Subsea 147

B4Vol. 9 No. 147Autumn 2013

SUBSEAIreland’s Only Diving Magazine

770791 4750049

45ISSN 0791-475X

CFT – A HistoryBali Scuba Diving

Tragedy of the Helen Blake

CFT 50th AnniversaryBumper Issue

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SubSea Autumn 2013 3

5 EDITORIALPublisher’s comments

5 BRIEFINGSWhat’s happening at home and abroad

11 COMHAIRLE FO-THUINN – A HISTORYBy Tom Shakespeare

17 CFT – THE HIGHLIGHTSBy Mick Moriarty

20 HANS HASSThe diving pioneer remembered

21 CAPTURING UNDERWATER IMAGESBy Pat McCoole

24 SNORKELLING – WHERE ARE WE New CFT initiatives

25 NOTED IRISHMENRobert Boyle

27 BALI SCUBA DIVINGBy Yvonne Moran

33 LE MONDE DE NEMOBy Juliette Claro

34 SHALLOW DIVINGBy Ken O’Sullivan

38 THE JOHN WAYNE LOBSTER AND SOME CRUSTACEAN MEMORIESBy Noel Gleeson

39 TRAGEDY AT KEERAGH ISLANDBy Liam Ryan

43 ROUTINE SEARCH AND RECOVERY TRAININGEXERCISE SOLVES A 22 YEAR MISSING PERSON’S CASEBy Timmy Carey

46 A PROFILE OF A SEARCH AND RECOVERYBy Don Baldwin

47 A LIFE AQUATICBy Eibhir Mulqueen

51 A GIRLIE DIVE STORY FROM DUNDALKBy Patricia Finley Hanratty

53 BOOK REVIEW – CLASSIC DARKSITE DIVINGReview by Alan Purcell

55 MORE SNIPPETS FROM THE PAST

56 PICTURE PARADE FROM THE PAST

58 CFT EXECUTIVES 1963-2013

60 CFT NEWS Reports from the President and the NDO

61 PORTMARNOCK SAC – THIRTY YEARS ON By Michael Whelan

63 CLUB SPOTLIGHT – IRISH SACBy James Scallon

66 MART AND EXCHANGE

SubSea is published by the Irish Underwater Council. Theviews expressed are not necessarily those of the Council.

The magazine is not intended as an invitation or prospectus tomembers of the public or other interested parties to dive on any of thesites that are mentioned in the text and anyone intending to do soshould take appropriate advice with regard to the safety and viability oftheir proposed actions. Boarding a wreck requires the permission ofthe owner. Diving on a 100 year old wreck requires a permit.

Edited by: Denny LawlorAdvertising: Sarah CampbellProofreading: Mike OrthTypesetting and Design: Bernard KayeHonorary Archivist: Michael Moriarty

SubSea, Irish Underwater Council, 78a Patrick St., Dun Laoghaire Co. Dublin.Tel: (01) 2844601. Fax: (01) 2844602.Web site: www.diving.ieE-Mail: [email protected]

Printed by Doggett Print & Design, Dublin. Tel: (01) 453 3151. Fax: (01) 453 3156.

SUBSEAISSN 0791 - 475X

Volume 9 Number 147 Autumn 2013

CMAS

Affiliated to

Diver enters the water at Solomon's Hole off Hook Head,Co Wexford. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.

• Submit all material to the Editor at [email protected] to Head Office

• Material must arrive well in advance of the deadline.

• Pictures are essential to illustrate news items and articles.

• Authors must remember that they bear responsibility toensure that material is not copied from anothercopyrighted publication.

• Ensure that digital photos submitted are: 120 pixels/cm(300 dpi) and sized at 30cm X 21cm.

Attention SubSea Contributors

Spring 2014 Issue DeadlineAll articles for inclusion in the next issue of SubSea

should be sent to the editor before January 4th.

All advertising should be sent to CFT Head Office before January 4th.

CONTENTS

SubSea Autumn 20134

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Iceland – OctoberDirect Flights from Ireland4 Nights BB3 Days Private Dive TourSilfra, Geo thermal Springs & Ocean DivingFrom €1130pp

Check out the CFT Shop at diving.ie

Is your club coming !Time to buy your tickets for our

Gala Dinner and celebrations in September.

Tickets available on diving.ieClub group discount

Please book your tickets early to allow us to plan early


BR IEF INGS

Welcome to thisspecial edition ofSubSea

It is indeed an honour to be partthis organization we call ComhairleFo-Thuinn as we celebrate itsGolden Jubilee. Since its foundation 50 years ago, it has servedus well.

From the early days with a committee of just four it hasgrown quite rapidly in order to keep ahead of the demands ofour sport. The founding fathers must look on in amusementtoday and wonder how it came to pass that the decisions theymade in the Moira Hotel in Dublin and in the Officers Mess inthe Curragh Camp, all those years ago could end up with theorganization we have today. But then again, they had no ideawhere our sport would take us.

From jumpers and drawers to homemade wetsuits, fromrubber drysuits to what the latest technology can produce.From tadpole bottles to computers and God knows what else inbetween, we have come a long way. Where will the next 50years take us?

“In 1963 only weirdos dived. The equipment they usedwas primitive and largely inventive. Their knowledge ofthe finer points of diving was sketchy. The risks wereconsiderable. As far as organisation was concerned,many different tides pounded the same shores.

A few of these early pioneers saw the need for a co-ordinated effort, a sharing of knowledge and skills. Theygot together and founded An Comhairle Fó-Thuinn.”

These were the opening words of the Editor back in 1984 whenCFT were celebrating its 21st birthday. Much has changed inthe diving world since then. The sport has grown beyond thewildest dreams of our founders. And it continues to grow. CFThas been in the forefront in bringing about these changes.The same editor went on to say that;

“Standards of training and safety have improved to adegree where we now enjoy participation in a sport whichcan be described as safe. CFT is now a large and wellorganised body which caters well for the needs of Irishdivers. It has remained united over the years through allthe arguments and differences of opinion. I am sure wewill see the Council go from strength to strength witheven more commitment and involvement from all themembers.”

And now, 29 years later, the same comments are as relevanttoday as they were back then. CFT is still in the forefront and

still leading the way. Our training manual and safety record isknown and copied around the world. We continually getrequests from overseas groups of divers to become part of CFT.We should be very proud of our organization and we should takeevery opportunity we can to show just how proud we are.

Perhaps the first opportunity to do this is in a few weekstime when we celebrate CFT’s 50th birthday. Why not comealong in large numbers to our Gala Dinner and show yoursupport. A lot of time and effort has gone into organizing thisevent but it is an event for all the members of CFT and not justfor the chosen few.

We have 82 clubs registered with CFT but it is hard to findout what many of them are doing or if they really exist at all.This is your opportunity to come out of the wood work andrepresent your club.

Many of the people who led and built this organisation willbe there and it will be a chance to meet them and hear some oftheir stories. But, do not let it be a gathering just for old menand women, let the present generation of divers take part also.A great night is planned and who knows — apart from having agood night, you may even learn something about your sportand those who founded Comhairle Fó-Thuinn.

In this issue we have more snippets from the past and thehistory of how CFT came about from one who was there. Wehave the tragic story of the brave men of the Fethard Lifeboatand how they lost their lives. Yvonne Moran has once againshared her diving experiences with us, this time in Bali andwith some wonderful pictures. Portmarnock club is bubblingwith excitement as they celebrate 30 years of diving and wehave the Irish club, the oldest and first club in the country, theSouth that is, in the spotlight. The Irish club in the 60‘s and 70‘swould have been one of the biggest clubs in Ireland but thanksto top class training it spawned a number of clubs around thecountry, including my own, the Hook, and done much to thepromoting of our sport.

We also remember one of our very early pioneers, HansHass who died recently. He was mentioned in the last issue ashaving inspires our first editor to take up diving.

If you thought diving was all about depth have a look atwhat you can see when Shallow Water Diving. And we have areview of photography over the past 50 years and how it hasgrown from very basic equipment in the early days, pre Digital,to where we are today.

And there’s more of course to keep you turning the pages.I do hope you enjoy this anniversary issue of your dive

magazine and I hope it suitably marks the end of the first 50years of CFT.

In the mean time enjoy your diving and keep safe. Go bythe rules.

Denny Lawlor, Editor

EDITORIAL

SubSea Autumn 20136

BR IEF INGS

CFT SurveyWe, in CFT, are continuously working to provide and improvea service to our members. But there are times that we may putmore emphasis on some directions and not enough on others.To ensure we provide the services our members need feedback is essential. Other organizations can judge the feed backby monitoring sales but this is not available to CFT as all ourservices are included in membership fees.

To help us, and ultimately to help you, the member, we willshortly be conducting an online survey and would ask that youtake the time to read it and respond to it. This survey willcover a broad number of areas and your response will help usdirect our energies in the right direction.

Part of this survey will deal with the recent changes in thepublishing of SubSea online. As you may be aware the lastissue of SubSea went online in mid July and it is our intentionto put this issue online also. This is very much a trial run anddepending on feed back a decision will be made as to theviability of continually doing so as a certain amount of work isinvolved. Members views on this would be appreciated.

This survey will arrive via a special ezine and we ask thatyou do take the time to partake in it.

We thank you in anticipation for your co-operation.

In the last issue of SubSea we heard about the wonderful work ofDoctor Cyril Crosbie and how he doled out information and advice toall our readers. Well now we have found another Doctor who is evenmore helpful and it would appear specializes in fitness and dietaryadvice. Check out his advice and make up your own mind;

Patient; Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolonglife, Is that true?

Doctor; Your heart is only good for so many beats and that’s it....don’t waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually.Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer. That’s likesaying you can extend the life of your car by driving faster. Want tolive longer? Take a nap.

Patient; Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruit andvegetables?

Doctor; You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat?Grass and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So steak isnothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetablesto your system.

Patient; Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

Doctor; No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilledwine. That means they take the water out of the fruity bit so youcan get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is made out ofgrain. You can’t go wrong, drink up!

Patient; How can I calculate my body / fat ratio?

Doctor; Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is oneto one. If you had two bodies, your ratio would be two to one andso on.

Patient; What are some advantages of taking regular exercises?

Doctor; Can’t think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: Nopain... Good.

Patient; Aren’t fried foods bad for you?

Doctor; You are NOT listening!! ..Foods are fried those days invegetable oil. In fact they are permeated in it. How could gettingmore vegetables be bad for you?

Patient; Will sit-ups help prevent me getting fat around the middle?

Doctor; Definitely not. When you exercise a muscle it gets bigger.You should do sit-ups only if you want to get a bigger stomach.

Patient; Is chocolate bad for me?

Doctor; Are you crazy? HELLO. Cocoa beans, another vegetable!!!Its the best feel good food around, go for it!

Patient; Is swimming good for your figure?

Doctor; If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Patient; Is getting in shape good for my lifestyle?

Doctor; Hey, round is a shape.

Remember life should not be a journey to the grave with the intentionof arriving in good shape with a well preserved body, but rather toskid in sideways with a well worn out and totally used up body, butwhat a journey!!

Well, we do hope that this has cleared up any misconceptions you mayhave had about food and diets.

