BSAC TRAVEL CLUB - Republic of Ireland

TRAVEL CLUB

Republic of Ireland

Ireland is the 3rd largest island in Europe with the Republic filling the larger southern portion. Separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea, Ireland faces the Atlantic Ocean to the west and consequently suffers at times from strong winds and rain. A ring of coastal mountains surrounds the central plain and, combined with the lush vegetation, makes for spectacular scenery.

Because the Gulf Stream washes the coast, water temperature is much warmer than Britain and Northern Europe, varying from 12ºC in the early season to 21ºC in late August/September. The visibility on very good days is 30m+, averages 20m and bad days is about 7m.

Ireland enjoys legendary hospitality and is the home of Guinness.

THE DIVING

The best diving opportunities are found on the south-west and west coasts.

Possibly the most famous site is the Skelligs some 10 miles off-shore. The Skelligs comprise 2 islands, Skellig Michael, containing the remains of an 11th Century monastery, and Little Skellig, home to Europe’s largest gannet sanctuary. Below water, visibility is generally very good, 30 metres not being considered exceptional. Hard and soft coral is plentiful and there is a mass of sealife. Lying well off-shore, there is no accommodation on the islands but boat trips can be found from Ballinskelligs, Valentia Island and Portmagee. Transit to site can take 1½ hours and, particularly in rough weather, this can be a lively trip. Divers are also warned not to look up when surfacing from a dive around Little Skellig if they wish to avoid an unpleasant gift from a stray gannet.

Elsewhere around the coast there are ample diving opportunities including some good shore dives. The nature of the coastline means that there will normally be sheltered sites that can be dived whatever the weather although sites close to shore can suffer from poor visibility after periods of prolonged rain.

Wreck diving is available with wrecks such as: the KOWLOON BRIDGE, a 300 metre super-carrier lying between 6-36 metres and the U260, a German U Boat lying between 36-4 metres. There are also exceptional drift diving possibilities.

Sealife includes nudibranchs, anemones, shellfish, eels as well as a host of larger animals including seals

DIVING DRESS

A good semi-dry suit should be sufficient during the summer months but a dry-suit will offer better protection and help retain warmth between dives.

GETTING THERE

There are numerous means of getting to the Republic of Ireland. A variety of ferry routes and speeds are on offer; the downside of the longer routes or slower speeds is the long time spent travelling; Swansea to Cork for instance takes some 10 hours. Ferries run between:

Fishguard to Rosslare (1 hr 50 mins or 3 hrs 30 mins)
Holyhead to Dublin (1 hr 49 mins or 3 hrs 15 mins)
Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire (1 hr 39 mins)
Liverpool to Dublin (4 hrs or 8 hrs)
Pembroke to Rosslare (3 hrs 45 mins)
Swansea to Cork (10 hrs)

Alternatively, it is possible to fly from a variety of airports in Britain to the Republic and hire a car on arrival.

Drivers should be warned that the roads in Ireland leave something to be desired.

ACCOMMODATION

There is a wide range of accommodation available to visitors. Bed and breakfast accommodation is popular with a number of the dive operators but other alternatives include self-catering in a rented cottage or camping.

EATING OUT

Eating out often offers good quality, particularly for seafood, but can be expensive.

WATCH OUT FOR

Irish law does not allow the taking of any shellfish except by licensed fishermen. There is also reputed to be bad feeling between some fishermen and the diving community.