#FORMER IRISH LIGHTS TENDER -With the Guardian 8 preparing to set sail from her builders homeport of Arklow this month, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, her owners Gardline Marine Services also operate a former Commissioners of Irish Lights tender, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Great Yarmouth based company operate a multi-purpose fleet which includes the survey vessel Ocean Seeker (PHOTO). She was a familiar sight as the ILV Granuaile (1970/1,943grt) while serving for three decades from the Irish Lights marine depot in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Built by Fergusan Brothers of Port Glasgow, she was the last traditional tender for CIL in that her working deck was positioned forward. Apart from the short career of the Gray Seal, the 2000 built successor ILV Granuaile (the third to carry the name of the Mayo pirate queen) was the first custom built tender for CIL to introduce a radical design with an aft end work deck.

#TITANIC-The Maritime Institute of Ireland is to hold a 'Titanic Centenary' event in their maritime museum, Dun Laoghaire on Thursday 12th April (starting at 8pm) noting doors open from 7.30pm.

The first Irish diver to see the wreck from a Russian MIR submersible, Rory Golden will provide an illustrated talk on the latest revelations through an audio-visual presentation. Golden's first Titanic experience was on an expedition in 2000, which yielded hundreds of artefacts.

To ensure a place of the ticketed event, bookings can be made from Linda from the maritime museum's shop Tel: 01 214 3964 (on the top floor of the Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centre) as the museum itself is not due to re-open until early April as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Alternatively tickets can be booked at Costello Jewellers, 1 Northumberland Avenue, Dun Laoghaire Tel: 01 230 2311 (messages) and Barney Yourell, Lectures Officer of the institute by calling Mob: 087 900 7466. Tickets cost €10 each and concessions for senior citizens and unwaged etc are priced at €5. For further information contact Mob: 086 074 5402 and by visiting www.mariner.ie

#MARITIME LECTURE - This 'Thursday's Night Talk' organised by the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC) is entitled 'Round Ireland 2011 Over Two Months'. Tomorrow's talk starts at 8pm and is to be presented by Gary Owens.

None members are also welcome to attend the winter lecture talks, held on Thursdays which will continue until April, noting the theme of the talks are not exclusively marine orientated. For further information Tel: 280 1371 and by visiting www.dmyc.ie

The DMYC is situated on the West Pier, close to Salthill and Monkstown DART station and car-parking is available beside the premises and also at the nearby Coal Harbour.

#DUBLIN BAY NEWS - The annual St Patrick's Day Harbour2Harbour Walk in aid of mental health charity Aware is just a few weeks away.

The 16.2 mile walk around Dublin Bay begins at 10.30am on Saturday 17 March, taking around five hours to complete, and it's your choice whether you begin at Howth Harbour and walk to Dun Laoghaire Harbour or vice versa.

Organisers describe the event as "a great day out for family, friends and individuals, all of whom get a great sense of achievement and a great view of Dublin Bay."

Of course the main aim of the day is to raise funds for Aware, and once registered to take part you will receive a fundraising pack containing letters, information, maps and sponsorship cards. You can also set up your own fundraising page on MyCharity.ie.

The registration fee is €15 per individual or €25 for a group of 2 (children under 16 are free). Advance online registration is now available at the Aware website HERE. Late registration will be available on the morning of the walk itself.

Volunteers are also required to help with late registration on the morning of the walk and act as stewards at various points along the route. If you can help please call 01 661 7211 or e-mail [email protected].

More information about the day can be found at Aware's Harbour2Harbour webpage HERE.

#MARITIME LECTURES – This weeks 'Thursday' Night Talk organised by the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC) is indeed about the very strange tale of the "Ouzel Galley".

Not many folk are aware that Dublin had its own maritime mystery that ranks with the Marie (Mary) Celeste saga.

In 1625 the Ouzel Galley sailed out the River Liffey bound for Mediterranean waters. After an absence of five years she returned battered and bruised confounding locals who had presumed she was lost with all hands.

It was not the unexpected return that caused excitement at the time but the contents of her hold!...Tim Magennis shall reveal more of  this extraordinary story on the evening starting at 8pm.

Thursday's (9th February) talk is part of a winter series held at the DMYC and is open to non members who are most welcome. The club located on the West Pier, Dun Laoghaire Harbour is close to Salthill DART station. To contact the club Tel: 280 1371 and visit www.dmyc.ie

#MARINERS WITH MEMORIES – At the weekend representatives of the maritime community, relatives and visitors alike attended a screening of the 'Mariners with Memories' ceremony, which was shown in the Maritime Museum, Dun Laoghaire.

The ceremony which took place in Bray Harbour last July, is unique in that it recognises to all those lost to sea throughout the world and especially to those whose grave is the sea.

Shot by Colm Fynes, the film documented the day's proceedings with tributes made at the Co. Wicklow harbour and the flotilla that followed with floral tributes carried out close to the shore.

Captain Tony O'Grady who organised the Mariners with Memories ceremony, thanked all those to the museum and the support of the Maritime Institute of Ireland, whose newly renovated museum was a particularly apt venue, being the former Mariners Church.

Some of the relatives who attended the memorial event in Bray were also at the Dun Laoghaire screening and where they gave moving tributes to loved ones.

Commenting on the poignancy of the screening, Captain O'Grady referred to the on-going tragic events in Glandore Harbour and off the Italian island of Giglio.

He added that those involved in the various services off the West Cork fishing harbour would of liked to have attended but given the circumstances, all the resources were required at the scene.