A Doctor To Die For

SMACS

SMACS - Small Craft Emergency Response and SurvivalTraining for Arctic Conditions - is a collaborativeinternational project being led by the Halpin and NimbusCentres in the Cork institute of technology. Its primaryobjective is the development of a safety and survival trainingprogramme focused on the needs of small-craft mariners oncommercial, fishing and leisure vessels operating in the HarshArctic Maritime Regions. The project is now collectinginformation from anyone with maritime experience(particularly, but not necessarily, with Arctic interest). A quicksurvey is available via the project website www.smacs-project.eu/ or by following the QR code with a smartphone.

Your input can help improve the training.The SMACS Project is funded by the Northern PeripheryProgramme of the EU and is supported by the EuropeanRegional Development Fund. Further information athttp://www.smacs-project.eu/


Over one hundred and fifty scubadivers descended on the HookPeninsula last weekend for the firstscuba diving rally to be held in the areain almost 30 years. The South East DiveRally hosted by the regions four subaqua clubs attracted divers from allover Ireland. The event was staged atthe club house of the Hook Sub Aquawith the assistance of Kilkenny,Wexford and Waterford Clubs. Theevent began Friday, with diversregistering from early afternoon. Thelarge grounds of the club houseprovided the ideal space for camping,with many divers bringing the wholefamily for the weekend. It was hoped bythe organising committee to register 30divers on Friday, but by ten o’ clockthat night there was over 70 diverssigned up, showing that this could beone of the biggest event of the diveseason this year.

The diving began Friday with twofull boats taking divers to the wreck ofthe Girl Arlene, over thirty other diversdecided on a night time shore dive inTower Hole, just below the light house.The waters were crystal clear and full

of marine life with many diversreporting they had never see such goodconditions.

By Saturday morning the clubhouse and Slade Harbour were a hiveof activity, eight boats lined up andready for the open water, tents pitchedall around the grass, divers busyreadying their gear. Many made themost of the hot sunshine by sitting outto have breakfast. The Hook clubsupplied two boats, as did Kilkenny.Wexford, Waterford, Atlantis,Dundalk and Omega clubs eachbrought one boat. Having such greatsupply of boats and a wide variety ofdive sites, 11 in total, there was lots ofchoice for visitors. Dive sites includedwrecks, such as the Girl Arlene,Harry’s Wreck and the Lismore, driftdives such as Big Rock and WesternRock and shore dives in Tower Hole,Churchtown and The Bath Tub. Therewas also a speciality underwaterphotography dive and a naturewatching sea search dive. Boats sailedall day Saturday, from 9am until 7pmwith a few hours relaxation in themiddle for a mouth watering BBQ.That evening the divers tested theirwits against each other in a charitytable quiz in Templars Inn, followedby dancing into the early hours.

With glorious sunshine and crystalclear waters on Sunday again, it wasanother early start. Divers took to thewater in great numbers for the finalopportunity to dive what have nowbecome some of the best dive sites inthe country. By afternoon visitors werepacking their bags to head back home,some coming from as far away as

Monaghan and Kilkea in Co. Kerry. Allhad smiles on their now slightly redfaces. With the sun beating down asmall group stayed for a last shore divein Churchtown.

The weekend was a fantasticsuccess that far exceeded theexpectation of the organizers who hadbeen working hard for the past fewmonths. We would like to thank allthose who gave up their own time anddives to fill tanks, drive boats andtractor and generally help out with theevent. Thank you to all the divers fromall over Ireland who came to the smallbut spectacular peninsula of the Hookto dive, special thanks to all clubs whobrought compressors and boats,Dundalk, Omega and Atlantis, wecould not have done it without you.

We look forward to the South EastDive Rally 2014 already!!!

Rush Hour in Slade Harbour. Photo by Martin Kiely.

Dive Brief to a section of the divers.

South East Dive Rally 2013From Dearbhla Walsh

In the Spring of 1984 workingtogether was really important.

What do they say;” the family thatdives together stays together”Or was that prays together......

SubSea 1984How are we doing with numbers now.

BR IEF INGS

SubSea Autumn 20138

BR IEF INGS

The underwater hockey group within CFT on the 22nd and 23rd

June organized an invitation event in the National Aquatic Centre.10 teams (3 from Ireland ) and the remainder from all over Europeattended the event which was a great success. This is a forerunnerto events to be held next year and the year after.

The energy, fitness levels and enthusiasm of the teams was arevelation to at least one observer (the President of CFT) whospent an enthralled hour underwater taking photographs and isopen to invitations to be the official photographer for next yearsevent:-).

Underwater Hockey By Richard Thorn

Red Sea GoPro Video Courses with Jeff Goodman

Everyone is welcome to join a Video workshop organised byOonasdivers. Whether you have a compact camera or somethingon the larger scale, if it's water proof you can be part of the nextRed Sea adventure. Jeff is now even adding the Gopro camera tothe list of cameras taken on these exciting tours, so there's noreason to miss out!

He's also planning a GoPro specialty course where he'll showowners how to get the best from the camera, as well as shoot a goodselection of material for an edit and hence a really good video movie.For dates for the next landbased workshop at Marsa Shagra andliveaboard workshop onboard Blue Planet One (wreck special) pleasevisit www.oonasdivers.com/news/19427-gopro-courses-in-red-sea


Now offering snorkelling in Clew Bay,Adventure West were thrilled to introducetheir first school tour group to the joys ofthe underwater world last month. ScoilCholmcille from Baile na hAbhainnenjoyed a delightful session at Old HeadBeach in Co. Mayo.

While the sunshine was co-operativeon the day, the nature of snorkelling meansthat though the tendency for it to rain alotin the west of Ireland need not deter youfrom giving this activity a go. It may bemore generally associated with sunnierclimates, but Ireland's coastline provideswonderful opportunities for snorkellingthat will prove just as interesting asanything you'd experience elsewhere.

Suitable for adults and children,snorkelling is perfect for those who'd like toexplore the wonders of the underwaterworld, without getting into the expense ofscuba-diving. It's easy and fun! Allparticipants need to be able to swim andfeel comfortable in the water, but theactivity itself is relaxed and easy-going.

View sea life from a new perspective –there's plenty to see in Clew Bay that willthrill and excite you! It makes the idealfamily outing, or indeed it is suitable forany group looking for a memorable dayout. Adventure West offer snorkelling as astandalone activity, or as part of their Hen& Stag Party packages, as well as theircorporate and sports Team Building

packages.Operating from Old Head Beach,

Louisburgh and also from Clare Island,Adventure West supply all necessaryequipment, including wetsuits, gloves,balaclavas and buoyancy aids. Participantsneed only bring swimsuits, towels and adry change of clothes.

All of Adventure West's instructors arefully certified by the Underwater Council ofIreland and Dive Ireland. Sessions cost €25per adult and €20 per child, and must bepre-booked. For more information contactLouise on 087 3627828 or visitwww.adventurewest.ie.

Adventure West – First School Snorkelling Tour

Scoil Cholmcille from Baile na hAbhainn enjoyed a delightful session atOld Head Beach in Co. Mayo.

Kilkenny Sub Aqua Club met at the Hook Head Peninsula Wexfordin June to remember recently deceased members. Four long termmembers passed away within the last two years. They were AnnBroderick, Carlow, Martin Cleere Kilkenny Jim Byrne Goresbridgeand Dick McDowell Callan. The Club was joined by a large groupof family and friends. The sun shone on the gathering who shared

many memories, stories, laughter and some tears. Members Larry O'Keeffe and Denis Coughlin gave a moving

tribute to those who has passed, Larry then blessed a plagueinscribed with the words In memory of deceased members whoenjoyed diving at the Hook, this was then placed underwater at theHook Lighthouse by a group of divers.

Kilkenny SAC Remembers Past members

Some things never change.From SubSea 1978

BR IEF INGS

SubSea Autumn 201310

We Remember

Dick McDowell

The Hook Sub Aqua Club lost one ofit’s long standing members a fewmonths ago.

Pat Clancy fought a brave fightagainst his illness over the past year butin May of this year he lost the battle andhis family, his friends and the Hook SubAqua Club are very much the poorer.

Pat joined the Hook Club in 2002and very quickly became a popularmember. He was every ones friend andit has been said that he was impossibleto fall out with. He loved his diving butequally enjoyed the banter above thewater and is memorably for his drycomments when something was notquite going to plan.

One of his ambitions was to divethe Aud, in the mouth of Cork harbour,

before it became restricted in 2016. Ittook three attempts for him to make itas on the first two he had equipmentproblems. His second attempt was themost frustrating as he was in the boaton the way to the dive site when hediscovered his stab jacket strap wasbroken. But he did make it on the thirdattempt and he was trilled to do so.

He qualified as a Club diver in July2005 having already completed DiverMedic and VHF Radio Operatorcourses. Over the next few years headded to his list the Rescue Diver,Nitrox course and Search andRecovery. In 2011 he did his last coursewith the club, the Diver Coxwain.

While he was encouraged to dothese courses he really wasn’t interestedin certificates, only diving. He was apleasure to dive with as his easy goingmanner above the water was verymuch reflected below water, no rush,no hurry, just enjoyment. Photographywas one of his interests and as hisbuddy you could be sure to appearsomewhere on film when you leastexpected it, quite possibly not in themost complementary pose.

While he was very popular with allthe members in the club very few of uswere aware of the many other activities

he was involved in. He was aprominent member of the “WexfordPikemen” and led their parade for anumber of years. He was a keen cyclistand could often be seen out on histandem sharing the experiences of theopen road.

Another of his hobbies was makingand flying kites. He was keen to passthis enjoyment and skills on to childrenand took great pleasure in visitingschools to set up a workshop for thechildren and show them how it wasdone.

He was also interested in traditionalmusic.

Rest easy Pat, we will miss you buthave great memories of the time youshared with us.

Hook Sub Aqua Club

Kilkenny Sub Aqua Club bid a sad farewellto Dick McDowell an extra special clubmember earlier in 2013. He was a native ofDublin and moved to Callan Co. Kilkennyin the eighties. He was highly respectedwithin the Callan community where he rana very popular Pharmacy.

Dick joined the Kilkenny Rugby Clubfor many years and when his rugby careerended he became a member of Kilkenny SubAqua Club. The Rugby Clubs loss andKilkenny Sub Aqua Clubs gain. He was aclub member for over twenty years. Dick hada brilliant personality he was very good withpeople and had many friends within the club.He was a very comfortable and relaxed diverand as a result was in great demand as a divebuddy not just with trainees but with experi-enced divers also. There were no dramaswith Dick just easy going and fun. Everyonewho dived with Dick had a feeling of peaceand enjoyment. His love of the diving wasevident as he always returned from a divewith a smile on his face. He was a very activeClub member and was always ready to help,he organised several good dive trips abroad,

Egypt and Malta to name but a few of theplaces he travelled. On the trips his occupa-tion as a pharmacist was called on to curevarious ailments from his bag of tricks, someof the ailments were self inflected but Dicknever divulged the gory details. Dick lovedthe sea and one of his favourite parts of thecountry was around the Hook Peninsula.

