Posted: September 7, 2011
This year Cork Harbour Open Day is set to be a great day with so much happening all around the harbour. Now in its third year, Cork Harbour Open Day has grown and each year offers more and more activities both on and off the water. The day itself is a great day for people to see exactly what Cork Harbour has to offer, and this year is no exception with the second largest natural harbour in the world will playing host to the Cobh to Blackrock sailing race, kayaking on the River Lee, crab fishing in Cobh, and for the first time a free open day at the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) in Ringaskiddy and Fastnet Lines MV Julia open to the public for tours and lunch.
Cork Harbour Community Radio will broadcast throughout the day on frequency 98.3FM live from the NMCI. This community radio initiative is part of a response to the great sense of community developing in the Cork Harbour area and has been made possible by the combined effort and support of many harbour side groups and organisations.
This year will also see the first ferry shuttle service operated by ‘Whale of a Time’ and sponsored by the Port of Cork and NMCI running in the lower harbour calling at Ringaskiddy, Monkstown, Cobh, Aghada and Crosshaven. Free to anyone who wishes to use it, this ferry will be a great way to see the harbour and get around to the different locations and attractions.
Visitors to Ringaksiddy will be given the opportunity to go on a free guided tour around the National Maritime College of Ireland and see their panoramic bridge simulator, the survival pool and the marine workshops. Staying in Ringaksiddy, at the Deepwater Quay, Fastnet Lines’ MV Julia will open to the public giving people the chance to go onboard the ferry and even have some lunch if they wish. In the evening, Cork Corona Film Festival will hold a fundraiser themed the ‘Amazing Cork Maritime Experience’ at the NMCI from 5pm onwards. Tickets for this event are available here.
In Cobh, Cunard’s MV Queen Elizabeth will make her maiden call to the Port of Cork and to coincide with this visit, Cunard and the Port of Cork have organised a Lusitania Memorial Service in Cobh led by the Captain of Queen Elizabeth. To add to the occasion, Band 1 Southern Brigade will play in the promenade after the service. Both events are free and open to all.
In the afternoon ‘See You in Cobh’ will run a crab fishing competition for kids. The Irish Coastguard, RNLI and the Search and Rescue Helicopter will perform a search and rescue demonstration in the lower harbour near Monsktown and Ringaskiddy at 3pm. At 5pm when MV Queen Elizabeth departs a ‘Fond Farewell’ is being organised to encourage spectators around the harbour to wave this great ocean liner off as she departs Cork harbour. Great locations around the harbour to see the departure are Roches Point, Weavers Point, Camden Fort, Cobh town or Whitegate.
Spike Island will be open to the public all day, with boat rides operating from Kennedy Pier in Cobh to the island throughout the day. Live music, face painters, clowns and jugglers will be on the island to entertain and visitors to the island are being encouraged to bring their own picnic for the day.
In Crosshaven, the Rescue Camden Committee have organised a free open day from 12-6pm. The fort will host the Airborne 101 re-enactors and a weapons display and a ‘Port in Pictures’ photograph exhibition. Camden Fort is a perfect location to watch MV Queen Elizabeth as she departs Cobh at 5pm. Crosshaven will also hold their annual triathlon at 4pm.
In Cork City, the Irish naval vessel L.E.Ciara will be open to the public for free tours of the ship from 11am to 4pm. Also in the morning visitors will get to see the amazing 150 cars taking part in this year’s Cannonball Run in aid of Barretstown Kids charity, as they depart Custom House quay at 11am. Blackrock Castle Observatory will present their theatrical tours bringing the colourful story of the castle to life from 400 years ago to present day. A great venue for all the family and a super location to watch the Cobh to Blackrock sailing race, as the yachts head up the river.
In Aghada, there will be tales and stories of the south east side of the harbour throughout the day held in Rosies Bar. Visitors can use the ferry shuttle which would take them to Aghada’s new pontoon facility recently opened.
Aimed at embracing what Cork Harbour has to offer, the Cork Harbour Open Day aims to raise awareness of the different activities available for people in the harbour both on and off the water. It’s a great day for all the family with many events free to everyone.
The idea for a Harbour Open Day emerged from discussions between various stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of the Integrated Strategy for the Harbour. A group comprising representatives from UCC, City and County Councils and the Port of Cork set about working together to engage users of the Harbour and to organise the Open Day.
For more information on Cork Harbour Open Day and see the full programme of events visit www.corkharbour.ie or email harbourevents@corkharbour.ie for information.
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Posted: August 24, 2011
Corona Cork Film Festival will host a fundraiser in association with NMCI Services and the Port of Cork on Cork Harbour Open day which takes place on September 10th at 5pm. The National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) will host the event which is entitled ‘The Amazing Cork Maritime Experience” this will be an evening of the arts, film and entertainment.
