#CoastalNotes - The recent discovery of a piece of worked flint at Lough Hyne on the West Cork coast could unlock the secrets of 4,000 years of settlement in the area.

Cork's Southern Star reports that the archaeological find at Ballinard on the marine lake and nature reserve is what remains of a core piece of flint "which would have been worked on, or knapped, by a skilled stone worker" to create tools such as blades and arrowheads.

It's unknown how the flint came to be in the area, as it is not a rock common to West Cork, though it is supposed that it arrived either as a result of trade with people from the Antrim area - Ireland's main source of flint - or brought ashore as 'moonstones' by fishermen off what is now Galley Head.

The Southern Star has much more on the story HERE.

#DALKEY OIL LICENCE – An Taisce has alleged the Government acted unlawfully in how it granted Providence Resources a foreshore licence at the Dalkey Island prospect in Dublin Bay, reports The Irish Times.

In High Court proceedings, An Taisce claims the Government wrongly concluded an environmental impact assessment (EIA) was not required to be carried out prior to awarding the licence to Irish-listed oil and gas exploration company.

An Taisce claims that under the relevant EU directive an EIA is required and the decision of September 27th last granting the licence should be quashed. It is also seeking a declaration the Government has failed to properly transpose or implement environmental impact assessment Directive 2011 92 EU into Irish law.

The licence is for an area in the Kish Bank basin and allows Providence carry out a number of activities, including a seismic study, well site survey and the drilling of an exploration well. The edge of the licence area is about 10km from Dalkey Island.

Mr Justice Michael Peart yesterday granted the ex parte application (one side only represented) for leave to bring the judicial review proceedings and returned the matter to February.

As reported earlier this month on Afloat.ie, the Minister for Heritage Jimmy Deenihan announced proposals for six Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) sites to include an area designated between Rockabill to Dalkey Island.

#COLIEMORE HARBOUR FERRY – Asides the controversial issue of the granting for an exploratory oil well drill license off Dalkey, local residents group have also stepped up a campaign since the summer to restore the island ferry which has not been operating in recent years, reports Jehan Ashmore.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council's recent unveiling of a consultant's report of the proposed PART 8 Scheme to upgrade Dalkey Island harbour, also sees the same consultants appointed to carry out a separate survey of Coliemore Harbour, the traditional mainland embarkation point of the ferry run by generations of local families.

The consultants Malachy Walsh & Partners are to carry out a structural survey on the condition of the small stone cut harbour completed in 1868, which aswell as a tourist attraction is an amenity throughout the summer for anglers, divers and kayakers alike.

DLRCC which owns the harbour, have deemed the piers unsafe and claim concerns over public safety issues for those accessing the harbour when commercial boats were in operation. It is expected that DLRCC are to receive the conclusions of the report though not until February or March, this is to enable the consultants to monitor winter weather impacts on the harbour.

The council have claimed that repair costs could be prohibitive, possibly running into millions and it is understood that such expenditure were not factored into council's Capital Programme 2012-2016.  As previously alluded, the PART 8 scheme exclusively deals with Dalkey Island alone where there also plans to restore the Martello Tower and Gun Battery, though not St. Begnet's Church which is the responsibility of the OPW.

The ferry restoration group, has also called for the short five-minute ferry ride to the 22-acre island be reinstated by a licensed operator. The licensing is under the remit of the Marine Survey Office at the Department of Transport and a future ferry service would require an open tendering process.

It has been feared by locals that the demise of a boat service arising from Coliemore's closure to ferry services, could lead to a temporary or longer term service running from Dun Laoghaire.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie a new cruiseliner tender dock facility was installed earlier this year as part of the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company masterplan, where the facility would also be used for boat tours of Dublin Bay and to Dalkey Island.

It has been suggested that should such a service run, that a RIB based craft would be likely used on the longer exposed crossing to the island and taking up to 25 minutes. The consequences of an enhanced ferry operation and its potential impacts on the island were discussed as part of last month's inaugural Dalkey Island Forum.