He was also a keen skier, he was knownas the sweeper as he would stay at the backof the ski group and pull those of us whoforgot how to turn from some very deepsnow drifts. On the odd occasion therewould be no sign of Dick at the end of therun and then over the slope he would ap-pear covered from head to toe in snow, hiscomment would be there was no one topick up the sweeper. His very bright hatcould be seen for miles on the slopes.

Dick will be deeply missed by KilkennySub Aqua Club; words cannot express thefeelings of loss that we all felt at the passingof Dick. The Club extends it deepest sym-pathy to Dick’s wife Eileen and children.

Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.

BR IEF INGS


History is a serious business andyet its a strange old business.When we are doing something

important it never occurs to us that thisis history in the making and so we neverrecord our action with history in mind.

In general, all history is recordedwell after the event and for sure differentpeople will remember the event indifferent ways. But after several hundredyears there is no one about to disputewhat the history book states.

However, its a different story whenit comes to the history of CFT and itsbeginnings back in the early 60s, now50 years ago. There are still quite a fewof the “Founding Fathers” around andwhile their stories may differ slightly wecan only assume all their stories are allcorrect. Memories could hardly fail injust 50 years, could they?

What can not be disputed is that in1956 the Irish Sub Aqua Club wasfounded, the first club in Ireland, wellthe south that is, there was a branch ofthe BSAC in Belfast. We also know thatabout two years later the Curragh clubwas founded. Around the same timethe Irish had a number of branchesaround Ireland, its intention being thatit would follow the situation in the UK

where the BSAC is the governing body.So their branches were Cork, Killaloeand for a short while the Garda.

As you read on all will becomeclear.

In those early days there were notmany divers involved in the sport butthose who were soon began to makecontact with those like minded peopleand meeting up to share dive sites andexperiences was fairly common.

The big question is who came upwith the idea of a federation to governthe sport and why?

If you are in any way associated withthe Irish club you will be well aware oftheir claim to have started it all. While atthe same time followers of the Curraghclub will be quick to tell you how wrongthat claim is, that it was the Curraghclub who started the ball rolling. And nodoubt there are guys in Belfast who alsoclaim the credit.

Of course, the people who makesuch claims really have no idea howCFT came about but it is nice to haveyour club the one to claim the creditfor it anyway.

In actual fact CFT came aboutbecause all the clubs in existence at thattime very quickly came to realizes thattheir sport had to be governed. Itlacked consistency. There were no rulesand regulations, no set trainingschedules, no certification or indeed,down to a very basic level, no clear cuthand signals.

If ever a governing body wasneeded for a sport, it was for diving.

And so like minded people in theIrish, the Curragh, the Garda, Belfastand anyone else that was interested indiving back then started the ball rollingand following many meetings over anumber years CFT was born.

Meetings held back then were verydifferent from meetings of today butnone the less had simmilar aims. Towrite the history of any organizationthat has been so successful over the last

Cartoon by John Joyce

By the Editor


(First published in SubSea in 1984)

The founding of An Comhairle Fó-Thuinn, The Irish Underwater Council had aconception, gestation and birth. Overthe years there has been speculationabout when these events took place andwho contributed to them. It is naturalthat people who may not have beenborn or at best been small childrenshould want to know where it all began.In the 21 years or more since thesehappenings memories have faded,records and minute books get lost. Theone positive fact is that most if not allthe persons who were centre stageduring that period are still with us.Perhaps the nature of the sport attractsthe healthy or more possibly excludesthe less strong. What follows is notpresented as a definitive history of the“Founding”. This is my view of whattook place. I am not in a position to callon minute books of The Irish Sub-AquaClub from 1956. However, the minutesof the inter-club meetings leading up tothe founding of the Council and Councilminutes to 1974 I have retained.

Most people accept that theCouncil was founded in 1963. The“Founding Fathers” agreed in that year

to establish “An Cumman (sic) FoThuinn, The Irish UnderwaterCouncil”. This moves us forward tooquickly. Before the conception itselfthere were the introductions. Thenthere was a period of courtship beforethe coupling took place.

The earliest record I can find of the“Introduction” is November 1956. TheChairman of The Irish Sub-Aqua Club,Geoffrey Hammond reported to a Clubcommittee meeting that during abusiness trip to Belfast he was able tocontact the Belfast branch of the BritishSub-Aqua Club. The Club had extendedan invitation to members of I.S.A.C. totheir baths meetings at Grove andTemplemore Baths. He said that Belfastwere most anxious to have closercontact between the Clubs. At this stagethere was no talk of marriage.

What would not now be generallyknown is that when the Irish Sub-AquaClub was founded it was intended thatit should organize itself on similar linesto the British Sub-Aqua Club. This wasone National Club with branchesthrough the country. Had this conceptcome to fruition there would have beenno need for C.F.T. This however, wasnot to be. There were at various timesbranches of I.S.A.C. operating in

Killaloe, Cork and some whichflowered briefly and faded away.Arrangements were made in January1958 to meet with the Belfast Club at adive site in the Carlingford Lough area,at their request. Most of my readerswould expect to go to a similar meetingladen down with the impediments ofthe modern diver. Each diver attendingwould have a car boot full of his/herpersonal equipment. It would not befar from the truth to say that at thattime all the diving equipment in thecountry would fit into the boot of onecar. Wet suits had not put in anappearance. The monied elite appearedin a variety of “dry suits”. The poor andindigent among us made do with amotley dress of old tight fitting woolensweaters, jeans and long Johnunderwear in cold weather, finished offwith a couple of pairs of socks.

In May 1958 the ISAC decided toaffiliate as an “Overseas” Branch ofB.S.A.C. Can I hear the morenationalist minded of my readersthrow up their hands in horror.Viewed in the context of the times itwas a prudent move. Information ontechnical matters was not generallyavailable. The very existence of Navystyle manuals was not known. B.S.A.C.

50 yearswould be quite a challenge and

would, of course, have to be in bookformat and would require endlessresearch. That is for another day.

A certain amount of research wascarried out to mark CFT 50th birthdayand one article written for it 21st cameto light which was published in SubSea,a most prominent dive magazine of theday, back in 1984. It was written byTom Shakespeare, some one that wasaround then and attended most if notall the meetings that took place in thelead up to the formation. He was amember of the Irish club at that timebut went on to hold many important

positions within the club, CFT andindeed C.M.A.S. over the next numberof years.

Tom started diving in 1957. Hejoined Dublin Branch I.S.A.C. in 1958.Among the posts he held at Club andNational Level were: Club TrainingOfficer 1959; Club Hon Sec. 1961;Ulster Spearfishing Champion 1961; 1st

Hon Sec. C.F.T. 1963; ChairmanNational Diving Sub-Committee1967/68, Club Diving Officer 1967/68;1st National Diving Officer 1970;elected Trustee of C.F.T. 1973; Memberof the Technical Commission since itsestablishment in 1974; Appointed asC.F.T’s first 4-star Moniteur 1976;

Member of the C.M.A.S. InternationalCollege of Instructors.

How could we doubt anyone withall that under his belt. He would be thefirst to admit that his account may notbe the “definitive history of thefounding of CFT” but mainly his viewsaided by minutes of meetings leadingup to its founding.

This article was written twenty nineyears ago so why not re publish it thisyear, the story is just as good today as itwas then. There may be some out therewho disagree with some of it but itshould be noted that no one did so inthe following issues of SubSea back in1984.

CFT – A History

were in touch with the Royal Navywho were in turn in contact with otherNavies around the world.

This same meeting in May recordsthat it was proposed to form a Curraghbranch of the Club. The followingmeeting in June ‘58 records that theinaugural meeting of the CurraghBranch was attended by Tony Bishop.However let me hasten to add that ameeting in Sept. ‘58 it was recordedthat “a close as possible liaison with theCurragh Club”. The Curragh haddecided not to form a Branch ofI.S.A.C. The proposed meeting withBelfast was changed from Carlingfordto the Boyne. It was proposed to divefor the Williamite Cannon lost in theBattle of the Boyne. It is subsequentlyreported that no diving took place “asthe weather was too bad”. A similardrive was made the following year. Itwas this same week-end that the diveprogramme which lead to the discoveryof “The Tayleur” off Lambay Island inJuly 1959 started.

The minutes of a meeting of 23rd

Oct. in the I.S.A.C. minute book recordthat “A recent rally at Clogher Headhad been attended by 35 people. Therewere 17 from the Belfast Club, 8 fromthe Curragh and 8 from Dublin. I canrecall the event clearly. Somewherethere exists an 8mm movie film of thisnotable event. Somebody acted theC.B. deMille by directing the “crowdscene” of the three clubs comingtogether with opening welcome arms. Irecall that the Curragh provided thecottage through Shane O’Connor.Belfast and Curragh stayed overnightand Dublin joined them on the Sunday.Some of the overnighting was carriedout in the vegetable garden. There wasone regrettable offshoot to this meetingof the three cubs for the first time. Thepity of it was that the Dublinnewspapers reported that the eventhad been organised by the DublinBranch of I.S.A.C. This of course wasnot correct. No amount ofinvestigation could uncover who hadmade the report. It is possible that itwas an honest error by the reporter.The end result was that arising fromthis, relations between the Curragh andDublin were soured to an unbelievableextent. In my own opinion it put backthe formation of a National

Organisation by a number of years.However I would view this weekend as“conception” The gestation periodwould be a long three years.

In April ‘59 Dublin proposed at aClub committee meeting that an “IrishUnderwater Sports Federation” shouldbe pressed. It was also tentativelyagreed to organize an “All IrelandRally” at Cama Co. Galway. This wasplanned for 4th/6th July. This wassubsequently put back to Sept.12th/13th. It was also proposed to askthe Club Chairman Tony Bishop tocontact “Dr. Boyd of Belfast and ‘Mr’Moriarty of the Curragh about theformation of an Irish Federation of SubAqua Clubs.

Dublin discussed the matter ofjoining in a Federation at Committeemeeting in January 1960 for the firsttime. It was decided that Dublinwanted a loose Federation with otherClubs, as it was felt that diving withpeople one did not know was notdesirable, accent should be on co-operation on social matters”. The italicsare mine.

Federation was again discussed bythe Dublin Branch in March 1961. Itwas decided to postpone any decisionuntil the next meeting. The nextmeeting took place in Belfast after aGala.

As I recall it was upstairs in theirClubrooms. It took place in the midstof a “hooly”. The next committeemeeting reported on Federation talks.“Matters were left in abeyance until theCurragh Dinner in October ‘61. Broadagreement had been reached onNational type events and regulations. Itwas also reported that one club wouldhost one of these National weekends inturn.

February 1962, Dublin BranchI.S.A.C. applied to C.M.A.S. foraffiliation. This was motivated more bythe fact that the international divingcommunity was passing Ireland by.Our divers going abroad could notexpect to have their log booksrecognized at places like Club Med.Club Membership of C.M.A.S. wasessential.

In May 1962 Kilkee applied forBranch status of I.S.A.C. This requestwas withdrawn in July of the same year.In November ‘62 a group in Wexfordexpressed interest in forming a Branch.This appears to have amounted to nomore than an enquiry. Notably at thissame meeting C.M.A.S. confirmed thatI.S.A.C. were now affiliated. At thismeeting the Club’s membership ofB.S.A.C. was terminated. In the light ofthe new C.M.A.S. connection it servedno useful purpose.


