Good news this morning as the government has announced that the existing coastguard radio stations at Valentia Island in Co. Kerry and Malin Head, Co. Donegal are to be retained while a new centre is being built in Dublin.
The government announced last year that Valentia and Malin were to close down after more than a century of operation and be replaced with a new station in Galway. The response from the coastal and marine community was one of shock and a campaign was quickly put together to save the two stations which have over the years helped many thousands of mariners in trouble and played a role in saving many lives.
Let us hope that this is a full reprieve for Valentia and Malin and that they will continue to be the eyes and ears of mariners for generations to come and that this isn't simply a face-saving exercise until after the next local elections from a government in retreat from hugely controversial budget measures and growing unpopularity.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Stand up to the EU on fishery proposals
It is being reported today (13th Nov 2008) that the European Union is proposing a ban on all whitefish fisheries off Ireland's northwest coast. This comes just five months after fishermen right around the coast were forced to come out and blockade ports because their industry is dying through over-regulation from Brussels and overfishing from other EU and non-EU fleets in Irish waters.
It is quite clear now that EU doesn't give a damn about Irish fishermen and given their refusal to recognise our democratic rejection of the Lisbon Treaty they don't really care about Ireland at all.
Some wise people predicted back in the early 1970s that our fisheries would suffer through EU membership. They were laughed at back then but they were right. Our offshore waters have been pillaged for the last four decades by boats of every nation while Irish fishermen trying to make a living for themselves and their families and to keep their communities alive have been regulated to death. A plethora of agencies watch their every move, including the naval service who monitor them from Haulbowline and from the eight naval vessels which patrol our coast.
Last June when the fishermen were forced to go on strike they had the overwhelming support of the Irish people who of course rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a democratic vote on June 12th last. But of course it's as if that vote had never taken place as an arrogant government, taking instructions from European masters, is intent on rerunning that referendum to make sure we vote "the right way".
The Old Blog Cabin feels it is time for the Irish people as a whole to take a stand for a sovereign state making decisions on behalf Ireland. We should demand a return to a much larger exclusive fishing area for the Irish fleet and stop the harassment of Irish fishermen. It is clear from last weeks huge drug seizure off the Irish coast that there are more important tasks the Naval Service should concentrate on other than making life hell for local fishermen.
Yes there is a need for conservation of fish stocks but lets start by taking out the supertrawlers and giving priority to our own fishermen.
It is quite clear now that EU doesn't give a damn about Irish fishermen and given their refusal to recognise our democratic rejection of the Lisbon Treaty they don't really care about Ireland at all.
Some wise people predicted back in the early 1970s that our fisheries would suffer through EU membership. They were laughed at back then but they were right. Our offshore waters have been pillaged for the last four decades by boats of every nation while Irish fishermen trying to make a living for themselves and their families and to keep their communities alive have been regulated to death. A plethora of agencies watch their every move, including the naval service who monitor them from Haulbowline and from the eight naval vessels which patrol our coast.
Last June when the fishermen were forced to go on strike they had the overwhelming support of the Irish people who of course rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a democratic vote on June 12th last. But of course it's as if that vote had never taken place as an arrogant government, taking instructions from European masters, is intent on rerunning that referendum to make sure we vote "the right way".
The Old Blog Cabin feels it is time for the Irish people as a whole to take a stand for a sovereign state making decisions on behalf Ireland. We should demand a return to a much larger exclusive fishing area for the Irish fleet and stop the harassment of Irish fishermen. It is clear from last weeks huge drug seizure off the Irish coast that there are more important tasks the Naval Service should concentrate on other than making life hell for local fishermen.
Yes there is a need for conservation of fish stocks but lets start by taking out the supertrawlers and giving priority to our own fishermen.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Busy at the Old Blog Cabin
Sorry for the lack of posts on the Old Blog Cabin but I've been busy for the last while and haven't had time to follow up on articles. I haven't heard or seen much on the news front since I haven't had the time to look but one piece of good news I did see was that the Irish government is about to advertise for tenders to raise the national sail-training vessel Asgard II which sank in the Bay of Biscay off the coast of France on September 11th last.
Investigations into the present condition of Asgard have proved to be encouraging and the vessel is said to be "largely intact" following a survey by Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) recently. Let's hope the Asgard will rise again.
Investigations into the present condition of Asgard have proved to be encouraging and the vessel is said to be "largely intact" following a survey by Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) recently. Let's hope the Asgard will rise again.
The Amphicar - an idea lost in time
I spotted this on www.flickr.com this morning and couldn't help posting it. What a great idea! I remember seeing one of these or a similar model around West Cork many years ago when I was a small boy and fascinated with the idea of car that could go on water. I'm sure they can't have been too safe though.
