RTÉ - Seascapes

Fergal Keane visits the Coastguard station in Valentia Island in County Kerry. Valentia is one of the main marine search and rescue centres in the county and plays a major role in rescue efforts right along the south west coast.We also hear from Owen Brislin about how the station operated.

Seascapes this week comes from the Ireland on the Water Expo. We hear from Olympic gold medal rower, Fintan McCarthy, ambassador for the event. We hear from Bloom Field House Boats. Madeline Kelly tells us about women in angling. We hear about the solar powered boat Grid Buster, Atlantic Costal Cruises and CH Marine on paddle boards.

Lorna Siggins reports from the recent Skipper Expo in Limerick and also meets the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue. Fergal Keane hears about a new pier in Howth which has just been opened for large trawlers. Chief Engineer at the Department of Agriculture and Marine, Noel Clancy, speaks about the new pier.

Author Jon Gower chats about his new book, The Turning Tide, A Biography of the Irish Sea. It is a facinating mix of travelogue, nature and history of the stretch of water which separates us from Wales. Also, Joanna McNicholas reports on the worrying increase in the numbers of Loggerhead Turtles which are being washed up on the Irish Coast.

Senator Sean Kyne speaks about the ongoing crisis in Inland Fisheries Ireland, where the Minister for Environment this week removed the last remaining board members, on a no fault basis. We also hear about the annual Seafarers Conference and the Skipper Expo.

We hear how the number of Navy ships available for active service has dropped dramatically. Norman Freeman remembers how he was recruited from maritime college in Dublin to join the Marconi company as a radio officer. And Andrew Crowley of Sherry Fitzgerald auctioneers in Westport, tells us about the lighthouse on Clare Island is for sale.

We the fishing port of Casatletownbere in West Cork to hear about the de-commissioning scheme for fishing trawlers. We also pay tribute to Captain Brendan Forde who died recently, aged 90. And we hear about the adventurers of Conor O'Brien, who became the first man to sail the Irish Tricolour around the world.

Fergal Keane visits a troop of Sea Scouts on Bull Island in Dublin. Also, Norwegian adventurer, Astrid Furholt was the first woman to ski to the South Pole and she spoke to Lorna Siggins.

Seascapes, the RTÉ maritime programme with Fergal Keane. Seascapes brings you around our coasts and onto traditional and modern boats and yachts for a taste of the great outdoors.

Fergal meets windsurfer Oisin Van Gelderen, who holds the Irish speed record for windsurfing. Norman Freeman has the story of how a Frenchman conducted an experiment to drift across the Atlantic on a dinghy and survived by living off the sea. And a new Study into Ireland's Ocean Economy has found that the sector shrunk during Covid.

We hear from the programme maker of the TV series, The Great Lighthouses of Ireland, David Hare. We also hear from the Chief Executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, Patrick Murphy, about a decommissioning scheme which will see one third of all Irish trawlers over 15 metres in length scrapped.

Joanna McNicholas reports form the Erris Peninsula on recent dolphin strandings. Norman Freeman recalls meeting a ships captain who fell on to difficult times after his ship was wrecked. And we talk to outgoing Chief Executive of the Irish Sailing Association, Harry Hermon.

We hear from photographer Denis Horgan about his new book, 'Ireland's Guiding Lights'. We also visit Assistant Professor of Marine Biology Nick Payne in Trinity College to hear about his work and research.

We hear how pods of Orcas, or Killer Whales, have been attacking yachts off the coast of Portugal. We also attend the Navigating to 2050 conference hosted by the Commissioners of Irish Lights this week. Ann Plelschke of Ocean Infinity Uk tells us about the development of unmanned autonomous ships

Seascapes tonight visits the Galway Docklands festival which took place last weekend.

Seascapes tonight hears from Norway about polar explorer, Roald Amundsen and the 22nd annual Shackleton Autumn School in Athy. Waterford Harbour Master, Captain Darren Doyle, tells of the rescue of a 140 metre container ship in the Irish Sea this week. And Inland Fisheries are encouraging women to get involved in angling.

Tonight Seascapes comes from Aberdeen, where Irish Fishing representatives were inspecting offshore, floating wind farms this week. There were mixed opinions in the group about how the fishing industry and wind farms can co-exist.

Lorna Siggins meets transatlantic rower Damian Browne on the Galway docks as he finishes his epic journey. Norman Freeman tells us why cats are considered lucky on board ships and we hear from Bangor University academic and nautical architect, Innes McCartney, on his study of the shipwrecks of the Irish Sea.

We hear from Irish solo sailor Pat Lawless. Pat leaves Les Sables-d'Olonne in France on Sunday on a journey which could take him up to nine months. We also hear from Gregor McGuckin, who was the Irish entry in the 2018 Golden Globe and from the Race Director, Don McIntyre.

Tonight, we are on board Ireland's new sail training ship, the Grace O'Malley. We hear from former TD, Catherine Noon, of the Atlantic Trust. International sailor Tom Dolan speaks from France as he is about to set out on his fifth Figaro race. And Norman Freeman recalls how he got involved in generating fake news on board a ship.