This picture is of great significance. It was taken at Clogherhead, Co Louth on September 1958.It is one of the many joint diving expeditions between the Belfast Br of the BSAC, the Curragh

and the Irish SAC in the lead up to the coming together of great minds and the forming of CFT.Picture courtesy of Submerged, Mick Morarity

CFT – A History

At this stage minutes of the Inter-Club meetings which lead to theestablishment of an All-Irelandorganisation become current. The firstof these meetings was held on theweek-end of 24/25th November ‘62.These were in effect a continuation ofthe informal meetings which had beentaking place for a period of time. Thedifference now was that minutes weretaken and there was a very clearintention on behalf of the Clubs toestablish a National Organisation. Thisfirst minuted meeting took place at“Edenvale”, Naas. This was the home ofJenny Simcox who afterwards becameMrs. Jimmy Flynn. Jimmy has manyclaims to fame, l am sure he will not be

offended if I were to identify him as“Fe-Fe the Flea” Flynn!

Three Clubs attended the meeting.Belfast Branch, Dr. D. Boyd, MissMargot Sidney-Smith and ColinMcMurty. Killaloe Branch. Mr. andMrs. D. Brislane. Curragh S.A.C., MissJ. Simcox, Capt. S, O’Connor and Capt.M. Moriarty. Capt. Moriarty reportedthat due to an error in addressing thenotice of the meeting to the DublinBranch I.S.A.C. would not be able toattend. During the meeting he said thatthe purpose was to discuss thepossibility of linking up of the Clubswith a view to Federation the followingyear. The question of standardization oftraining and tests was discussed

together with hand signals. The Clubsgave their views. Dr. Boyd noted thatthe type of Federation should permitBelfast to maintain it’s position withB.S.A.C. Douglas Brislane commentedthat his Committee had not had time todiscuss the matter before the meeting.They were in general agreement withthe proposals already made. Capt.Moriarty spoke for the Curragh. He saidthat they had always been in favour ofFederation. He noted that not enoughtime had been taken in the past todiscuss it. He proposed that anorganisation be set up the next yearwhich would have the following mainpoints: (1) Belfast to continue with itsB.S.A.C. connection; (2) I.S.A.C. tocontinue with its present Branchstructure and any other Branches it mayorganize; (3) Curragh wished to retainits independent position.

A list of suggested aims of aFederation were recorded. These dealtwith issues which divers today take forgranted. Affiliate to C.M.A.S. Present aunited face to Ireland and the World intraining and public relations.Standardize training on C.M.A.S. rec-ommendations. Make Worldexperience available to the Clubsthrough C.M.A.S. Bulletins. Arrangefor remedial decompression cases tobe evacuated to recompressionfacilities in conjunction with R.A.F.and Army Air Corps. Apply pressure(sic) on both the Royal Navy and IrishNaval Service to provideDecompression Chambers at theirDepots. Organize or direct variousNational Events on occasions. At thispoint the meeting agreed that nofurther progress could be made in theabsence of Dublin I.S.A.C. It wasagreed that a further meeting couldtake place the next day 25th after theCurragh Gala.

The next day at “18.30 hours”, nicemilitary touch, the meeting took place.Hugh Quigley, Tom Shakespeare andBrian Pim represented Dublin branch.Ronnie Hurley took over from theBrislanes. Jenny Simcox was notavailable for the Curragh. The discussionof the previous day was reviewed byMick Moriarty for the benefit of theDublin representatives. TomShakespeare was concerned that I.S.A.C.Branches should have equal voting


Clogherhead, Co Louth in 1958, same event.Front L.to R: Liam Lunney, Curragh SAC, Derek Nelson, Belfast Br BSAC, Jimmy Flynn, Curragh SAC. Standing: L. to R: Two members of Belfast Br BSAC (names not known), Larry Bradley and MickMcDonough, both Curragh SAC. Mick McDonough was Chairman of the Curragh club then. Once again this would have been part of the inter club relations prior to the founding of CFT.

CFT – A History

rights, in a Federation. He reported thatthe I.S.A.C. was now affiliated toC.M.A.S. He envisaged no problem inhaving the affiliation transferred to anew Federation. He also reported thatI.S.A.C. were no longer affiliated toB.S.A.C. A general discussion took placeon the merits of a National Federation.M. Moriarty proposed that as time wasshort a further meeting should bearranged at the Dublin Annual Dinnerin January ‘63. The Meeting would bechaired by Hugh Quigley on an agendasupplied by him. In the meantime theClub committees were to discuss thevarious proposals. The birth pangs werecoming faster.

The next meeting took place onSaturday 23rd March ‘63 in the MoiraHotel, Trinity St., Dublin. I.S.A.C.decided that previous meetings hadbeen compromised by a lack of time.Dublin arranged a format of a dinnerduring which matters could bediscussed. The cost of evening wasborne by Dublin. Clubs attending wereBelfast B.S.A.C, Mr. C. McMurty andMr Maguire; Cork I.S.A.C, Mr. M.O’Driscoll and Mr. P. Lyons; CurraghS.A.C, Capts. S. O’Connor and M.Moriarty; Dublin I.S.A.C. Mr. H.Quigley and Mr. Tom Shakespeare;Garda I.S.A.C, Gardai N. Bracken andP. Morgan; Killaloe I.S.A.C. Mr. andMrs. D. Brislane.

The meeting was chaired by HughQuigley. He reviewed thedevelopments to-date. A longdiscussion followed on the form andfunction of a Federation. It was agreedthat the main problems were (a) torespect and allow for the problems ofthe present Clubs within theframework of a Federation, and (b)deciding on the form and function ofsuch a body, it should be a “positive”organisation with possible power toimpose “sanctions” etc.

The following resolutions werepassed unanimously:

Name: An Cumman (sic) Fo-Thuin(C.F.T.) — The Irish UnderwaterCouncil”. The seal to be used in the crestas it had strong connections with Irishfolklore. A Club would be recognizedwhen it had 25 members. Each Club orBranch would be entitled to twodelegates. One delegate to be a qualifieddiver. Each Club or Branch, regardless of

numerical strength would have onevote. Delegates to be nominated inJanuary to maintain continuity. Therewould be three meetings per yeardivorced from all diving and socialfunctions. The officers would consist ofPresident, Secretary, Treasurer andPress Officer. Election to be by simplemajority by secret ballot. Affiliation feesset at £5 but could go to £10 next year.Dublin I.S.A.C. had paid the currentC.M.A.S. affiliations to the Technicaland Sporting Commissions. This wouldhave to be paid by the new body nextyear. The scope of C.F.T. was set as (a) toaccept the C.M.A.S. standard, andadjust them to Irish conditions; (b) tospecify a minimum standard in Testsand procedures, (c) to specify aminimum standard for Log books. (Atthis stage it was not envisaged that therewould be a National Logbook); (d) toproduce a National Magazine at sometime in the future when C.F.T. was wellestablished; (e) As the Council was notin a position to run National Events itwould be necessary for Clubs toundertake to run the events under theauspices of C.F.T. The next meeting wasto be held in the Curragh on Saturday29th June at a time and venue specifiedby C.S.A.C. The agenda was to beElection of Officers, Outline ofConstitution, Finances, approval of Title,Notepaper Crest and any otherbusiness.

“The birthing has taken place. Thesquawking brat was launched on thediving world. The title would be alteredto read Comhairle rather than Cumman.It only remained to elect the Officers andthey were away and running.

The next meeting in fact took placeon September 29th ‘63 in the OfficersMess, Ceannt Barracks, CurraghCamp. The time was again verymilitary - 15.00 hours. Galway Sub-Aqua Society were in attendance. Dr.D. Doyle, P. O’Beirne and T. McCarrickwere their delegates. Cyril Fosterrepresented Killaloe with Joan Brislane.Hugh Hennessy replaced ColinMcMurty for Belfast with HildaMaguire continuing. Garda were nowrecorded as Garda S.A.C. with TomKnott replacing Paddy Morgan andNeil Bracken continuing. The Curraghand Dublin remained unchanged withJenny Simcox, Shane O’Connor andMick Moriarty, Tom Shakespeare andHugh Quigley. Apart from the Electionof Officers and one or two other itemsa large part of the meeting was takenover with considering the position ofBelfast Branch B.S.A.C. The pivotalpoint was in relation to C.F.T. tests andB.S.A.C. tests. In a letter written by Dr.Boyd to all Clubs, Belfast expressedreservations about joining in theCouncil. It was felt that their positionwould be at risk in B.S.A.C. The end ofit all was that Belfast affiliated not as afull member but with a view tobecoming a full member at a later date.

Jim Doyle gave a resume ofGalway’s activities. They were not aClub in the strict sense of the word.They paid no subscriptions. They hadequipment for 10 snorkelling divers butno qualified divers. He said they weretherefore not in a position to becomefull members. They could not becomeaffiliated also until such time as theycould become full members. The


The founding fathers get together... Hugh Hennessy, Mick Moriarty, Neil Bracken, ShaneO’Connor and Tom Shakespeare.

Photo taken back in 1984 by God knows who.

CFT – A History

wording ofthe Constitution was drawn up

and agreed. The election of Officersthen took place. Shane O’Connor waselected President, Tom ShakespeareHon. Sec, Neil bracken hon. Treas. andHugh Quigley Press Officer.

The child had taken its first step, itwas firm and forward looking. The nextmeeting was a full working meetingwhich present delegate would instantlyrecognise. It was hosted by the Garda. Itwas held in the Cumberland Hotel,Westland Roe, Dublin. It would appearthat all the Hotels that the meetingswere held in would in due course closedown. Tests for Snorkel Diver and FreeDiver were agreed. The NationalSpearfishing Championships andNational Fin Swimming Gala wereauthorized. Dr. Boyd was proposed asHon Physiologist. Belfast proposed thatMyles Creek (Kilkee) should bedeclared as a preserved area.

I suppose to go further at this pointwould require writing a book. This isoutside the scope of this commission.

Three items which were far in thefuture at this time can perhaps berecorded. One; the establishment of thefour commissions, Technical, Medical.Sporting and Scientific, Two; theappointment of a National DivingOfficer. The third is the introduction ofthe unique split log book. This hasbeen copied world wide. This wasproposed by Tom Shakespeare on 20th

September ‘70 at a meeting in theCrofton Airport Hotel, when a samplewas shown to the delegates. The firstN.D.O. was elected on the 25th Januaryand the Commissions were agreed onSunday May 5th 1974 at a meeting heldat Powers Royal Hotel, Kildare St.,Dublin. There are many more incidentswhich could be recorded here but as Ihave said where do you stop. The“Founding Fathers” can feel proud thatthe structure they put together 21 yearsago has stood the test of time. Thecurrent members can also feel proudthat they are carrying on a greattradition of “Safe Happy Diving” for“Safe Happy Divers”. ◼


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CFT – A History


1963After a short series of discussions in 1962 and early 1963between the existing six clubs, Cumann Fó Thuinn – TheIrish Underwater Council was formally launched at ameeting of club delegates held in Ceannt Officers Mess,Curragh Camp. Co Kildare on the 29 September.

