Lorna Siggins
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
Tributes have been paid to Toni (Patricia) Ryan, an experienced scuba diver and founding member of the Howth Harbour Coast Guard unit who has died at the age of 71. Ryan participated in hundreds of Coast Guard call-outs in the…
First Osprey Chicks from Norway Released Into the Wild in Ireland This Weekend
27th August 2023 Marine Wildlife
The first osprey chicks acquired in Norway to re-introduce the species to Ireland were released into the wild this weekend. The satellite-tagged chicks are part of a National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) programme aiming to re-introduce 50 young ospreys. Ospreys…
Hogfish Can "Photo" Their Own Skin As It Changes Colour for Camouflage
27th August 2023 Marine Wildlife
Marine scientists have found that hogfish can not only change colour for camouflage but also use their skin to view their surroundings. Research published in the Nature Communications journal suggests hogfish can take a virtual “photo” of their own skin.…
How German Airmen Crash Landed On Inis Mhic Oileáin - Maria Simonds-Gooding Recalls
30th August 2023 Wavelength Podcast
During the Second World War, Kerry was the location for a number of both Allied forces and German air crashes, but one less well-known one occurred on the Blasket Island of Inis Mhic Oileáin (Inishvickillaune) on November 25th, 1940. Wreckage…
Irish offshore survey company Green Rebel has been recognised by Certification Europe for reaching global standards for quality and environmental management. The Cork-based company runs a fleet of vessels, buoys and aircraft used for research data for offshore wind farm…
A pair of fish-loving ospreys have bred in Ireland for the first time in almost two centuries on the island of Ireland. Two and “possibly three” chicks have been confirmed in the nest of the pair at an undisclosed location…
Irish Sailors Set to Compete in "Retro" Ocean Globe Race Around the World Without GPS
14th August 2023 Wavelength Podcast
Two Irish sailors are participating in the 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race (OGR), billed as a “retro race” in the spirit of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race. Roisin O’Halloran (20) and Terry Kavanagh (55) will be on board the…
Lack of Access to a Knife and Lack of PLB Key Factors in Serious Deck Accident - MCIB Report
12th August 2023 MCIB
A skipper survived severe pain during a deck accident which could have been alleviated if he had been able to access a knife to free his leg, according to the official investigation. The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) report into…
Invasive Crayfish's Ability to Adapt to Cold Water Environments Identified By Japanese Scientists
4th August 2023 Marine Science
Molecular mechanisms that allowed a type of tropical crayfish to become a global invasive species by adapting to colder water have been identified by scientists in Japan. The research is relevant to growing concerns about animal species colonising new habitats…
A marine scientist who pioneered a salt fish industry which gave valuable coastal employment after the Great Famine has been remembered with a plaque in Co Kerry. William Spotswood Green “saved lives” from Mizen to Malin Head, according to Dr…
Sensitive Analysis for MPA Designation in Western Irish Sea "flawed" - Two Fishing Industry Organisations
27th July 2023 Fishing
Two fishing industry organisations have criticised aspects of a recent ecologically sensitive analysis of the western Irish Sea for potential marine protected area (MPA) designation. In a joint statement, the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation (KFO) and Irish South and East Fishermen’s…
Discovery That Basking Sharks are Warm Bodied Like "Finding Cows Have Wings" - TCD Scientists
22nd July 2023 Marine Wildlife
Researchers have discovered that basking sharks are as warm-bodied as great white sharks, in spite of having a more sedentary lifestyle. An international team led by scientists from Trinity College, Dublin, says the “surprising” discovery has implications for the conservation…
Mark Mellett, New Chair of MARA, on Government Plans for 2,500 Wind Turbines Off Irish Coasts
19th July 2023 Wavelength Podcast
“We are in a race for survival…” The words of Mark Mellett, chair of MARA, the State’s first marine planning regulatory authority, which has just opened for business in Wexford. If Government targets on renewable energy offshore are met, there…
Qualified Welcome from Fishing Industry for Ecological Analysis on MPAs in West Irish Sea
19th July 2023 Marine Planning
Irish fishing industry organisations have given a qualified welcome to an ecological analysis relating to potential marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Irish Sea. The recently published report recommends a list of 40 sensitive species and habitats which should be…
A Met Éireann summary of climate averages over 30 years has found that Ireland's average mean hourly wind speed ranges from nine knots at Shannon Airport to 15 knots at Donegal’s Malin Head. It’s one of a number of facts…
"Mountain Waves" Created Turbulence Leading to Irish Coast Guard Helicopter Emergency Landing - AAIB Report
18th July 2023 Coastguard
An Irish Coast Guard helicopter which had to make an emergency landing earlier this year may have been affected by turbulence from the Sperrin mountains, an investigation has found. The report by the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) says…
First Designated Maritime Area Plan for ORE Published at MARA Launch in Wexford
13th July 2023 Marine Planning
The first designated maritime area plan (DMAP) for offshore renewable energy (ORE) has been published by Minister for Environment and Climate Eamon Ryan. The minister announced a consultation on the next phase of offshore wind energy auctions, when he marked…
Three Government Ministers Will Kick-Start Maritime Area Regulatory Authority
13th July 2023 Marine Planning
Three Government ministers are due to initiate the State’s first maritime planning authority in Wexford today (Thurs 13th). Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Environment and Climate Eamon Ryan and Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney will attend the event…
North-West Irish Sea To Be Designated as Ireland's Largest SPA for Birds
13th July 2023 Marine Wildlife
An area in the northwest Irish Sea is to be designated as Ireland’s largest ever protected zone for birds. The proposed new special protection area (SPA) will cover over 230,000 hectares and will increase Ireland’s percentage of marine waters protected…
Ireland Supports International Call for "Precautionary Pause" on Deep-Sea Mining
4th July 2023 Marine Wildlife
Ireland has supported calls for a “precautionary pause” on deep-sea mining on the international seabed. The “pause” means that no deep-sea mining should take place until a “robust” regulatory framework is in place to protect the marine environment, and until…
