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#ANGLING - A prize pool of more than £60,000 (€71,500) will be up for grabs at the Lakeland and Inland Waterways Ireland World Pairs Championship, coming to the border counties this September.

Described by the organisers as "a pairs match the type of which has never been seen before", the competition will run from 9-15 September at various locations in Monaghan, Leitrim, Cavan and Fermanagh.

The format of the match is based purely on total weight of the pair of anglers over the four competition days. On the off days there will be further open matches so anglers can make the most of the great fishing available in Ireland during September.

The exact sections and format of the match are yet to be disclosed, as much depends on the numbers of anglers attending - although the prize pool is guaranteed.

Entry per pair is £90 (£45 per angler) with discounts for booking through one of the official travel companies.

"You dont need to be 'venue experts' to win this match," say the organisers, "you just need to be able to catch roach and bream, and there are some massive shoals of them to be found in the lakes and rivers that the event will be staged on."

The organisers add: "Absolutely anyone can enter and you are all in with a chance of winning - while fishing in the beautiful surroundings of the Irish countryside."

For more information, entry forms and travel arrangements, visit the Talk Angling forum or contact Kevin Lockee at 07736 129 627.

Published in Angling

#OPEN SEA SWIMMING – A Cork man has been nominated as World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year 201. Stephen Redmond, from Cork, has accomplished some of the world's toughest marathon swims.

One of 1, 200 to have swum the English Channel and one of only 12 to have swum the North Channel (between NI and Scotland) - Stephen is a superstar in the sport.

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In a short period this autumn Stephen added the well known Catalina Channel to his list of accomplishments soon after he became the first swimmer ever to swim around the Fastnet Rock.  Going around the rock is not the 300 meters you might think.  Stephen started in Baltimore, circled the Fastnet and finished in Schull.

For the second year in a row he has been nominated for this global award.

Nominations for the annual World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year were announced today by Open Water Source.

An eclectic group of 12 accomplished individuals from 9 countries were selected among the millions of athletes in the fastest growing sport in the world. 

Their stories, their exploits and their lifestyles are extraordinarily inspirational as they are all passionately attracted and committed to a sport inherent with risks, challenges and beauty.

These awards not necessarily for the best athlete, but are meant to honor the individual who (1) best embodies the spirit of open water swimming, (2) possesses the sense of adventure, tenacity and perseverance that open water swimmers are known for, and (3) has most positively influenced the world of open water swimming in 2011.

 

Published in Sea Swim
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This Saturday, September 3rd, the Dublin City Council sponsored Liffey Swim celebrates its 91st anniversary as 221 men and 101 women take the plunge, having completed 4 qualifying races on the 2011 Leinster Open Sea Swim Calendar. Dublin's Lord Mayor, Andrew Montague will start the men's race at 14.45hrs and the women's race at 15.30hrs. The 2.4 kilometre swim begins at Rory O'More Bridge, Watling Street and finishes at the Jeanie Johnston Mooring opposite Jury's Hotel in Dublin Docklands. The Swim is being supported by Dublin Port.

The Swim is open to competitors of all ages, abilities and nationalities, with teenagers pitting their strengths against 70 year olds and club swimmers from all over the country competing against eachother.

There is something for people of all ages to enjoy at the event, with entertainment at the finishline being provided by the Coastguard performing a simulated air-sea rescue, while Dublin Port tug boats, Shackleton and Beaufort, will fire water cannon into the air, accompanied by a colourful Dragon Boat display.

The Lord Mayor says, "the Liffey Swim is unique to Dublin. No European cities run an open swim right through their city centre. I look forward to starting the race and would like to thank Swim Ireland, Leinster Region Open Sea Committee, who do such a great job year after year. Most of all, I would like to thank the swimmers who have trained so hard for this race."

"I encourage everyone in Dublin on Saturday afternoon to follow the gruelling race along the quays and cheer on the swimmers, from the many great vantage points along the Liffey walls, bridges and boardwalks", the Lord Mayor continued."

David Farrell, Leinster Open Sea Committee commented, "We're delighted to be extending this year's race to a 2.4km event, so that it will now be finishing in the Dublin Docklands. We'd also like to gratefully acknowledge the support of Dublin City Council and Dublin Port. This year's race includes a number of Irish swimmers who have completed the gruelling English Channel swim: Julie-Ann Galloway, Lisa Howley, Ann McAdam and Eoin Gaffney."

"With it all to do are the "scratch" swimmers, Colleen Mallon and Julie-Ann Galloway in the women's race, and Shane Drumm, Daire O'Driscoll and Seamus Stacey in the men's race. They are seeded fastest and will have to pass all the swimmers who start before them if they are to win the race. They will wear a unique red hat so they can be spotted as they progress through the field", says Farrell.

