquiring or maintaining equipment.
Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 programme, and any interested parties can apply by reviewing the guidelines for eligibility and downloading the application form from the Waterways Ireland website.
The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 13 December 2011 at 3pm.  Incomplete or late applications will not be assessed.
For further details contact Damien McWeeney at 071 96 50622 or [email protected].

#INLAND WATERWAYSWaterways Ireland has announced details of its sponsorship programme for 2012.

Under the scheme, the authority for Ireland's inland waterways provides funding and support to groups, associations, clubs or other appropriate bodies to assist with events that enhance the use of the waterways for recreational purposes.

The sponsorship programme cannot be used to fund or contribute towards capital projects such as acquiring or developing new or existing buildings or infrastructure, nor acquiring or maintaining equipment.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 programme, and any interested parties can apply by reviewing the guidelines for eligibility and downloading the application form from the Waterways Ireland website.  

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 13 December 2011 at 3pm. Incomplete or late applications will not be assessed.

For further details contact Damien McWeeney at 071 96 50622 or [email protected].

Published in Inland Waterways
It's mid-way through Heritage Week (20-28 August) and as part of the numerous events organised nationwide there will be a maritime lectures seminar held this Sunday and run by the Maritime Institute of Ireland, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The lectures will take place in Dún Laoghaire Club, Eblana Avenue, Dún Laoghaire between (12.30 to 6pm). Below is a list of the lectures giving times, topic's and the presenter's.

12.30 – 1.30 pm. Neutral Ireland's Role in the Sinking of the Bismarck, May, 1941 By Dr. Michael Kennedy, Executive Editor, Documents on Irish Foreign Policy, Royal Irish Academy.

1.30 – 2.30 pm. Traditional Boats of Ireland. - Wooden workboats from all the Maritime Counties of Ireland. By Darina Tully, Lecturer and Maritime Archaeologist.

2.30 – 3.30 pm. Too Many Bags in the Lifeboat. A Lifeboat Tragedy at Bray 1876 By James Scannell, Lecturer and P.R.O of the Old Dublin Society.

4.00 – 5.00 pm. Maritime Guinness, The Ships, Yachts and Barges of the Guinness Dynasty. By Dr. Edward Bourke, Diver, Maritime Historian and Author of "Guinness, the Family, the Business and the Black Stuff"

5.00 – 6.00 pm. Ireland's Armada Heritage. The Story of the Spanish Armada of 1588. The discoveries of the wrecks on the Irish Coast and the recovery of artifacts. By Cormac Lowth, Lecturer, Author and Diver.

Further information Barney Yourell 087 900 7466 No seminar charge – donations accepted. Information in general on the Maritime Institute of Ireland can be found on http://www.mariner.ieand for other nationwide events of the Heritage Week visit www.heritageweek.ie

Published in Dublin Bay
Guided tours of Dun Laoghaire Harbour's 'Seafront Memorials' that includes the anchor of RMS Leinster, the Crimean War Cannon and the 1895 Lifeboat Disaster start this Saturday, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Tours will also be held on every Saturday (1 per day) until 3 September and the maximum number participating is 20 people. Each tour is approximately an hour-long and the outdoor event is wheelchair accessible.

The tour which is free starts at the meeting point of the Queen Victoria Fountain which too forms part of the tour alongside the George VI memorial
and the Christ the King monument.

The outdoor event is part of the 'Summer of Heritage' which is organised by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. The initiative is now in its fourth year and this year's highlight of the programme are tours of the newly renovated Seapoint Martello tower.

The coastal structure has been restored and is a fine example of these 19th century defensive forts, built along the coast to defend during the Napoleonic wars.

This summer also sees Carrickbrennan graveyard feature for the first time, the resting place of many sailors lost in maritime disasters since the 17th century.

Sightseeing along 'The Metals', a historic pathway that linked the quarry in Dalkey to the harbour in Dún Laoghaire also returns in the programme due to its popularity last year.

To read more about the the Summer of Heritage other free events in the arts, literature, sports, music and for the family, go to www.dunlaoghaire.ie/summer-of-heritage/ and www.dlrevents.ie/heritage11.html

Published in Dublin Bay
Dublin Bay it set to burst alive with 'joie de vivre' during the only foreign stopover in the world-famous French Solitaire du Figaro yacht race.
Dun Laoghaire will be the only international stop in the race, considered the unofficial world offshore solo championshop, between 11 and 14 August.
To celebrate the visit of the iconic 3,390km race, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company and the National Yacht Club have joined forces to create the Festival des Bateaux.
The harbour will be a magnificent tapestry of colour as the boats arrive for this international event. Dun Laoghaire will be resplendent with fireworks, music and the sights, sounds, foods and ‘joie de vivre’ of France.
Fireworks will light up the sky at 10pm on Friday 12 August. There will also be a festival village with public access to visiting boats, a colourful and authentic French market and exhibition, a festival stage at Harbour Plaza and activities throughout Dun Laoghaire, not to mention a spectacular farewell as the boats depart early on Sunday 14 August.
Meanwhile, plans to berth the 45 or so competitors expected are well underway, according to the National Yacht Club.
Funding was secured between DLRCoCo and Fáilte Ireland, and the tender for the supply and delivery of 18x11.5m pontoons and associated service bollards was won by McNiven Marine, Irish agents for Ronautica Marine.
The gangway contract was secured by Tynes Gangway, and the last contract for the installation and de-commissioning of the infrastructure is currently underway.

Dublin Bay it set to burst alive with 'joie de vivre' during the only foreign stopover in the world-famous Solitaire du Figaro yacht race.

Dun Laoghaire will be the only international stop in the race, considered the unofficial world offshore solo championship, between 11 and 14 August.

To celebrate the visit of the iconic 3,390km race, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (dlrcoco), the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company and the National Yacht Club have joined forces to create the Festival des Bateaux.

The harbour will be a magnificent tapestry of colour as the boats arrive for this international event. Dun Laoghaire will be resplendent with fireworks, music and the sights, sounds, foods and ‘joie de vivre’ of France.

Artist_Impression_Solitaire_stopover

How Dun Laoghaire will look in August

 

Fireworks will light up the sky at 10pm on Friday 12 August. There will also be a festival village with public access to visiting boats, a colourful and authentic French market and exhibition, a festival stage at Harbour Plaza and activities throughout Dun Laoghaire, not to mention a spectacular farewell as the boats depart early on Sunday 14 August.

Meanwhile, plans to berth the 45 or so competitors expected are well underway, according to the National Yacht Club.

Funding was secured between dlrcoco and Fáilte Ireland, and the tender for the supply and delivery of 18x11.5m pontoons and associated service bollards was won by McNiven Marine, Irish agents for Ronautica Marine.

The gangway contract was secured by Tynes Gangway, and the last contract for the installation and de-commissioning of the infrastructure is currently underway.

Published in Figaro
The Irish Skipper Expo 2011 will be held on the first weekend in March at the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill. An added attraction to the trade-only show will be the appearance of T.V.s 'The Deadliest Catch' star and acclaimed photographer Corey Arnold.
Last year the show drew over 5,000 fishermen and their families to over 100 exhibitor display stands. Again exhibitors will be selling a wide range of products over the two-day event which is to be held next month.

The exhibition times are Friday 4th March (10:00am - 5:30pm) and on Saturday 5th March the opening hours are repeated (10:00am - 5:30pm). For further information on the trade-only show Tel: (053) 74 954 8037 / 954 8935 or by clicking here

Published in Boating Fixtures

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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