Still it would be very useful for a Sunday afternoon's boating - no bother with trailers, winches, mooring places or winter storage - just drive off to work with it every day and take a dip at weekends!
This one was photographed at the start of hte Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race in 1971 and is from the collection of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Australia.
According to the entry: - "The Amphicar was a German vehicle manufactured 1960-1968. It was the first commercially produced amphibious car and used a Triumph Herald engine over the rear axle to power the wheels and twin propellors. In the water, the front wheels acted as rudders. The body was steel.
From the collections of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales www.sl.nsw.gov.au
Information about photographic collections of the State Library of New South Wales acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/SimpleSearch.aspx
Persistent url: acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemDetailPaged.aspx?itemID=146252
Uploaded by State Library
Still it would be very useful for a Sunday afternoon's boating - no bother with trailers, winches, mooring places or winter storage - just drive off to work with it every day and take a dip at weekends!
This one was photographed at the start of hte Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race in 1971 and is from the collection of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Australia.
According to the entry: - "The Amphicar was a German vehicle manufactured 1960-1968. It was the first commercially produced amphibious car and used a Triumph Herald engine over the rear axle to power the wheels and twin propellors. In the water, the front wheels acted as rudders. The body was steel.
From the collections of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales www.sl.nsw.gov.au
Information about photographic collections of the State Library of New South Wales acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/SimpleSearch.aspx
Persistent url: acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemDetailPaged.aspx?itemID=146252
Uploaded by State Library
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Onedin Line
For no other reason than indulging in a bit of nostaliga I am posting this Youtube video from the very first episode of the Onedin Line, a television drama series from the 1970s which I remember fondly.
The Onedin Line was huge in the 1970s. The first episode was broadcast in Britain in 1971. I'm not sure when it was first broadcast on RTE (Irish television) but it can't have been too much later. It was also broadcast in Europe, the US and around the world and to this day has a dedicated following. The choice of Aram Katchachurian's theme from Spartacus was an inspired one for the theme music and the intro was a stunning combination of this theme and excellent aerial camrawork. Many people still refer to Spartacus as the "Onedin Line theme"
The series centred on the lives of two brothers James and Robert Onedin, their families and some of the crew of James Onedin's ships. Their father, whom we don't meet, leaves the older brother Robert the family business, a small ship's chandlers shop in Liverpool, while the younger brother James has already gone to sea but is left virtually penniless. Nevertheless he works his way up and marries the daughter of a schooner owner to get his hands on the ship. Eventually he ends up the wealthier of the two brothers, with a fleet of ships. Also featuring in the series are Robert & James' sister Elizabeth and the love interests of the three. Peter Gilmore played James Onedin, while Brian Rawlinson played Robert and Jessica Benton was the strong-willed Elizabeth. My favourite character of the series was the irrepresible Mr. Baines (later Captain Baines), played by Howard Lang with such ease that it seemed like he had been at sea all his life.
The ship shown in the opening credits is the Christian Radich, a full-rigged Norwegian sail training vessel. Several other vessels were also used to double for James Onedin's growing fleet.
I am open to correction on this, but I think the Christian Radich came to Kinsale in the late 1970s while it was taking part in some filming off the south coast of Ireland.
The Onedin Line was huge in the 1970s. The first episode was broadcast in Britain in 1971. I'm not sure when it was first broadcast on RTE (Irish television) but it can't have been too much later. It was also broadcast in Europe, the US and around the world and to this day has a dedicated following. The choice of Aram Katchachurian's theme from Spartacus was an inspired one for the theme music and the intro was a stunning combination of this theme and excellent aerial camrawork. Many people still refer to Spartacus as the "Onedin Line theme"
The series centred on the lives of two brothers James and Robert Onedin, their families and some of the crew of James Onedin's ships. Their father, whom we don't meet, leaves the older brother Robert the family business, a small ship's chandlers shop in Liverpool, while the younger brother James has already gone to sea but is left virtually penniless. Nevertheless he works his way up and marries the daughter of a schooner owner to get his hands on the ship. Eventually he ends up the wealthier of the two brothers, with a fleet of ships. Also featuring in the series are Robert & James' sister Elizabeth and the love interests of the three. Peter Gilmore played James Onedin, while Brian Rawlinson played Robert and Jessica Benton was the strong-willed Elizabeth. My favourite character of the series was the irrepresible Mr. Baines (later Captain Baines), played by Howard Lang with such ease that it seemed like he had been at sea all his life.
The ship shown in the opening credits is the Christian Radich, a full-rigged Norwegian sail training vessel. Several other vessels were also used to double for James Onedin's growing fleet.
I am open to correction on this, but I think the Christian Radich came to Kinsale in the late 1970s while it was taking part in some filming off the south coast of Ireland.
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