The first officers of CFT were elected as follows:

President: Capt Shane O’Connor, Curragh SAC Hon. Sec: Mr Tom Shakespeare, Irish SAC, Dublin Branch Treasurer: Garda Sgt Niall Bracken, Garda SAC Press Officer: Mr Hugh Quigley, Irish SAC, Dublin Branch

The founder Member Clubs – in order of the date of theirestablishment were;

Dublin Branch Irish SAC, Curragh SAC, Killaloe Branch ISAC Garda SAC

The two other clubs present as observers were UniversityCollege Galway Sub Aqua Society and Belfast Branch BritishSub Aqua Club.

1964Head Office of the British SAC gave their approval ofNorthern Ireland branches to be also member Clubs of CFT.

1965First set of hand signals published by CFT (the drawingswere produced by Capt Shane O’Connor, sponsored byVenture Sports, Blackrock Dublin).

The total income in 1965 was listed in the audited reports at£59-1s-5d. Of this £38-18s-5d was a carry over from theprevious year.

The typing bill for the year from ‘Maynes TypewritingBureau’ was £3-5s-0d.

The first CFT Diving Rally 1965 at Slade, Co. Wexford onWhit weekend. Daily rate (incl. all meals) at the NaomhSeosamh, £1-7s-6d. One 65ft trawler had been hired at £5per day. Joining fee was 2/6 per person. Charge for air was 1/-(5p) for 10 Cu ft. Maximum Pressure available wouldbe1800psi. Four compressors were available with a totaloutput of 13% Cubic Feet.

CFTThe Highlights

There are many highlights in the life of any organization and CFT is, of course, noexception. But to list all of them over fifty years would take up too much space so we havedecided to do so for the first ten years and hopefully this will give some insight into thoseearly days and the sort of problems that were dealt with at meetings. And when we got tothe end of the first ten years we realized that even more important events took place overthe following forty years so we hand picked some of them to include also.

A big thank you to Mick Moriarty for his time spent trawling through the minutes ofmany meetings to extract the information we have used. The amount of interesting datathat we have not used is certainly the ingredients for the history book of CFT, a challengefor another day. Anyone out there who would like to take up that challenge ?

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CFT 0-10 YearsBy Mick Moriarty


Killaloe Branch ISAC became the Limerick SAC.

Cork Br ISAC – formed in 1964, accepted as a ProvisionalMember club.

Waterford Hbr SAC became a Provisional Member.

At the third AGM in Sep, Ronnie Hurley, Limerick SAC andJohn Aylward.

Waterford Harbour SAC became the first divers to receivetheir CFT 3rd Class Diver Certificates.

First All-Ireland Sub Aqua Gala was held at Curragh Pool onthe 28th.

The first CFT Yearbook, Editor Mick Moriarty, waspublished.

1966CFT established a Recompression Chamber Fund – all clubsrequested to support it.

Mullingar SAC became a Provisional Member.

The second CFT Diving Rally was held at the CopelandIslands, Co Down.

The first Open Festival of U/W Photography – at Killaloeorganised by Limerick SAC.

1967In Aug/Sep, an Irish team competed for the first time in aWorld Spearfishing Championships.

Tralee SAC was accepted as a Provisional Member of CFT.Waterford Hbr SAC was approved as a Full Member ofCFT.

1968Capt Moriarty spoke on the need for an Executive in order toshare the ever-increasing work load. It would be composedof the President, Secretary, Treasurer, Press officer and theChairpersons and Secretaries of the Sub- Committees.Agreed and forwarded to be discussed at the AGM.

The Curragh SAC celebrated their 10th anniversary byholding a Diving Rally at Slade Co Wexford on the 1st, 2nd and3rd of June.

At the sixth AGM held on 08 Dec, an Executive Committeewas approved.

1969At a meeting in May the Secretary stated he had a proposalfrom Norwich Union (Patrick McGovern) to cover all CFTdivers. It was approved on the 25th, subject to being checkedby a Club legal officer.

A unanimous decision was passed on the 25th, whereby allclubs require their divers to wear lifejackets when in divingboats, to be compulsory from 01 Jun 1970.

At the AGM R. Hurley reported that the Irish OpenPhotographic Competition was so successful thatShannonside and Limerick SAC were prepared to organiseanother in two years time.

The per capita levy on Clubs to be raised by 1 shilling tocover the projected costs of the new insurance policy.

1970Tom Shakespeare was appointed as the first National DivingOfficer (NDO) and Chairman of the new TechnicalCommission.

A design for a CFT emblem based on a silver Trident on adark green background with two stylized waves beneath, assubmitted by Shane O’Connor, Curragh SAC was accepted.

CFT Logbooks 1 and 2 in plastic wallets, supplied by AIBBelfast, courtesy of Hugh Hennessy, were now available at10/= per set.

1971The Secretary said that CFT ties could now be had at a pre-paid cost of £1 per tie. He also said that blazer cloth could beordered at a cost of £3 per blazer length and any tailor couldproduce the blazer to the style of the owner. He said that theCFT crest was to be ordered through him from Light andSign, St Stephen’s Green, Dublin at a cost of £2.60.

1972For the first time, a display of diving equipment for sale at theninth AGM, organised by Aidan Kelly and Willie Siddall ofMarine Sales, Dalkey.

In May Regional Diving Officers were established to copewith the rising number of clubs across the country.

Mick Moriarty sorting out his “Tadpole” before a dive.

CFT – Highlights


1973 In May the first issue of SubSea, the officialmagazine of CFT was published by the Editor, HughHennessy, Belfast Br BSAC. It was printed in blackand white in A4 standard.

1974 European Spearfishing Championships held inKilkee.

1975 Recompression Chamber, staffed by members of theGalway SAC, declared operational.

1977 A new dive magazine was launched by Barry Kinsellacalled “Diving Ireland”.

1979 Hugh Hennessy done a deal with Barry and addedcentre fold insert of CFT’s magazine, “SubSea” intoDiving Ireland for easy distribution.

1980 SubSea went solo once more and came out in fullcolour.

1989 Irene Harrison made history by becoming Ireland’sfirst female 3*** Leading Instructor.

1991 Irish waters declared a Whale andDolphin Sanctuary by An Taoiseach, Charles Haughey.

CFT appointed its first administrator, Enda Roche

1992 The Buelhmann Diving Tables were adopted by CFT

1993 New CFT Head Office at 78A Patrick Street officiallyopened by David Andrews, Minster for Defence andthe Marine.

1994 Irene Harrison made history once more by becomingthe first female NDO.

1995 CFT went on the internet and also became a foundermember of European Underwater Federation (EUF)

1997 The Head Office National Sub Aqua Club wasestablished.

2010 SubSea magazine reduced to three issues per year.

2011 Enda Roche retired.

CFT – Highlights

Now here is some good advice fromthe early daysThe first book review in SubSea.

Taken from the first issue in 1973So many of us back then learned

our diving skills from “Diving For Fun”

Its author, Joe Strykowski, only diedin 2008.

Marine Sales have with their usualgenerosity sent me a copy of a divingmanual "Diving for Fun". This book isprobably the most readable divingmanual I have come across.Everything is explained so clearly andthe cartoon type illustrations are sogood that I could not leave the bookdown until I had finished it. I only wishthat it had been even morecomprehensive.I would recommend it to all divers andconsider it very good value at £1.83plus P.& P. from Marine Sales, PatricksRoad, Dalkey, Co. Dublin.

This appeared in SubSea in Summer 1992

Old divers go on and on......

(From time magazine, April 27 1992)

Married. Jacques Cousteau, 81, French oceanographer; and Francine Triplet, 35, an Air Franceflight attendant, with whom he has two children; in Paris.

Cousteau had two sons with his first wife, Simone, who died in 1990.


The diving world has lost one more ofits early pioneers. At the great age of94 Hans Hass passed away on June

16th last.Hans was a marine biologist, an

oceanographer and a zoologist and with hiswife Lotte made some of the first and mostspectacular underwater footage in the mid1950’s.

When diving equipment was basic andindeed at an experimental stage, Hansmanaged, with just a pair of finns, a maskand the most rudiment tank, to get close toand film all the underwater action. Manyviewers were spellbound by what heproduced and his work was greatly enhancedby the inclusion of his glamorous wife.

Lotte came from being his most adoringfan to his secretary and finally his wife andpartner under water. Hans was not infavour of taking her or any woman underwater but the powers that be, the filmcompany, could see the huge advantage ofhaving a pretty female lead. They were rightand Lotte’s natural talent on camera proveda great success.

In his early diving he used rebreatherswhich he had made for him by the Germandiving gear makers Dräger: he had thesesets made with the breathing bag on hisback, as he did not like the bag-on-chest“frogman look”. Hass and his team ofresearchers logged over 2000 dives utilizingoxygen rebreathers from 1942 to 1953.

In 1938 he led his first expedition,diving off the coast of Yugoslavia with agroup of college friends and as he tookphotographs, he encountered and killed hisfirst shark. The trip furnished him withmaterial for a lecture series which financedhis next expedition, to the West Indies.

Hans devised his own unusual protocolfor filming sharks. “If I wanted tophotograph a shark,” he explained in hismemoir Diving To Adventure (1952), “Ipretended to flee as conspicuously aspossible, thus awakening the instinct inevery beast of prey to chase what tries toescape. And I actually succeeded thus inluring sharks after me.

“When I saw that they were closeenough, I would suddenly spin and swimtoward them with camera ready. Andbefore the creatures had recovered fromtheir surprise and turned away in disgust, Ialready had their image on film.”

In 1942 he bought his first yacht, theSea Devil and carried out an expedition toGreece, all financed by his work on films,lectures and articles. On this trip heobserved fishermen illegally blastingschools of fish with dynamite, and didlikewise to lure sharks to within camerarange as they were drawn to the scene bythe fall out of the explosions.

Around this time he was conscriptedinto the German army and was assigned tothe “Fighters of the Sea” battalion, theWehrmacht’s crack frogmen unit and partof the military secret service.

After the war in 1945 he completed hisdoctorate in Zoology but then foundhimself without the wherewithal to fundand equip another full-scale expedition,having lost the “SEA DEVIL” when theRussians captured Königsberg. So heundertook the first of two solo visits toAfrica to explore the coral reefs of the RedSea. There he was able to photograph giantmanta rays at close range, as well assharks. On his second expedition to thearea, he filmed “Under The Red Sea”,which won an award at the 1951 VeniceFilm Festival.

That year was a busy one for Hanshaving bought a new research ship, Xarifa,and then married Lotte, Hass embarked ona series of filming safaris in the Red Sea. Heshot the Oscar-winning feature film “Underthe Caribbean” the first German film to beproduced in Technicolor, and whichincluded the first underwater shots of asperm whale.

In 1961 Hans changed directionsomewhat and gave up diving andfilmmaking to concentrate on developinganother of passions, his Energon Theory,which maintains that evolution can bebroken down into three phases: single-cell;multi-cell; and so-called “hyper-cell”organisms. Man, he would claim, is a multi-cell organism, but becomes a hyper-cellorganism by developing and usingtechnology to enhance his natural physicalcapacity. In this way, Hass suggested,technology was an evolutionaryphenomenon.