Seascapes tonight is at the Superyacht Cup in Palma, Majorca. We hear about these huge multimillion euro yachts and the people who sail them. Among contributors to tonight's programme are young Irish sailor Oisin McClelland and international umpire Bill O'Hara.

This week we have tales of survival and endurance, the medevac of an Irish rower from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and advice on how to sail the Round Ireland Yacht Race.

Seascapes tonight visits Cahersiveeen in County Kerry for the coastal regatta, which kicked off the rowing season in Kerry for this year. We also hear from Lorna Siggins about her new book, Search and Rescue, true stories of Irish Air-Sea rescues and the loss of R116.

Seascapes comes from the Fastnet Maritime and Folk Festival, better known as the Sea Shanty Festival.

Seascaoes comes from Wicklow, where the competitors in the Round Ireland Yacht Race are gathering ahead of setting out on the 700 mile trip.

On this weeks show we're in Clifton to welcome the new RNLI lifeboat and we hear from the Coast Guard Service on their safety campaigns, recruiting and their response to recent claims at a recent Oireachtas committee hearing.

Seascapes tonight speaks to James Morrissey about his book A History of the Fastnet Lighthouse. Norman Freeman recounts how the sea plays an important role in most of the works of the great playwright, Eugene O'Neill and Fergal Keane visits Cobh in Cork Harbour.

Seascapes this week visits Howth, where Lorna Siggins learns about the Howth School of Fish from Sean Doran. Norman Freeman has the story of the liner the Principessa Mafalda, which sank off the coast of Brazil. And we have an interview with Senator Gerard Craughwell about the Oireachtas Transport hearings into the Irish Coastguard Service.

We look at the story an IRA unit in Cork that attempted to hijack a Royal Navy ship. Recently, the Irish Coastguard Volunteers Representative Group spoke at the Oireachtas Committee on Transport & Communications hearing. And we take a look at TV series, the Great Lighthouses of Ireland.

Seascapes this week visits the K Club in County Kildare, where the hotel hosted a group of transition year students from CBS James St, are taking part in a fishing project organised as part of their Gaisce programme in the school. And in the latest of our series on Irish lighthouses, Noel Sweeney visits Mine Head lighthouse in County Waterford.

Seascapes visits the National Maritime Museum to hear about a new exhibition commemorating one of Ireland's most renowned sea captains, Captain Robert Halpin.

We visit Strangford in County Down and the Viking Festival which was recently held there. We also hear how celestial navigation can still be used at sea and how it can be relatively easy to learn, and we hear about lobster pots and how they are constructed and used.

Seascapes tonight comes from the Irish Sailing Awards, held in Dun Laoghaire last weekend. We hear from Olympic medallist Annalise Murphy, on her life after sailing, Sailor of the Year, Finn Lynch and from the winner of the Irish Sailing Leadership Award, Mary Duffy, amongst others.

Seascapes tonight visits the Skipper Expo, the country's biggest ever show for the commercial fishing sector.

Fergal is joined by the owner of Coast Line Shipping Joe Howes and Irish woman Stephanie Hyde-McIntyre who has made a career in the shipping business.

Seascapes tonight reports on the recent Offshore Renewable Energy conference held in the National Maritime College.

Jim Scofield recently completed a solo trans Atlantic race on his home-built 19-foot yacht. Jim took part in a race with five other boats. Also, Dr Karen Weekes has just completed a seventy day row across the Atlantic.

Joanna McNicholas is on Cross Beach in Belmullet, County Mayo, with beachcomber Fergus Sweeney. And five super trawlers have arrived in Irish waters to fish for Blue Whiting. The controversial ships can take thousands of tonnes of fish and stay at sea for weeks. You can track their progress at: www.marinetaffic.com www.vesselfinder.com

We hear about the working conditions of some non-EU fishers in the Irish Fishing Industry. We hear of workers' very long working weeks, little time off, minimum wage or less and living on board their trawlers. And we hear from Rossaveal Harbour, which is finally going to get an upgrade to a deep-water port after a 20 year wait.

We get to the bottom of the mystery about all those shotgun cartridges washing up on Irish beaches. And Cork TD Christopher O'Sullivan tells us about a €35 million EU fund being made available to local authorities to upgrade small harbours and concerns about the Russian Navy exercise next week. Norman Freeman, recalls the days of coal-fired ships.

Joanna McNicholas is on Carrowmore Beach in Co Mayo to see some of the fascinating pieces of flotsam washed up on our coasts and talks to Mairead Staunton, winner of the individual Ocean Hero of the Year award last month. And Ian McDonnell of the Forsa Trade Union explains the background to an industrial dispute in the SFPA.

We visit the historic Old Head of Kinsale lighthouse in Co Cork. And we hear from artist Eve Parnell about a unique project to mark the 75th anniversary of the Irish Naval Service. Eve went on board the LE James Joyce to oversee the actor Niamh Cusack performing a poem about the Navy.