Tag Archives: Lough Derg

A FAMILY of three were found safe and unharmed after their boat got into difficulty on Scarriff Bay recently. On Monday evening, August 23, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to launch to assess a cruiser reported aground by a concerned member of the public. The cruiser 36 foot motor cruiser was said to be in Scarriff Bay, north of the entrance to the Scarriff River. At 6.51pm the lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm crew Owen Cavanagh, crew Eleanor Hooker, Joe O’Donoghue and Doireann Kennedy on board. When the lifeboat arrived at the scene the cruiser was aground on a rocky shore, north of the entrance to the Scarriff River. The lifeboat stood off to inspect the aspect of the cruiser, which appeared to be pivoting on the edge of the shoal. The lifeboat made a cautious approach to the casualty vessel and found there was a family of three on board, all safe and unharmed and …

A NUMBER of White-Tailed Eagle chicks have been released into the wild at Lough Derg, boosting the ongoing project to reintroduce the species in South East Clare and a number of other Munster locations. A total of 21 chicks were released at four locations by staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) who had been keeping the chicks at purpose-built enclosures at the Shannon Estuary, Waterford and Killarney National Park. The clutches had arrived from Norway five weeks ago in the hope of further bolstering Ireland’s existing White-Tailed Eagle population, and the reintroduction programme, which began in 2007. The re-establishment of breeding White-tailed Eagles at sites like Lough Derg and Killarney National Park has proven hugely popular with local residents, while the potential for economic benefits from sensitive, sustainable ecotourism was experienced in Mountshannon, when the first breeding pair nested within sight of the village in 2012, attracting thousands of visitors. Once a conspicuous part of Ireland’s landscape, …

New state-of-the-art clubhouse on Lough Derg shores will allow Killaloe Sailing Club to develop to its true potential KILLALOE Sailing Club is on the crest of a wave following the start of construction work on its new state-of-the-art €700,000 club house facility on the shores of Lough Derg. It is expected the new club house will be fully constructed by the end of the year. Phase one consists of the car and sailing dinghy park. The second phase involves the construction of the new modern building, which will provide proper on-shore facilities for club members. Jim Ryan, long standing member and driving force behind the club development, highlighted that the new facilities will greatly enhance the club’s offering to its current members, and will also provide a wonderful amenity for the populations of the wider Clare, Tipperary and Limerick area. “Until now, the club has been somewhat limited in developing its true potential due to the very poor on-shore facilities …

THE RNLI helped five people in difficulty in two back-to-back calls on Lough Derg this week. The first incident saw Valentia Coast Guard request Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to launch to assist a person on a 30ft cruiser reported aground close to Mountshannon Harbour at the south-west of Lough Derg. At 11.40am the lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Eleanor Hooker, crew Owen Cavanagh, Joe O’Donoghue and Chris Parker on board. Shortly afterwards the lifeboat was in sight of the casualty vessel which was aground on a sandbar in the bay east of Mountshannon Harbour. The lifeboat took frequent soundings on a cautious approach to the casualty vessel, located in an area known for its sudden shallows. At 12.11pm the lifeboat was alongside the casualty vessel and the skipper was found to be safe and unharmed and wearing his lifejacket. An RNLI volunteer was transferred across to the cruiser. Given the location of the boat close to a navigation channel …

Artist Melissa Ryan talks to Dan Danaher about a unique art exhibition showcasing professional and emerging artists near the shores of Lough Derg SEVEN emerging artists from the Killaloe Ballina area are amongst 120 participants who have united to create a unique free outdoor community art exhibition near the shores of Lough Derg. Carol O’Donoghue, Lori Foley, Teresa Kearns, Kathleen Valette, Kathleen Sheehan, Donna Lawlor and Pauline Quigley, were supported by the local Family Resource Centre during an innovative community project and competition. One of the professional artists is Kerry Acheson, who lives in Killaloe, and is also an art teacher. ‘At One with Nature’, which opens this Friday and runs for one month, showcases 50 original works, with more than 120 artists using Malaysian pine boards, 150 cm by 150 cm hand painted in acrylics, along the scenic 2.2 kilometres Pollagh trail beside the River Shannon in Birdhill village. The winners in different categories will be announced at the …

AN ALIEN invasion is underway in Lough Derg causing concern for the local ecosystem. The alien in question is a mussel called the guagga, originally from Ukraine, which has been found in the lake by a local marine biologist. The guagga mussel was found in early July in Ireland. A team from UCD, led by Dr Jan Robert Baars, discovered its presence in large numbers in Lough Ree. Lower numbers were found downstream in Lough Derg by Dr Dan Minchin of the Lough Derg Science Group, where it is expected its numbers will increase. Dr Minchin has been working on projects with Dr Baars on the River Shannon since 2016. This species, Dreissena rostriformis bugensis, known as the quagga mussel, is expected to expand and suppress the numbers of the closely-related zebra mussel that arrived in Ireland in 1994. It is thought the zebra mussel arrived as fouling on imported leisure craft ferried from the Midlands of Britain. It is …

EARLY medieval characters linked to Inis Cealtra will be given a new lease on life at the interpretive centre being developed in Mountshannon, to illuminate the role of the island as a pilgrimage destination and place of religious devotion. Consultants working on the Inis Cealtra project have been outlining what they believe are relatable themes and stories that will engage a wide variety of visitors with the history of the island. They have also promised that the exhibition space will promote the entire East Clare area. Earlier this month, Tandem Partners held a workshop on Zoom, which was attended by over 25 people including politicians, community leaders, tourism and hospitality providers. Those taking part heard how characters, including The Queen of Munster, Gormlaith, will form part of the narrative used to tell the story of Inis Cealtra and its significance in early medieval Europe. According to records, Gormlaith was a powerful woman whose marriage alliances included Brían Ború (976-1014) High …

Management strategy will link attractions on all sides of lake and spread the benefits THE full implementation of the Holy Island Visitor Management Plan is identified as a key objective in a new five-year Lough Derg Visitor Experience Development Plan, reports Dan Danaher. Clare County Council is developing a management plan to facilitate sustainable tourism from this sixth century holy island, which is connected across lake waters to a necklace of historic lakeside villages and harbours. Chief executive officer, Pat Dowling described the development of Holy Island as a local visitor and tourist attraction as an “exciting new project” for the coming years. “The council will be developing the island as a unique feature on Lough Derg. Holy Island has a long and wonderful history and it will be a very important addition to our tourism product in Clare.” Padraig Giblin of Sportworld Netting, Scariff, said it will be very important for towns and villages in East Clare to connect …