CFT members of a certain vintage willof course remember Hans attending andspeaking at one of our dive shows in the’90s.

In 1999 he founded the InternationalHans Hass Institute for Energon-CyberneticResearch at the University of Vienna, andwas then appointed to a professorship.

Hass was the author of many books,among them Men And Sharks (1949);Diving To Adventure (1952); and Manta:Under The Red Sea With Spear andCamera (1953).

His first marriage, to the actressHannelore Schroth, ended in divorce but ason from that marriage survives him asdoes his wife Lotte.

Hans Hass, born January 23 1919, died June 16 2013. ◼

Lotte and Hans durning filming of one of his very early expeditions.

Hans Hass


Iwill preface this article by notingthat I only joined the Irish divingscene in 1976, a full thirteen years

after CFT was formed and sixteenyears after divers were first seen inKilkee, and as such am not qualified totalk with authority about events priorto those dates.

I invite contributions to correct anyerrors in this review.

A certain number of Clubs precededthe formation of CFT in 1963, one ofwhich was the Killaloe Branch of IrishSub-Aqua Club or Limerick Sub-AquaClub as it was later to become known.

In 1966 the new Limerick S.A.C.was asked to hold the First NationalFestival of Underwater Photography, inOctober at the Lakeside Hotel, Killaloeon the shores of Lough Derg.

The categories of the PhotoCompetition were: 8mm movie, colourslides, black and white (B+W) u/w

print and black and white (B+W)overwater print.

Many of the early entrants camefrom the Belfast Branch of BSAC.

The cameras available to divers atthat time would have been the basic‘Siluro’ (a Nemrod product See Photo1.); a land camera housed in a perspexconstructed housing (commerciallyavailable or home-built); or for thelucky few the new Calypso-phot(French) or Nikonos I (Japanese)amphibious 35mm cameras.

‘Available light’ using ‘high-speed’ film,predominately B+W would be the normand if flash was used it was ‘one-shot’bulbs in large polished-metal reflectors.

Picture the scene when the bulbs‘escaped’ from the holding net bag andthe photographer took flight in pursuitof his precious ‘light sources’!.

Limerick continued to host theFestival of U/W Photography in 1967

and then in 1969 it became an OPENCompetition being run biennially andinviting International entries thusshowcasing the best of underwaterphotographs, adding to the attractionof the Event.

The Festival continued up to the 9th

which was staged again back in theLakeside Hotel, Killaloe on the 25th

Anniversary of Limerick Sub-AquaClub in 1985.

The range of trophies and prizesoffered increased in number over theyears (See Photo 2)

Irish underwater photographerswere competing abroad incompetitions from 1970 when ManuelDi Lucia won the overall prize in the2nd Brighton Festival of UnderwaterPhotography in the UK.

Tony Balfe was also a regularcompetitor in the Brighton event andwas a medallist.

Photo 1. Nemrod ‘Siluro’ black bakelite amphibious camera taking 120 size film.Very basic camera with fixed-focus lens and single shutter speed.

Capturing Underwater ImagesA brief review of underwater photography during CFT’s first 50 years

by Pat McCoole (Former Director of Festivals, National Competitions and Public Relations Officer)


My own first underwater camerawas using a 1950’s RG Lewis‘Photomarine’ housing into which wasfitted a 1935 Leica II 35mmcamera.(See Photo 3)

That camera was acquired in 1976and unfortunately was ‘lost overboard’after a dive in August 1980.

It is still awaiting ‘recovery’ fromthe kelp beds off the Ganders in Co.Clare. Hopefully the B+W film can stillbe developed, if ever found !.

I then acquired a Nikonos III whichhad been on the market since 1975.

That model was the favourite of manyIrish Underwater Photographers andproduced excellent results, particularlywith the 15mm wide-angle lens.

Nikonos eventually launched theirlong-awaited SLR camera, RS Model,but the cost was beyond the reach ofmost divers. One was to be seen inIrish diving circles but it has toquestioned if it ever got much use.

Serious underwater photographersfavoured the more compact aluminiumhoused land cameras with the widerange of accessories and lenses thatcould be adapted for underwater use.

Housed medium-format (120 sizefilm) cameras was something rarelyseen in Irish waters.

These were used by professionals toproduce high quality images,transparency or print, for publicationin magazines.

Barry Kinsella (Publisher of DivingIreland magazine) had one in the1980’s. His wife Janet was an entrant inearly Festival competitions.

That independent Dive Magazinedid much to promote underwaterphotography and collaborated withCFT before the advent of SUBSEA asthe Official publication of the Council.

It was only in the Spring issue of1984 that the first colour underwaterphotograph appeared in SUBSEA !.

BSOUP (British Society ofUnderwater Photographers) wasfounded in 1967, as a separate entity toBSAC. It’s purpose was to promoteunderwater photography amongstBritish divers by organising workshops;convening monthly meetings (inLondon); running competitions; andselecting participants for representing

Britain in International Competitions.It wasn’t until 1990 that an

equivalent society was founded inIreland.

It was to be known as UPSI(Underwater Photographic Society ofIreland). (See Photo 4)

Photo 2. Range of Trophies and Medallions for Irish Open Festival of Underwater Photography

Photo 3. R.G.Lewis Photomarine cast-aluminum housing for35mm cameras, Leica and other models. First manufactured

in the UK in 1954.

Photo 4. UPSI (Underwater PhotographicSociety of Ireland) emblem depicting a

‘shamrock-like’ octopus breaking the surface !.

Photo 5. 10Bar aluminium-perspex housing for digital camera LUMIX GF-1.Example of compact camera with built-in-strobe and connection for external

strobes if required.

UW Images


It’s success was short-lived as bythat stage Irish divers were travellingaround the globe to exotic destinationsand operating independently.

Ireland had it’s first opportunity toparticipate in the CMAS organised 2nd

World Championship of UnderwaterPhotography which was held in 1987,hosted by the Spanish FederationFEDAS in Cadaques in June of thatyear.

Tony Balfe and the authorrepresented Ireland and CFT at‘Fotosub 87’.

Ireland was subsequently invited toparticipate in the 3rd WorldChampionships in Sicily (1990); 4th

World Championships in Cuba (1992)and 5th World Championships in SouthKorea (1994). CFT declined theinvitation to the latter event as therewas no one prepared to fund their owntravel to S.E. Asia. All of thesecompetitions were held over two orthree days using colour transparencyfilm only, with an International Panel ofJudges.

In early June 1992 John Costelloeand the author travelled to FortBovisand, Plymouth to participate in aday event, ‘Splash-in’, organised by

BSOUP, run on the same basis ofexposing a film, having it processed onsite, and selecting entries for judging bythe panel of participants.

The newly formed UPSI organised asimilar event in Kilkee Bay later thatmonth, calling it an ‘On-the-dayUnderwater Photo Competition’.

Irish underwater photographerswere also invited to events held inCuba (1990); Sicily (1993) and (1994);Malta for the ‘Blue Dolphin’ (1993);

Sharm El Sheik, Egypt for the‘Pharoah’s 1st World Cup ofUnderwater Photography Event(1995)where Nigel Motyer and the authorparticipated.

Over the fifty (50) years Ireland hasalso been a popular location for manyInternational UnderwaterPhotographers coming to Kilkee;Valentia Island and the ‘Skelligs’ hostedby Des Lavelle; and in recent years tothe Western tip of Connemara –Scubadive West hosted by Shane Gray.

In 1996 CFT organised it’s ownPhoto Competition at that location andoff Inis Turk.

Irish divers still travel around theglobe to new destinations and recordincredible images many of which are

depicted in the pages ofSUBSEA.

Today the equipment ispredominately ‘Digital’ cameras inhousings with high technology strobelighting using fibre-optic cables andmacro-lenses capable of producingvery dramatic images.

The equipment has become muchmore compact and ‘travel friendly’ farremoved from that used when CFTwas founded in 1963.

My own Panasonic LUMIX GF-1 ishoused in a 10Bar aluminium-perspexcase measuring less than 150mm inwidth and can be fitted in ‘carry-on’baggage satisfying even the mostdemanding of Airline Carriers. (SeePhoto 5).

Acknowledgements:Mick Moriarty, Ronnie Hurley, ManuelDi Lucia, Des Lavelle, Mike Hynes,Tony Balfe, Hugh Hennessy, SeanMagee, John Wright, Barry Kinsella, BillyRafter, Nigel Motyer, John Costelloe,John Collins, Billy Nott and others whohave done much for UnderwaterPhotography in Ireland over the years.And we remember especially Tony Balfewho is no longer with us. RIP ◼

UW Images

How things have changed, what a pity!We don’t see ads like this these days.

SubSea 1974

A little ditty from SubSea Autumn 1989. Plenty oftalent around then too. Snippets from

the past


As communicated previously, we havebeen very busy working with BoardFailte, The Irish Trails Office and localdevelopment companies in the Mayoregion in order to pilot “Blue Way”snorkel trails. These snorkel trails willbe amongst the first in the world to bedeveloped and will put Ireland at thefore front as a snorkeling destination.

It is hoped that this extra publicitywill highlight the sport of snorkeling tothe Irish public hence increasing theinterest in taking up the sport. Alsoonce the pilot trails have been launchedthe door will open to any person,organisation or local county council todevelop their own snorkel trails. Ifsigned off by the National Trails Officethese “blueways” will be listed on thenational trails office website and our

own. This will again highlight andpromote snorkeling on a local level andhopefully increase the numbersparticipating.

We are also planning to facilitate a“meet and snorkel” online tool similarto the many “meet and train” running /jogging groups which train around thecountry. Part of the joy of snorkeling isthe freedom and ease at which it isavailable. We hope that by facilitating a“meet and snorkel” through our simplysnorkel facebook page we canencourage people from all clubs tomeet and enjoy snorkeling together. Ifyou go snorkeling regularly then pleaselet us know and we will help topromote this.

Of course with all of this newdevelopment comes new learning and

for this reason we have introduced anupskilling course for all instructorsinterested in teaching / becominginvolved in snorkeling. This up skillcourse will bring you through all thenew developments in CFT especiallythe new rescue techniques and theknowledge needed to run the newsnorkel guide course. All Instructorsare being asked to attend an upskillcourse before 2015 in order to keepyour snorkel instructor qualificationvalid.

I hope you can see that we areworking hard and it is our vision to seesnorkeling up there with all othermajor adventure sports in Ireland butwe can only do that through internaldevelopment and of most importantlywith your help! ◼

Snorkelling – Where Are We?

We are writing to you today to update you on the progress of the many new initiativesCFT are introducing to grow and develop the sport of Snorkelling in Ireland this year.Much hype has been centered around the development of snorkel trails, but what doesall of this mean for CFT snorkel members and why should you be part of the change?


Robert Boyle, (25 January 1627 – 31December 1691) was a 17th-centurynatural philosopher, chemist, physicist,and inventor, also noted for his writingsin theology. He has been variouslydescribed as Irish, English and Anglo-Irish, his father having come to Irelandfrom England during the time of thePlantations.