The fundraiser includes arrival via a Harbour Cruise, a Maritime Art Exhibition, Music on the lawn, a selection of Maritime Short-Films, Guided Tours of the College’s Facilities, and finally ‘The Great Cork Boat Race’ which is a remote controlled boat races with prizes.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Mr Simon Coveney T.D was at the NMCI to officially launch Cork Harbour Open Day 2011. This is the third year of event which aims to embrace and showcase what Cork Harbour has to offer and organisers are hopeful that the wide range of events will attract many people.
The National Maritime College of Ireland will also be opening their doors to the public on this day from 12pm – 5pm and they will be providing free guided tours of their superb facilities.
The tour includes a sea survival pool showcase that can demonstrate world class special effects that includes wave generation and strobe lighting.
The multi million euro 270-degree Kongsberg simulator will also be on show. This will be opened to the public for the first time and is capable of simulating our very own harbour along with famous ports such as New York and Sydney harbour. These facilities are often used for Corporate Team building.
This family friendly event will also have a face painter along with local food producers set up around the campus.
A programme of events to date can be found on www.corkharbour.ie
Tickets for the fundraiser can be purchased at https://corkfilmfest.ticketsolve.com/shows/126518308/events
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Posted: August 19, 2011
A free tour of Europe’s most advanced maritime college is just one of the events at this year’s Cork Harbour Day celebrations.
The National Maritime College of Ireland will open their doors to the public and provide guided tours of their superb facilities on September 10th from 12pm – 5pm.
This event will include a sea survival pool showcase that can demonstrate world class special effects that includes wave generation and strobe lighting.
The multi million euro 270-degree Kongsberg simulator will also be on show. This will be opened to the public for the first time and is capable of simulating our very own harbour along with famous ports such as New York and Sydney harbour.
This family friendly event will also have a face painter along with local food producers set up around the campus.
This is the third year of Cork Harbour Open Day and organisers are hopeful that the wide range of events, such as, the open day at the National Maritime College of Ireland, concerts on Spike Island, photographic Exhibition in Camden Fort and guided tours of an Irish naval ship will attract many people. A programme of events to date can be found on www.corkharbour.ie
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Posted: August 17, 2011
Teams from the US, Canada, UK and Ireland recently conducted an exploration into the famous ships sinking.
The dive was in aid of a new two hour documentary, to be broadcast by National Geographic in the US. The documentary, entitled ‘The Dark Secret of the Lusitania’, will attempt to uncover the mystery surrounding the sinking of the Cunard Liner off the Southwest coast of Ireland in May 1915.
The documentary is being co-produced by Aidan Mulcahy (From Here to Maternity) of Cork based production company M3 with Dave Harding (Cave of Forgotten Dreams) executive producing. Niall Mahoney of Musketeer Production Services in Cork has been providing production support for the project. The Commissioners of Irish Lights vessel ILV Granuaile was chartered by Lusitania Productions Ltd. to support the project.
The Cunard liner was hit by a single torpedo fired from a U-boat while off the Cork coast on May 7 1915, but it has never been established why it sank so quickly after being hit.
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Posted: August 5, 2011
SEFtec NMCI Offshore Training Ltd, specialists in offshore training, recently visited the E-ON Offshore Wind Farm, the ‘Robin Rigg’. This is located just off the coast of Workington in Cumbria.
E-ON UK is the UK’s leading energy company and they are one of the UK’s leading energy suppliers and the second largest electricity generator in Britain. They are part of E-ON; the world’s largest investor-owned power and gas company, which has its headquarters in Germany.
Caption L to R: Annette Coughlan, Programme Executive (SNO) Sally Shenton, Site Manager, Jason Hall, Business Development UK.
In the UK E-ON’s focus is on wind, both onshore and offshore, dedicated biomass and marine. Currently, they have 18 operational onshore and three offshore wind farms. In 2007 they completed construction on one of the UK’s largest dedicated biomass power stations, the award winning Steven’s Croft in Lockerbie. Robin Rigg, the third and largest offshore wind farm in the UK is located in the Solway Firth and became operational in 2010.
The recent visit to the “Robin Rigg” which was very kindly arranged by Sally Shenton -Site Manager; proved to be quite beneficial and without a doubt will impress upon us what elements of training are most relevant to technicians, engineers etc and those who are tasked to work in such environments.
E-ON Wind Farm
SEFtec NMCI Offshore Training Ltd are specialists in Offshore training as are in the process of achieving Renewable UK’s MST( Marine Safety Training) standard which is a crucial step for the NMCI in 2011. Our ambition is to be a centre of excellence in offshore renewable training for the Irish and the British Isles as a whole.
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