Published in Sea Swim
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Leading Irish boat dealer MGM Boats Ltd is playing golf this weekend. While the Dun Laoghaire firm may not be teeingg off in Killarney, Gerry Salmon, Martin Salmon anf Joe Hill are on the course as the Irish Distributors of Sunseeeker boats, an official sponsor of the Irish Open Golf Tournament 2011.

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The event is held at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club 28th to 31st July. MGM Boats Have a stand in the Tented Exhibition Area area and also have a Sunseeker XS Sport on Display. The Salmon's are in attendance for the duration of the event.

Published in Marine Trade
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Ireland joins Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Mexico and nine other countries with all surfers eliminated from Billabong ISA World Surfing Games in Playa Venao, Panama.
Mike Young, Ireland's sole competitor, was knocked out in the opening rounds of the open longboard competition.
After five days of heats, Australia currently leads the team ratings with 19,120 points and seven surfers still left in contention, with Brazil close behind.
The World Surfing Games continue till this Sunday 3 July.

Ireland joins Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Mexico and nine other countries with all surfers eliminated from the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games in Playa Venao, Panama.

Mike Young, Ireland's sole competitor, was knocked out in the opening rounds of the open longboard competition.

After five days of heats, Australia currently leads the team ratings with 19,120 points and seven surfers still left in contention, with Brazil close behind.

The World Surfing Games continue till this Sunday 3 July.

Published in Surfing

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Information

Dun Laoghaire Harbour is the second port for Dublin and is located on the south shore of Dublin Bay. Marine uses for this 200-year-old man-made harbour have changed over its lifetime. Originally built as a port of refuge for sailing ships entering the narrow channel at Dublin Port, the harbour has had a continuous ferry link with Wales, and this was the principal activity of the harbour until the service stopped in 2015. In all this time, however, one thing has remained constant, and that is the popularity of sailing and boating from the port, making it Ireland's marine leisure capital with a harbour fleet of between 1,200 -1,600 pleasure craft based at the country's largest marina (800 berths) and its four waterfront yacht clubs.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Bye-Laws

Download the bye-laws on this link here

FAQs

A live stream Dublin Bay webcam showing Dun Laoghaire Harbour entrance and East Pier is here

Dun Laoghaire is a Dublin suburb situated on the south side of Dublin Bay, approximately, 15km from Dublin city centre.

The east and west piers of the harbour are each of 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) long.

The harbour entrance is 232 metres (761 ft) across from East to West Pier.

  • Public Boatyard
  • Public slipway
  • Public Marina

23 clubs, 14 activity providers and eight state-related organisations operate from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that facilitates a full range of sports - Sailing, Rowing, Diving, Windsurfing, Angling, Canoeing, Swimming, Triathlon, Powerboating, Kayaking and Paddleboarding. Participants include members of the public, club members, tourists, disabled, disadvantaged, event competitors, schools, youth groups and college students.

  • Commissioners of Irish Lights
  • Dun Laoghaire Marina
  • MGM Boats & Boatyard
  • Coastguard
  • Naval Service Reserve
  • Royal National Lifeboat Institution
  • Marine Activity Centre
  • Rowing clubs
  • Yachting and Sailing Clubs
  • Sailing Schools
  • Irish Olympic Sailing Team
  • Chandlery & Boat Supply Stores

The east and west granite-built piers of Dun Laoghaire harbour are each of one kilometre (0.62 mi) long and enclose an area of 250 acres (1.0 km2) with the harbour entrance being 232 metres (761 ft) in width.

In 2018, the ownership of the great granite was transferred in its entirety to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council who now operate and manage the harbour. Prior to that, the harbour was operated by The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, a state company, dissolved in 2018 under the Ports Act.