It is hoped that following the inaugural ceremony, that Mariners with Memories will become an annually held event and the close relationship with the museum continues.

The museum which was especially opened for the screening will remain closed throughout the winter months though is open on an invitation only basis. Officially the museum is due to re-open this Easter, to keep posted of further developments visit www.mariner.ie

#NAVAL VISITS - The first foreign naval visitors to Dublin Port in 2012 will be the French Navy, as five of an eight-strong class of school-training ships from Brest are due to dock on Friday, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The octet  belong to the Léopard class though the namesake leadship, Léopard (A 748) and Jaguar (A 750) will not be forming as part of the visiting flotilla.

Those that will be making the weekend port of call, berthing at Sir John Rogersons Quay will be Panthère (A 749) and Lynx (A 751) both commissioned in 1982 and the remaining quartet Guépard (A 752); Chacal (A 753); Tigre (A 754) and Lion (A 755) which entered service the following year. For a photo of the latter vessel and one of her sisters the Chacal click HERE.

Each of the 44 tonnes vessel's measure 17.5m long and have a beam of  6.40m and drawing a draft of 2.40m. To read more on the class characteristics click HERE.

The class follow in the wake of the last French Naval vessel to enter Dublin Bay, PSP Cormoran (P677). The OPV provided guard-ship duties when accompanying the Solitaire du Figaro race fleet during the stopover to Dun Laoghaire Harbour last August, as previously reported on Afloat.ie

#ON THE TV – As previously reported on Afloat. ie, the first of a new two-part adaptation of Treasure Island which was partially shot in Ireland is to screened tonight at 7pm on the Sky HD 1 and Sky 1 channels and  tomorrow evening at 7pm.

The classic Robert Louis Stevenson 18th century tale was directed by Dubliner Steve Barron and the leading role of the one-legged pirate, Long John Silver was played by Eddie Izzard. Joining the Emmy award winning Izzard is the BBC TV series Spooks actor Rupert Penry-Jones and Hollywood stars Donald Sunderland and Elijah Wood.

Square Sail's  barque Earl of Pembroke was based in Dun Laoghaire Harbour late last year.  On one occasion the 174-tonnes barque was seen off The Muglins Lighthouse, Dalkey Island, where  a camera-equipped helicopter whirled above the former Baltic Sea trader in Dublin Bay. Following the shoot in Ireland, the production team for the made for TV drama re-located to  Puerto Rico in the Caribbean.

#ON THE TV-It's just over a year ago to when filming took place for parts of the TV Movie "Treasure Island" off Dalkey Island, as previously reported on Afloat.ie. Fans of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson 18th century tale can look forward to this new two-part adaptation starring Eddie Izzard as the one-legged pirate, Long John Silver, on New Year's Day on Sky 1 HD at 7pm and also at the same time on 2nd January, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Joining the Emmy award winning Izzard is BBC TV series Spooks actor Rupert Penry-Jones and Hollywood stars Donald Sunderland and Elijah Wood.

The nautical scenes where set on board Square Sails tallship, the barque Earl of Pembroke which used Dun Laoghaire Harbour as a base. During the Irish scenes, the production crew and members of the cast had to endure the bitterly artic-like conditions of last winter's big freeze as the 174-tonnes barque was off The Muglins Lighthouse with a camera-equipped helicopter whirling above.

Following the shoot in Ireland which involved Dun Laoghaire based Parallel Film Productions and the Irish National Sailing School (INSS) which provided marine co-ordination services for the drama commissioned by Sky 1 HD TV Chanel, the shoot re-located to Puerto Rico in the Caribbean.

To watch a first look-official trailer of the long-awaited swashbuckling adventure click HERE and for more about the drama including a Q&A with the cast click HERE.

#NAVAL VISITS- HMS Tyne (P281) the leadship of four River-class Fishery Protection Vessels is due to dock in Dublin Port tomorrow, in the meantime her allocated berth is currently taken by a former Royal Navy (RN) vessel now serving in the Irish Naval Service (INS), writes Jehan Ashmore.

The INS L.É. Ciara (P42) docked at Sir John Rogersons Quay (berth No.8) yesterday evening after spending the previous day with a call to Dun Laoghaire Harbour's St. Michaels Wharf. Tomorrow she is due to depart in advance of HMS Tyne's morning arrival.

Unusually she and her three sisters are leased to the RN from BAE Systems (who retain responsibility for any major maintenance and upkeep) and shipbuilding partners, Vosper Thornycroft, Southampton which built all of the River-class. To read more about the quartet click HERE.

L.É. Ciara was originally launched as HMS Swallow (P242) at Hall Russell Shipyard, Aberdeen and in 1984 was commissioned for the RN, forming one of five 'Peacock' class coastal patrol vessels (CPV). She served her entire RN career with sisters designed specifically for the Hong Kong Squadron.

In 1988 the INS purchased her alongside a sister HMS Swift (P243) and the pair set sail from the UK colony for Cork Harbour. L.É. Ciara and her sister which became L.É. Orla (P41) were commissioned into the service after a ceremony performed by An Taoiseach C.J. Haughey at the Naval Base in Haulbowline.

Amongst the eight-strong INS fleet is L.É. Emer (P21) commissioned in 1978, an improved version of the Deirdre-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV). She appeared along with a sister of the River-class ship, HMS Severn in the Irish language river series 'Abhainn' which returned to our screens on RTE 1 last month, during the episode about the River Foyle /An Feabhal. The naval vessels were attending 'Foyle Days' in May as previously reported on Afloat.ie