Although his research clearly has itsroots in the alchemical tradition, Boyleis largely regarded today as the firstmodern chemist, and therefore one ofthe founders of modern chemistry, andone of the pioneers of modernexperimental scientific method. He isbest known for Boyle’s law, which

describes the inversely proportionalrelationship between the absolutepressure and volume of a gas, if thetemperature is kept constant within aclosed system. Among his works, TheSceptical Chymist is seen as acornerstone book in the field ofchemistry.

Early yearsBoyle was born in Lismore Castle, inCounty Waterford, Ireland, the seventhson and fourteenth child of RichardBoyle, 1st Earl of Cork and CatherineFenton. Richard Boyle arrived inDublin from England in 1588 duringthe Tudor plantations of Ireland andobtained an appointment as a deputyescheator. He had amassed enormouslandholdings by the time Robert wasborn. Catherine Fenton was thedaughter of English writer GeoffreyFenton, who was born in Dublin in1539, and Alice Weston, the daughterof Robert Weston, who was born inLismore in 1541.

As a child, Boyle was fostered to alocal family, as were his elder brothers.Consequently, the eldest of the Boylechildren had sufficient Irish at fouryears of age to act as a translator for hisfather. Boyle received private tutoringin Latin, Greek and French and whenhe was eight years old, following the

death of his mother, he was sent toEton College in England. His father’sfriend, Sir Henry Wotton, was then theprovost of the college.

During this time, his father hired aprivate tutor, Robert Carew, who hadknowledge of Irish, to act as privatetutor to his sons in Eton. However,“only Mr. Robert sometimes desires it[Irish] and is a little interested in it”, butdespite the many reasons given byCarew to turn their attentions to it,“they practice the French and Latin butthey affect not the Irish”. Afterspending over three years at Eton,Robert travelled abroad with a Frenchtutor. They visited Italy in 1641 andremained in Florence during the winterof that year studying the “paradoxes ofthe great star-gazer” Galileo Galilei,who was elderly at that time.

Noted Irishmen

Robert Boyle

Boyle’s LawOne of the first conundrums that all us diverscame up against when we started training wasBoyle’s Law. To get our head aroundremembering it and quoting it was badenough but understanding it was anotherstory. However, over time, to the relief of ourtraining officer, we mastered all aspects of itand not only understood it but went on toexplain it to many more new trainee’s.

But what of the man who came up with thehypothesis, how much do we know about him. Robert Boyle. He is remembered both in London and Waterford

with plaques to his name.

Waterford Civic Trust has installednumerous Blue Plaques in the city to

commemorate a link between aparticular location and a famous

person or event.This plaque is on the wall ofUniversity College, London


Reading in 1657 of Otto von Guericke’s air-pump, he set himself with the assistance of RobertHooke to devise improvements in its construction, andwith the result, the “machina Boyleana” or “PneumaticalEngine”, finished in 1659, he began a series ofexperiments on the properties of air. An account ofBoyle’s work with the air pump was published in 1660under the title New Experiments Physico-Mechanicall,Touching the Spring of the Air, and its Effects.

Among the critics of the views put forward in thisbook was a Jesuit, Francis Line (1595–1675), and it waswhile answering his objections that Boyle made his firstmention of the law that the volume of a gas variesinversely to the pressure of the gas, which amongEnglish-speaking people is usually called Boyle’s Lawafter his name. The person that originally formulated thehypothesis was Henry Power in 1661. Boyle included areference to a paper written by Power, but mistakenlyattributed it to Richard Towneley. In continental Europethe hypothesis is sometimes attributed to EdmeMariotte, although he did not publish it until 1676 andwas likely aware of Boyle’s work at the time.

In 1663 the Invisible College became the The RoyalSociety of London for Improving Natural Knowledge,and the charter of incorporation granted by Charles II ofEngland, named Boyle a member of the council. In 1680he was elected president of the society, but declined thehonour from a scruple about oaths.

He made a “wish list” of 24 possible inventions whichincluded “The Prolongation of Life”, the “Art of Flying”,“perpetual light”, “making armour light and extremelyhard”, “A ship to sail with All Winds, and a Ship not to besunk”, “practicable and certain way of findingLongitudes”, “potent drugs to alter or Exalt Imagination,Waking, Memory and other functions and appease pain,procure innocent sleep, harmless dreams etc”. They areextraordinary because all but a few of the 24 have cometrue.

In 1689 his health, never very strong, began to failseriously and he gradually withdrew from his publicengagements, ceasing his communications to the RoyalSociety, and advertising his desire to be excused fromreceiving guests, “unless upon occasions veryextraordinary”, on Tuesday and Friday forenoon, andWednesday and Saturday afternoon. In the leisure thusgained he wished to “recruit his spirits, range hispapers”, and prepare some important chemical investi-gations which he proposed to leave “as a kind ofHermetic legacy to the studious disciples of that art”,but of which he did not make known the nature. Hishealth became still worse in 1691, and he died on 31December that year, just a week after the death of thesister with whom he had lived for more than twentyyears. Robert Boyle died from paralysis. He was buriedin the churchyard of St Martin-in-the-Fields, hisfuneral sermon being preached by his friend BishopGilbert Burnet. In his will, Boyle endowed a series ofLectures which came to be known as the BoyleLectures. ◼

Robert Boyle

Bali Scuba Diving By Yvonne Moran

Fan coral and coral scene on Menjangan wall, in West Bali National Park. The wall has tempting little crevices, cracks and hiding places that providesa lot of marine life. Photo by Dray Van Beeck



A diver with a very large fan coral at Menjangan wall, in West Bali National Park. Wall dives are very popular and plunge to approximately 60 metres.Photo by Dray Van Beeck

The flashlight fish in the darkwater blinked lights as theydarted to and fro in the

wreck’s hold. The small fish abovethen spied a group of equally brightcompatriots milling below thedarkened divers. Almost in unison,they joined them to form an evenbigger gathering of amazing, mobilelights.

The spectacle was one of the mostmemorable of many, diving in andaround the Liberty wreck inTulamben, on Bali’s north coast. It wasthe diving highlight in 13 days ofdiving three different northernlocations.

They’ve been called flashlightbecause of their large bioluminescentorgans located below their eyes. Thelight, which contains luminousbacteria, is used to avoid predators, toattract prey, or for communication. Bi-oluminescence occurs widely amongsome groups of animals, especially inthe open sea.

The wreck has been calledTulamben’s “underwater treasure trove”by the writers of Rough Guide Bali &Lombok .

And it’s no exaggeration.Three hundred species of resident

fish and approximately 100 more visitfrom deeper waters. It’s also home tosoft and hard corals.

A massive Gorgonian swaying fanattached to the wreck was home to twopygmy sea horses. Their almostidentical camouflage made it virtuallyimpossible to locate them. During onemorning dive I was the sole diver withthe guide. Unhurried by the presence ofothers, I was able to observe theminuscule wonders for some time. Tomy astonishment, one of the littlecreatures made a “flying” leap. It thenattached itself to another part of itsabode.

Giant grouper (never hand-feedthese fellows!) great barracuda, yellowleaf scorpion, brown banded pipe fish,slim black and blue ribbon moray eelswith their yellow striped backs, (theseamazing morays can change from maleto female) long nosed hawk fish, clownanemone fish and manta shrimp werejust some of the ship’s many, manyinhabitants.

The day dives were fantastic. Thenight dives were magical. Light from

torches in the darkness added extradepth to the rainbow of fish and coralcolours thriving on and around thehabitat haven.

The Liberty wreck is one ofSoutheast Asia’s most accessible. Lyingjust 30 metres offshore, the 120-metrelong vessel sits in three to twenty ninemetres of water. When the visibility isgood it’s great for snorkelers. As there’svirtually no current it’s also perfect fornovice divers.

The 1915 American-built steamshipwas carrying rubber and rail partswhen she was torpedoed in 1942. Sheended up being beached in Tulambenuntil 1963. Earth tremors caused by thevolcanic eruption of Gunung Agungshifted the Liberty into the water onceagain.

You could say what looked like Hellon the beach was slowly transformedinto Heaven in the water!

The wreck is busy with divers dayand night. One of the advantages ofbeing based in Tulamben is getting ahead start on divers coming from otherparts of Bali. Tulamben is about fourhours north-east of central Ubud, Bali’scultural capital.

Bali


The wreck isn’t the only dive site inTulamben. There’s Coral Garden. It’spopular with divers looking for tiny lifeforms. Drop Off is good for reef fish.And humphead parrot fish and whitetip reef sharks might be spotted in BatuKelebit.

Pemuteran, on the extreme NorthWest coast of Bali, close to Java, is agood base for exploring Bali BaratNational Park. The island’s onlynational park encompasses savannah,rainforest, mangrove swamp and coralreefs. Snorkelers and divers head byboat to Deer Island for the park’sspectacular coral reefs.

Bubble coral that looks like gray andgreen grapes – but can sting. Thenormally solitary mushroom coral thatis one of the largest of all coral polyps.Bright yellow ball-like sponges thatseem to contain mini craters. Massivetube sponges that like strong currents.These were just some of the reef ’sunusual life forms. Huge sea fans andtable corals several metres across werealso observed.

Fish life was not that plentiful,however. And dirt – plastic, garbage andeven wood - had to be literally pushed

away during one ascent. It’s comingfrom Java after heavy rains there, thebopping divers were informed. There

was also a disappointing amount of dirtbelow water. How the proceeds of theRupiah 20,000, or Euro 1.59 park

The Mantis shrimp got his name from the way it catches his prey (like the insect Mantis). Thereare 2 main groups of mantis shrimps who spear (with spears on their arms) their prey and specieswho use the arms like hammers for shells and crabs (like this one). There are stories existing that

they broke aquarium glass. Photo by Reinhard Mink

Bio-rock project in Pemuteran, Bali. Biggest artificial reef in the world.Photo by Dray Van Beeck

Bali


entrance fee is being spent is anyone’sguess. Not one ranger was spottedduring several days’ diving in the park.(Many people in Indonesia are paid Rp50,000 – Rp 60,000 a day.)

Blue and gold fusiliers, whoseswarming behavior confuses predators,and parrot fish, which arecharacterized by sex reversal, wereamongst the park residents. Because of

their radical colour patterns betweenjuveniles and adults, and colourchanges within each species, the latterhave caused an unbelievable amount ofconfusion amongst fish scientists. Tigercowries, the largest and most beautifulof all cowries, hid themselves in holes.

Send protected electric currentsinto shallow water to, and near, metalobjects - and presto! Coral grows at fivetimes its normal speed, it has beenestimated.

Metal structures resembling a crab,dolphin, manta and a fish are amongstthe 70 or so designs placed near thePemuteran shore since 2000. Titaniummeshes are located beside the artfulcreations. A 12 volt negative currentconnects to the metal works fromshore line electrical stations. A positivecurrent is attached to the mesh. Theelectrical reaction stimulates thegrowth of calcium carbonate on themetal – the same substance fromwhich coral skeletons are made. The project, called Biorock, is theworld’s largest conservation project ofits kind. The two hectare site won theUN Development Programme EquatorPrize 2012. It’s believed corals attached

The Budda metal structure. It is one of approximately 70 metal structures, including a crab,dolphin, manta and a fish in the Biorock project. The biggest artificial reef of its kind in the world,in Pemuteran, is located just offshore. West Bali National Park’s marine section is a boat ride away.