#MarineWildlife - Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan announced on Wednesday the proposal of six new marine sites for designation as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to protect marine habitats and species listed on the 1992 EU Habitats Directive.



The six sites around the Irish coast represent habitats (sandbanks and reefs) and/or marine wildlife (specifically dolphins and porpoises) identified as insufficiently represented in the list of Irish SACs at the EU Commission's Marine Atlantic Biogeographic Seminar in 2009. These sites are:

• Blackwater Bank, Co Wexford (Sandbank)
• West Connacht Coast (Bottlenose dolphin)
• Hempton’s Turbot Bank, Co Donegal (Sandbank)
• Rockabill to Dalkey Island, Co Dublin (Reefs and harbour porpoise)
• Porcupine Bank Canyon, off Kerry (Reefs)
• South-East Rockall Bank (Reefs)

The designation of marine SACs is scheduled for completion in Europe in 2012, and according to the minister, this list of six additional SACs will constitute Ireland’s contribution to that process. 



In a statement, the department said: "These six SAC sites will protect a range of habitats and species including sandbanks, deep sea coral reefs, dolphins off the Atlantic coast and harbour porpoises found in Dublin Bay.

"These sites are part of a European network of nature conservation sites known as Natura 2000 which was established with the aim of preserving our rich natural heritage for future generations."



Among the new designations are two offshore sites at the Porcupine Bank Canyon and the South East Rockall Bank "contain excellent examples of offshore fauna associated with geogenic reef (ie reef made of rock). Considering the extent of Ireland’s offshore maritime area alongside the value and vulnerability of deep sea biodiversity therein, these two sites represent a modest but highly significant contribution to the Irish SAC network."

Two new inshore areas are being proposed in the west of Ireland to protect the bottlenose dolphin. The department is currently co-funding a multi-annual research programme to further understand the ecology of this species in this coastal region.

Meanwhile, the inshore site off Dublin from Rockabill to Dalkey Island is also being proposed both for the harbour porpoise, and for geogenic reef to address a gap in the SAC network for this habitat type in the northern part of the Irish Sea.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the oil exploration company behind the Dalkey Island Prospect has spoken out over the Rockabill to Dalkey Island designation, claiming it had not been given advance information of the decision.

Providence Resources says maps provided by the department appear to show and overlap between the location for a seismic survey and the new SAC area, which would make any development for resource extraction "extremely problematic".

Last week the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) expressed concern over the potential impact of the 2D seismic survey at Dalkey Island on harbour porpoises in Dublin Bay.

#DALKEY DESIGNATION – The company prospecting for oil off Dalkey in Dublin Bay, Providence Resources said that they had not been given advance information of a Government proposal to designate an area from Dalkey Island to north of Swords as a Marine Special Area of Conservation

Maps provided by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht showing the location of six proposed marine special areas of conservation appeared to show an overlap between Providence Resources's location for a seismic survey and an area called Dalkey Island to Rockabill, which is earmarked for special conservation.

Designation as a special area of conservation (SAC), or even a candidate area, means development would be extremely problematic.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan yesterday proposed more than 27,000 hectares from Dalkey Island northwards across Dublin Bay to north of Swords be designated such an area. The location was one of six designations made under the EU habitats directive. To read more, see yesterday's Irish Times.

#COASTAL NOTES - Coastwatch Ireland has urged for the plastic bag levy to be applied to sanitary products, balloons, lighters and other disposables that can be harmful to Ireland's marine wildlife.

The Irish Times reports on the call from the environmental network's Irish director Karin Dubsky at yesterday's launch of the findings from the recent 25th anniversary survey of Ireland's coastline.

As reported on Afloat.ie in October, the month-long volunteer survey took in use of land and shore, water quality, pollution levels and marine wildlife and plantlife.

More than 18,000 drinks containers - mostly plastic bottles - were found by volunteers on the 3% of Irish coastline sampled for the survey.

