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Displaying items by tag: Kesh River

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users on the Erne System that dredging operations on the Kesh River in Co Fermanagh are continuing.

Dredging at the mouth of the Kesh River (West Section) has been completed as of this week, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Dredging on the two other river sections (Central and East) was scheduled to commence on Tuesday 29 August and will continue until Friday 22 September.

During this time the river will be closed to boating traffic from 8am to 6pm Mondays to Fridays, adds the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on and users of the Erne System that dredging operations will commence on the Kesh River at Lower Lough Erne this Tuesday 18 July.

Dredging will occur at two locations along the Kesh River and at the mouth of the river in Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

Dredging on the two river sections (Central and East) will continue for approximately two weeks until Wednesday 2 August. During this time the river will be closed to boating traffic from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.

Dredging will then commence at the mouth of the Kesh River (West Section) on Thursday 3 August and will continue for approximately three weeks until Friday 26 August 2023.

The navigation will be open during the dredging at the mouth of the river but boaters should expect delays, advises the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways.

Published in Inland Waterways

Northern Ireland’s inland waters have seen a third fish kill in as many months after hundreds of dead trout were found in a Co Fermanagh river, as BBC News reports.

The grim discovery in the Kesh River on Wednesday (1 September) comes just days after the Three Mile Water in Co Antrim was struck by its second fish kill incident of this summer.

Ian Grimsley of Kesh and District Angling Club said the incident — which claimed not only brown trout and river trout but juvenile salmon, perch and more — was the worst of its kind he had witnessed in the area in 40 years.

And like last week’s fish kill in Newtownabbey, he fears “it’ll take years to bring it back again”.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has launched an investigation, with the origin of the river pollutant as yet unknown. BBC News has more on the story HERE.

Published in Angling
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Naval Visits focuses on forthcoming courtesy visits by foreign navies from our nearest neighbours, to navies from European Union and perhaps even those navies from far-flung distant shores.

In covering these Naval Visits, the range of nationality arising from these vessels can also be broad in terms of the variety of ships docking in our ports.

The list of naval ship types is long and they perform many tasks. These naval ships can include coastal patrol vessels, mine-sweepers, mine-hunters, frigates, destroyers, amphibious dock-landing vessels, helicopter-carriers, submarine support ships and the rarer sighting of submarines.

When Naval Visits are made, it is those that are open to the public to come on board, provide an excellent opportunity to demonstrate up close and personal, what these look like and what they can do and a chance to discuss with the crew.

It can make even more interesting for visitors when a flotilla arrives, particularly comprising an international fleet, adding to the sense of curiosity and adding a greater mix to the type of vessels boarded.

All of this makes Naval Visits a fascinating and intriguing insight into the role of navies from abroad, as they spend time in our ports, mostly for a weekend-long call, having completed exercises at sea.

These naval exercises can involve joint co-operation between other naval fleets off Ireland, in the approaches of the Atlantic, and way offshore of the coasts of western European countries.

In certain circumstances, Naval Visits involve vessels which are making repositioning voyages over long distances between continents, having completed a tour of duty in zones of conflict.

Joint naval fleet exercises bring an increased integration of navies within Europe and beyond. These exercises improve greater co-operation at EU level but also internationally, not just on a political front, but these exercises enable shared training skills in carrying out naval skills and also knowledge.

Naval Visits are also reciprocal, in that the Irish Naval Service, has over the decades, visited major gatherings overseas, while also carrying out specific operations on many fronts.

Ireland can, therefore, be represented through these ships that also act as floating ambassadorial platforms, supporting our national interests.

These interests are not exclusively political in terms of foreign policy, through humanitarian commitments, but are also to assist existing trade and tourism links and also develop further.

Equally important is our relationship with the Irish diaspora, and to share this sense of identity with the rest of the World.