Displaying items by tag: Livestockships

18th February 2022

Ferry Companies Cancel Calf Shipments to France this Week

Livestock: Ferry operators cancel Ireland-Cherbourg crossings this week due to storms Dudley and Eunice.

Two ferry companies sailing from Ireland to Cherbourg, France, have confirmed they will not bring livestock lorries on sailings scheduled for this week.

Both Irish Ferries and Stena Line have confirmed to Agriland.ie that they will not carry livestock for health and safety reasons due to Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice.

One ferry company representative said that the Cherbourg sailing (Thurs, 17 Feb) has been cancelled, adding that the weekend sailing “definitely wont be taking livestock” and may be “cancelled altogether” due to the storms.

These developments will put further pressure on traders selling calves to mainland Europe as it delays the supply of calves by a week.

More here on this story.

Published in Ferry

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Detained Livestock-Carrier Released from UK Authorities

#Cattleships – The detention of the Ireland-Libyan serving livestock-carrier which has been in Fowey since February has been lifted by UK authorities, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Commenting to Afloat.ie, a spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "We inspected the Express 1 on 21 March at Fowey and lifted the detention as the operator had made the required safety improvements."

As previously reported the 7,087 tonnes vessel was expected to depart the port last week. Last Friday the livestock-carrier departed the port and was understood to be returning to Germany, from where she set off on her voyage in February.

It was during stormy seas in the English Channel, that led to an engine failure and call for assistance by a tug to Fowey. She was subsequently detained at the Cornish port by the MCA which carried out an inspection of the vessel following 'post-repair' sea trails.

Published in Ports & Shipping

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.