  • 1817 - Construction of the East Pier to a design by John Rennie began in 1817 with Earl Whitworth Lord Lieutenant of Ireland laying the first stone.
  • 1820 - Rennie had concerns a single pier would be subject to silting, and by 1820 gained support for the construction of the West pier to begin shortly afterwards. When King George IV left Ireland from the harbour in 1820, Dunleary was renamed Kingstown, a name that was to remain in use for nearly 100 years. The harbour was named the Royal Harbour of George the Fourth which seems not to have remained for so long.
  • 1824 - saw over 3,000 boats shelter in the partially completed harbour, but it also saw the beginning of operations off the North Wall which alleviated many of the issues ships were having accessing Dublin Port.
  • 1826 - Kingstown harbour gained the important mail packet service which at the time was under the stewardship of the Admiralty with a wharf completed on the East Pier in the following year. The service was transferred from Howth whose harbour had suffered from silting and the need for frequent dredging.
  • 1831 - Royal Irish Yacht Club founded
  • 1837 - saw the creation of Victoria Wharf, since renamed St. Michael's Wharf with the D&KR extended and a new terminus created convenient to the wharf.[8] The extended line had cut a chord across the old harbour with the landward pool so created later filled in.
  • 1838 - Royal St George Yacht Club founded
  • 1842 - By this time the largest man-made harbour in Western Europe had been completed with the construction of the East Pier lighthouse.
  • 1855 - The harbour was further enhanced by the completion of Traders Wharf in 1855 and Carlisle Pier in 1856. The mid-1850s also saw the completion of the West Pier lighthouse. The railway was connected to Bray in 1856
  • 1871 - National Yacht Club founded
  • 1884 - Dublin Bay Sailing Club founded
  • 1918 - The Mailboat, “The RMS Leinster” sailed out of Dún Laoghaire with 685 people on board. 22 were post office workers sorting the mail; 70 were crew and the vast majority of the passengers were soldiers returning to the battlefields of World War I. The ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat near the Kish lighthouse killing many of those onboard.
  • 1920 - Kingstown reverted to the name Dún Laoghaire in 1920 and in 1924 the harbour was officially renamed "Dun Laoghaire Harbour"
  • 1944 - a diaphone fog signal was installed at the East Pier
  • 1965 - Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club founded
  • 1968 - The East Pier lighthouse station switched from vapourised paraffin to electricity, and became unmanned. The new candle-power was 226,000
  • 1977- A flying boat landed in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, one of the most unusual visitors
  • 1978 - Irish National Sailing School founded
  • 1934 - saw the Dublin and Kingstown Railway begin operations from their terminus at Westland Row to a terminus at the West Pier which began at the old harbour
  • 2001 - Dun Laoghaire Marina opens with 500 berths
  • 2015 - Ferry services cease bringing to an end a 200-year continuous link with Wales.
  • 2017- Bicentenary celebrations and time capsule laid.
  • 2018 - Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company dissolved, the harbour is transferred into the hands of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

From East pier to West Pier the waterfront clubs are:

  • National Yacht Club. Read latest NYC news here
  • Royal St. George Yacht Club. Read latest RSTGYC news here
  • Royal Irish Yacht Club. Read latest RIYC news here
  • Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club. Read latest DMYC news here

 

The umbrella organisation that organises weekly racing in summer and winter on Dublin Bay for all the yacht clubs is Dublin Bay Sailing Club. It has no clubhouse of its own but operates through the clubs with two x Committee vessels and a starters hut on the West Pier. Read the latest DBSC news here.

The sailing community is a key stakeholder in Dún Laoghaire. The clubs attract many visitors from home and abroad and attract major international sailing events to the harbour.

 

Dun Laoghaire Regatta

Dun Laoghaire's biennial town regatta was started in 2005 as a joint cooperation by the town's major yacht clubs. It was an immediate success and is now in its eighth edition and has become Ireland's biggest sailing event. The combined club's regatta is held in the first week of July.

  • Attracts 500 boats and more from overseas and around the country
  • Four-day championship involving 2,500 sailors with supporting family and friends
  • Economic study carried out by the Irish Marine Federation estimated the economic value of the 2009 Regatta at €2.5 million

The dates for the 2021 edition of Ireland's biggest sailing event on Dublin Bay is: 8-11 July 2021. More details here

Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Offshore Race

The biennial Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race is a 320-miles race down the East coast of Ireland, across the south coast and into Dingle harbour in County Kerry. The latest news on the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race can be found by clicking on the link here. The race is organised by the National Yacht Club.

The 2021 Race will start from the National Yacht Club on Wednesday 9th, June 2021.

Round Ireland Yacht Race

This is a Wicklow Sailing Club race but in 2013 the Garden County Club made an arrangement that sees see entries berthed at the RIYC in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for scrutineering prior to the biennial 704–mile race start off Wicklow harbour. Larger boats have been unable to berth in the confines of Wicklow harbour, a factor WSC believes has restricted the growth of the Round Ireland fleet. 'It means we can now encourage larger boats that have shown an interest in competing but we have been unable to cater for in Wicklow' harbour, WSC Commodore Peter Shearer told Afloat.ie here. The race also holds a pre-ace launch party at the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

Laser Masters World Championship 2018

  • 301 boats from 25 nations

Laser Radial World Championship 2016

  • 436 competitors from 48 nations

ISAF Youth Worlds 2012

  • The Youth Olympics of Sailing run on behalf of World Sailing in 2012.
  • Two-week event attracting 61 nations, 255 boats, 450 volunteers.
  • Generated 9,000 bed nights and valued at €9 million to the local economy.

The Harbour Police are authorised by the company to police the harbour and to enforce and implement bye-laws within the harbour, and all regulations made by the company in relation to the harbour.

There are four ship/ferry berths in Dun Laoghaire:

  • No 1 berth (East Pier)
  • No 2 berth (east side of Carlisle Pier)
  • No 3 berth (west side of Carlisle Pier)
  • No 4 berth  (St, Michaels Wharf)

Berthing facilities for smaller craft exist in the town's 800-berth marina and on swinging moorings.

© Afloat 2020