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Coronavirus Forces Postponement of Two Key Marine Events

6th March 2020
Coronavirus Forces Postponement of Two Key Marine Events

Uncertainty over the spread of the coronavirus Covid-19 has influenced postponement of the annual Irish Skipper Expo and a charity evening in aid of the Lost at Sea Tragedies (LAST) next weekend, writes Lorna Siggins.

Mara Media, which organises the Irish Skipper Expo, said the show originally scheduled for Limerick on March 13th and 14th will be held at a later date.

“We regretfully announce that we are postponing next week’s Irish Skipper Expo 2020, but our foremost concern is the health and safety of exhibitors and visitors to the event, Mara Media managing director Hugh Bonner said in a statement.

“The advice we have received from Health Service Executive Ireland (HSE) is that while coronavirus in Ireland is still in the containment phase, it is a rapidly evolving situation, and as such, rescheduling the show is the only sensible and pragmatic option,” he said.

Earlier today, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had said that there was no recommendation to cancel mass gatherings at this stage.

Mr Bonner said that this was “not a decision we have taken lightly, and we appreciate the difficulties this will cause because of the planning involved in attending the expo”.

“The wellbeing of exhibitors and visitors is of paramount importance to us,” Mr Bonner said.

“We will be working with our show contractors, and with the wider fishing industry, to put in place a new date which will be announced as soon as possible,” he said, paying tribute to exhibitors for their support at this “challenging time”

The “Fishermen’s Fling” charity gala evening in aid of LAST, also due to be held in Limerick to coincide with the expo on March 13th, has also been postponed until further notice.

Its organiser Niall Duffy said that tickets would remain valid until a new date is announced.

Lorna Siggins

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Lorna Siggins

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Lorna Siggins is a print and radio reporter, and a former Irish Times western correspondent. She is the author of Search and Rescue: True stories of Irish Air-Sea Rescues and the Loss of R116 (2022); Everest Callling (1994) on the first Irish Everest expedition; Mayday! Mayday! (2004); and Once Upon a Time in the West: the Corrib gas controversy (2010). She is also co-producer with Sarah Blake of the Doc on One "Miracle in Galway Bay" which recently won a Celtic Media Award

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Coronavirus (COVID-19): Irish Sailing & Boating

Since restrictions began in March 2020, the Government is preparing for a 'controlled and gradual return to sport' and the 2020 sailing fixtures are being tentatively redrafted by yacht clubs, rowing clubs angling and diving clubs across Ireland as the country enters a new phase in dealing with the Coronavirus. The hope is that a COVID-19 restrictions might be eased by May 5th as Sport Ireland has asked national governing bodies for information on the challenges they face. 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) information

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus.

To help stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) everyone has been asked to stay at home. But some people may need to do more than this.

You may need to either:

You do these things to stop other people from getting coronavirus.

Read advice for people in at-risk groups

Read advice about cocooning.

Restricted movements

Everybody in Ireland has been asked to stay at home. You should only go out for a few reasons, such as shopping for food.

But you need to restrict your movements further if you: 

  • live with someone who has symptoms of coronavirus, but you feel well
  • are a close contact of a confirmed case of coronavirus
  • have returned to Ireland from another country

You need to restrict your movements for at least 14 days.

But if the person you live with has had a test and it is negative, you don't need to wait 14 days. You should still follow the advice for everyone - stay at home as much as possible.

Close contact

This is only a guide but close contact can mean:

  • spending more than 15 minutes of face-to-face contact within 2 metres of an infected person
  • living in the same house or shared accommodation as an infected person

How to restrict your movements 

Follow the advice for everybody - stay at home.