And despite a 50% fall over 14 years, sanitary waste such as condoms and dirty nappies were still a problem on beaches.

While suggesting a broadening of the plastic bag levy, Dubsky also called for a 'deposit on return' scheme for drinks containers to reduce letter and encourage recycling.

The survey also reported more positive news, with nitrate levels in outflow waters below detection in half the surveyed areas for the first time since 1993.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

#DALKEY ISLAND PROSPECT – Hardy swimmers and non-swimmers alike gathered at the Forty Foot bathing pool in Sandycove to voice their opposition to plans to allow exploration for oil in Dublin Bay off Dalkey, reports The Irish Times.

Last month the Department of the Environment awarded a foreshore licence to Providence Resources for exploratory drilling six kilometres from the Dalkey coast.

Providence has argued the project would be of significant economic benefit to Ireland with up to 40 per cent of profits from production accruing to the State. But groups such as Dublin Bay Solidarity, which organised the protest, have raised concerns about environmental issues and taxation, and have criticised the level of public consultation on the licence.

Afloat.ie adds that this latest protest held last Saturday at the popular bathing place in south Dublin Bay follows a protest outside the gates of Dail Eireann last week.

Close to 200 people attended to voice similar concerns, among them that a public inquiry was not granted and how our natural resources affect all the people of Ireland both locally as well as nationally, which needs to be highlighted and discussed.

#KERRY OIL - Oil exploration firm Petrel Resources has announced it has found as much as one billion barrels of oil off the coast of Co Kerry.

The Irish Independent reports on the findings by the Dublin-based company which show enormous reserves of oil in the Porcupine Basin off the south-west coast.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the company said in September that it has identified a number of targets across the more than 1,400 sq km area of the Atlantic Ocean west of Dursey Island.

Technical studies conducted then on blocks in the northern and eastern parts of the basin for reservoir sands were described as "encouraging".

Now Petrel says that computer analysis shows several oil fields stacked in layers that could be tapped by a smaller number of oil wells.

The distance from shore - approximately 200km - plus the location of the oil reserves beneath 1km of water and a further 3km of rock present some difficulties, but new techniques in the oil industry are allowing previously undrillable resources to be extracted.

Petrel Resources is seeking a partner to invest in drilling for oil, and is preparing its application to the Government for a licence.

The Irish Independent has more on the story HERE.

#COASTAL NOTES - A group of young kayaking enthusiasts from Northern Ireland have taken the top spot in their category at the Coca-Cola Clean Coast Awards, as the Coleraine Times reports.

The Causeway Coast Kayak Association comprises 150 young people learning canoeing and other skills on the Causeway Coast in North Antrim.

They were recognised for their involvement in coastal cleanups around Ramore Head and along inland waterways such as the rivers Roe and Bann.

NI Environment Minister Attwood, who was on hand to present the award, said: “It is great to see community and youth groups taking pride in their own neighbourhood and doing something about littering which is such a blight on our coast and around our inland waterways.”

The Coleraine Times has more on the story HERE.

#COASTAL NOTES - Clare surfers say they have no confidence that development plans for Doolin Pier will not have a negative impact on the Crab Island surf break.

The Irish Examiner reports on an oral hearing on the project held by An Bord Pleanála in Ennistymon on Wednesday morning at which representatives of the Irish Surfing Association and the West Cost Surf Club expressed their fears of losing "the jewel in the crown" of Irish surfing.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, local surfers have been at loggerheads with Clare County Council over long-delayed plans to redevelop the pier facilities at Doolin, which currently serves more than 70,000 passengers between the Clare coast and the Aran Islands.

At present the pier cannot be accessed at low tide, and foul weather cost the ferry route to 40 days's business last year, the meeting heard.

Island co-op Comhar Caomhán Inis Oírr is among the groups supporting the €8 million development plans, arguing that the islands would be "under threat" if the project does not proceed.