Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Weir

#GALWAY BAY NEWS - Archaeologists in Galway Bay have unearthed an extensive tidal weir complex at Barna and a late medieval quay on Mutton Island, The Irish Times reports.

The weir, which is estimated to date from the early Christian period, consists of a granite barrier with channels cut through it, designed to control the flow of water in the adjacent lagoon.

Connemara archaeologist Michael Gibbons suggests that the weir implies a considerable fish stock migrating through the area into the Barna river.

The remains of a large Iron Age fort which overlooks the site may also have given its name to the townland of Knocknacarra, which is now a populous suburb of Galway.

Meanwhile, further east at Mutton Island a medieval quay which predates the current lighthouse quay has been found.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

Published in Galway Harbour
#ANGLING - A plaque paying tribute to the late secretary of the Dublin Salmon Anglers' Association has been inveiled at Carton Estate in Co Kildare.
Patrick 'Pat' O'Molloy, who died in November last year, was commemmorated for his pioneering work over the last 35 years in the rehabilitation and restoration of wild salmon stock in the River Liffey, The Irish Times reports.
This involved introducing micro-tagged smolts into the Rye, a tributary of the Liffey upriver of the Carton Estate weir which was impassable from further downstream.
Sadly O'Molloy died before the return of salmon to the Liffey in a year that also saw their return to the Tolka afer more than a century.
Former fisheries CEO Alan McGurdy said at the ceremony: "As you all know, Pat was an angler, a board member, environmentalist, fish farmer and most of all, a friend.
"Today is some recognition to the great man for the tremendous work he did to look after our fish."

#ANGLING - A plaque paying tribute to the late secretary of the Dublin Salmon Anglers' Association has been inveiled at Carton Estate in Co Kildare.

Patrick 'Pat' O'Molloy, who died in November last year, was commemmorated for his pioneering work over the last 35 years in the rehabilitation and restoration of wild salmon stock in the River Liffey, The Irish Times reports.

This involved introducing micro-tagged smolts into the Rye, a tributary of the Liffey upriver of the Carton Estate weir which was impassable from further downstream.

Sadly O'Molloy died before the return of salmon to the Liffey in a year that also saw their return to the Tolka afer more than a century.

Former fisheries CEO Alan McGurdy said at the ceremony: "As you all know, Pat was an angler, a board member, environmentalist, fish farmer and most of all, a friend. 

"Today is some recognition to the great man for the tremendous work he did to look after our fish."

Published in Angling
Waterways Ireland, as part of a planned inland waterways programme of improvement works, has installed a floating Weir Boom across the weir at Clarendon Lock, Knockvicar on the Shannon Navigation.

Installing the 20m boom was initiated with assembly of the boom off-site in Rooskey. In early December, the drilling for the piles was facilitated by floating a piling rig to the site on pontoons. Piles are required to hold the Weir Boom in place. The boom was then floated to the site and secured in place. The works cost approximately €55,000.

Installation of the boom improves the amenity at Knockvicar in addition to lock gate replacement and upgraded lockhouse facilities which have been completed by Waterways Ireland in recent years.

The Weir Boom is a preventative measure installed by Waterways Ireland to protect boaters and their craft from being drawn over the weir. Space has been left to allow for the passage of canoeists. There will be no environmental impacts on fish or other wildlife from the installation or operation of the Weir Boom.

Published in Inland Waterways

The Kingstown to Queenstown Yacht Race or 'K2Q', previously the Fastnet 450

The Organising Authority ("OA") are ISORA & SCORA in association with The National Yacht Club & The Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The Kingstown to Queenstown Race (K2Q Race) is a 260-mile offshore race that will start in Dun Laoghaire (formerly Kingstown), around the famous Fastnet Rock and finish in Cork Harbour at Cobh (formerly Queenstown).

The  K2Q race follows from the successful inaugural 'Fastnet 450 Race' that ran in 2020 when Ireland was in the middle of the COVID Pandemic. It was run by the National Yacht Club, and the Royal cork Yacht Club were both celebrating significant anniversaries. The clubs combined forces to mark the 150th anniversary of the National Yacht Club and the 300th (Tricentenary) of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Of course, this race has some deeper roots. In 1860 the first-ever ocean yacht race on Irish Waters was held from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) to Queenstown (now Cobh).

It is reported that the winner of the race was paid a prize of £15 at the time, and all competing boats got a bursary of 10/6 each. The first race winner was a Schooner Kingfisher owned by Cooper Penrose Esq. The race was held on July 14th 1860, and had sixteen boats racing.

In 2022, the winning boat will be awarded the first prize of a cheque for €15 mounted and framed and a Trophy provided by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world.

The 2022 race will differ from the original course because it will be via the Fastnet Rock, so it is a c. 260m race, a race distance approved by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club as an AZAB qualifier. 

A link to an Afloat article written by WM Nixon for some history on this original race is here.

The aim is to develop the race similarly to the Dun Laoghaire–Dingle Race that runs in alternate years. 

Fastnet 450 in 2020

The South Coast of Ireland Racing Association, in association with the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay and the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork, staged the first edition of this race from Dun Laoghaire to Cork Harbour via the Fastnet Rock on August 22nd 2020.

The IRC race started in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday, August 22nd 2020. It passed the Muglin, Tuscar, Conningbeg and Fastnet Lighthouses to Starboard before returning to Cork Harbour and passing the Cork Buoy to Port, finishing when Roches's Point bears due East. The course was specifically designed to be of sufficient length to qualify skippers and crew for the RORC Fastnet Race 2021.

At A Glance – K2Q (Kingstown to Queenstown) Race 2024

The third edition of this 260-nautical mile race starts from the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay on July 12th 2024 finishes in Cork Harbour.

Featured Sailing School

INSS sidebutton

Featured Clubs

dbsc mainbutton
Howth Yacht Club
Kinsale Yacht Club
National Yacht Club
Royal Cork Yacht Club
Royal Irish Yacht club
Royal Saint George Yacht Club

Featured Brokers

leinster sidebutton

Featured Webcams

Featured Associations

ISA sidebutton
ICRA
isora sidebutton

Featured Marinas

dlmarina sidebutton

Featured Chandleries

CHMarine Afloat logo
https://afloat.ie/resources/marine-industry-news/viking-marine

Featured Sailmakers

northsails sidebutton
uksails sidebutton
watson sidebutton

Featured Blogs

W M Nixon - Sailing on Saturday
podcast sidebutton
BSB sidebutton
wavelengths sidebutton
 

Please show your support for Afloat by donating