Photo by Dray Van Beeck

Hermit Crab checking a new bigger house. Photo by Reinhard Mink

Bali


to the metal structures can withstandup to 50 times more stress than naturalcorals. They may also be able torecover better from physical damage.Program’s like sponsoring a baby coral,having it attached to the sea horsemetalwork, along with the donor’sname, for Rupiah 350,000, or Euros27.82 is one of the principal ways theproject funds itself. Sponsors can alsopay for a whole design.

The site is a fantastic location forsnorkelers. It’s also good for divers.Biorock is located off the beach atTaman Sari Bali Resort and Bali DiveAcademy.

Amed, on the north-east coast ofBali, was the third and final divelocation. It’s a 30 minute drive eastfrom Tulamben.

A movie show in slow motion.Bunutan Reef, Bali Reef Diver’s “housereef” was a current of fun – when thecurrent’s not too strong.

Hundreds of garden eels made alarge, sandy eight metre deep oasistheir home. A red tooth trigger fishnearby chased away intruders wherelots of its little brethren were hanging

out. They were oblivious to the adult’sprotective behaviour. Another relative,the yellow margin trigger fish, waslooking for a late breakfast. It movedaround, blowing sand, dining, and then

spitting out shell. Presumably thatwasn’t part of its menu de jour! Anopportunistic puffer fish hung around,checking out what was available fromall the huffing and puffing. Two other

This is a yellow margin moray eel found in a cleaning station This cleaning station was formed like a little cave, all full of different kinds of cleaning shrimps. Photo by Reinhard Mink

This nudibranch is from the Opisthobranchia family.Picture taken at "Tulamben coral garden" Photo by Reinhard Mink

Bali


puffers remained nearby, disdainfullyuninterested in the hanger-on’s lack ofreal activity. They sought their ownfood without assistance. Two super-duper intelligent octopuses (there’s aphotograph onhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopusshowing one of these eight leggedwonders opening a container with ascrew top,) hid in holes. As theproverbial coast cleared, they slowlyand cautiously emerged.

The current quite suddenlydisappeared. It ended convenientlyclose to the resort’s shoreline.

The night dive at Julamben, a 15minute drive from Bunutan, revealedother wonders.

A Spanish dancer (when moving inwater, this nudibranch reminds diversof flamingo dancing) remained curledup on the sand. Three different morayeels - a ribbon, fabricated andundulated - seemed to have left theirhole-homes and decided to relocate si-multaneously. A large cuttle fish wasnot amused by the divers’ attention andmade a quick getaway. A flat rock craband the prehistoric-looking bluntdecorator crab were first time sights forthis diver.

There were so many other lifeforms to discover, but time was movingon and this diver was heading to Floresfor more great diving.

Bali is crowded with tourists. Thetiny island, which measures 100kilometres by 87, sees three milliontourists a year. It’s the same number asthe local population.

But divers can escape, far from themadding crowds, by disappearing intoits waters and above its wonderfulreefs. ◼

Fact Box:

Recommended book: Coral Sea Reef Guide, by BobHalstead. This informative, fact-filled book is a gem. Its easy,lively writing style belies the vastamount of information Halsteadhas gathered from a lifetime ofdiving.www.halsteaddiving.com/books/

Tulamben: Tauch Terminal Resort. This part-German owned dive resort is clean, bright andmodern. It’s a great spot for partners who don’t dive, andfor divers who also want to vacation as well as dive. Email: [email protected] www.tauch-terminal.com

Pemuteran:Bali Dive Academy has bases throughout Bali. The diveshop is located in Taman Sari Bali Resort. Email: [email protected] www.scubali.com

The day dives were fantastic. The night dives were magical. Yvonne Moran (the author)investigates the night life in the Liberty Wreck. Light from torches in the darkness added extra

depth to the rainbow of fish and coral colours thriving on and around the habitat haven.Photo by Reinhard Mink

Bali


Many people might say, “What’s the point?” Well, for allthe snobs out there (like me before Christmas lastyear) who think that diving in Nemo 33 in Brussels is

for Mickey Mouse divers: don’t knock it before you try it.If you are one of those divers (like me) who get itchy fins

during the low season, and breathing underwater has become ameans to an end, then Nemo 33 is for you. It is the best way togo deep in December... in a bikini (maybe not for men... wellthat’s up to you guys).

Nemo 33 is a wonder of its own kind. Opened in 2004, theconcept of the world’s deepest pool was invented by JohnBeernaerts. It took over eight years to develop the design ofsuch a pool, the likes of which had never been built before. Theidea was to recreate the deep diving conditions of Bora Borablue lagoons in Europe. Great idea in theory, but in practice it isa bit of a headache of engineering which was successfullyaccomplished at the beginning of the 21st century.

So Nemo 33 is essentially 30+ºC water, 34+m of visibility,excellent quality of water, all working with solar panels thatgenerate around 300,000Kw of energy to keep the water at 33ºC.Sitting at the bottom of the pit at 34.2m (upside down for somepeople ....?) you can feel the warm water recycled and re-pumpedinto the pool. Nemo 33 is a sustainable concept which keeps thequality of its water thanks to strict rules of equipment avoidingcontamination. Nemo 33 supply all Aqualung equipment fromfins to regulators (personal masks and cameras are allowed) toavoid dirty minds from coming and cleaning their dirty and saltyBCDs in the pool... yeah don’t we all do it?

Nemo 33 is also a fantastic free diving facility whichprovides training for those who want to go without scuba. Andfor non divers there is a bar! (well for divers too). The bar andrestaurant offers all sorts of refreshment menus (Belgian hotchocolate in the top 5) with direct views on the pool viapressure-proof windows. A single one hour dive including allequipment cost €22 in peak season (October-April). There aredive/meal/hotel packs starting at €23 which are perfect if you

want to chill out after the dive or combine it with a city breakin Brussels.

Contact Nemo 33 directly for bookings and packages.Nemo 33 is also easy to find from the Ring Road R0 exit at

Drogenbos.Rue de Stalle 333 1180 City of Brussels,BelgiumTel:+32 2 332 33 34

Nemo 33 is mainly SSI supported, but all diving qualificationsare accepted. Get there early before the dive as it is pretty busy,especially around December and January.

Enjoy and if you can’t get narc’ed at 34m, just sit upsidedown, apparently it does the trick. www.nemo33.com ◼

LE MONDE DE NEMOThe World’s Deepest Recreational Diving Pool

By Juliette Claro

Courtesy of “Tanked Up”

34.2m to the bottom. Photo: NEMO 33 - Plongée.

The Nemo 33 building. Photo: Kaschkawalturist – Wikimedia Commons. Dining vith a view to the blue. Photo: Kaschkawalturist – Wikimedia Commons.

SHALLOW DIVINGBy Ken O’Sullivan


SHALLOW DIVINGBy Ken O’Sullivan

If you look you will see. Greater, more articulate men than I have probably putit a lot better, but the essence is the same. Exploring the shallow coastal watersoff my native Co. Clare, I rarely come back from a dive without having seen orwitnessed something new. Dive conditions can vary hugely in our wildtemperate seas, but there is always something to see in the natural world.



In Clare, we are blessed with a pristineAtlantic coastline, washed and smashedin equal measure by monster swells,some of which may have originated inCarribean storms. On meeting theshallows, their energy is unleashed, it’sturbulence whipping up nutrients fromthe sea bed and richly oxygenating theshallow waters. This creates a fertileabundant eco-system, not to mentionsome of the best surfing waves on theplanet. On the stretch from SpanishPoint to Lahinch, the same reefs thatcan give perfect ‘barelly’ waves are alsohome to an abundance of marine life.

Arriving at the dive site just after5am, close to ‘mid summer’s’ day, thesun peeks over the hills for the firsttime, almost at it’s most easterly point.

It’s not that I’m a natural early riser,just that these inter-tidal reefs can onlybe dived on a high tide and preferablysprings. From a photographyperspective, we’re looking for a springtide on a day with no swell or wind andpreferably some sunlight… theseconditions might co-incide about tentimes a year. There is not a day in theyear when there isn’t some amount ofwhitewater breaking over these reefs,and in this very place I have filmeddramatic swells crashing over andsculpting the ‘shale’ rocks features, buttoday they are placid and almostspiritually calm.

I first explored these reefs whilesnorkelling in early summer, althoughthey are close to shore, access is a 2Kmwalk from the nearest road which wouldmean lugging dive gear, camera,housing, tripod and the extra weightsrequired for shallow water filming.. Ielect instead to load the lot on a kayak ata road access point a couple of Kmsouth, the kayak can be stored on a tinyrocky island and I can slip into the waterright over the reefs. Sounds simple, butit involves lugging a lot of gear about,not to mention the kayak and paddlingin a 7mm westuit I often have to scoopseawater in at the neck to cool down, ormaybe just have a dip on the way!

A lobster fisherman is checking hispots few hundred metres off shore, hisvibrant red trawler almost perfectlyreflected on the glassy windless sea.Beyond, a layer of sea fog is smudgedacross the northern side of Liscannorbay, its outline visible at both ends.Paddling through the shallows, I cansee golden kelp below, its long summerfronds ever so gently swaying to revealswathes of pink encrusting algae allalong the rocky shallows.. there is asurreal almost intimate sense in thebeauty of this early summer morning.

Having made this trip many times,the habit is well established, drag thekayak laden with dive and camera gearwell up onto the tiny island, don BCD,weights, mask, buddy-check, housingcheck, take a couple of still photos tomake sure all’s well with the camera, sitat the water’s edge and recall the onlytwo words of Swahili I learned inAfrica, “Hakuna Matate”, no problem! Ialways, always chill before a dive.

Fins on, we slip into the mid-summer sea and welcome therefreshing water.

My first enquiry is always the stateof the water and today visibility andlight are pristine, God the relief, this ismy twelfth dive here and while I’vealways seen the potential, it can beagonizingly difficult documenting thewonderful world that’s here.

Medusa

“The dull purple pigmentfrom previously digestedanemones is visible on thenudibranches skin, thoughnot the anemone’s toxins,which amazingly the slugcan absorb without anyreaction and store forreuse against anemonesand other prey, quite aningenious example of

evolutionary adaptation.

Shallow Diving


Lazily diving around the reefs youcould lose yourself exploring andexamining its vibrant and wonderfullife forms, though trying to photographit intrudes on my little trip..nonetheless what I can document willbe something to take away with me andshow others.

The reefs are smothered in pinkencrusting algae, giving them an almostpsychedelic look, they’re pock-markedwith egg-sized holes ground out bypurple urchins seeking shelter.Although sadly classified as ‘locallyextinct’, due to over fishing, they areabundant here, many of the holesbecome occupied by vibrantly-coloredanemones, ‘squatting’ for shelter.

Higher up the reef, carpets of acornbarnacles compete with commonmussels and limpets for rock space.Whelks are abundant in their conicalshells with growth lines weavingthrough colours from dark crimson atthe pointed side to a brilliant white atthe opening… tentacles expeditiouslyfeeling their way around until theirbodies lazily ooze from their shells outover their favourite prey, acornbarnacles and mussels.

Buddhists say ‘everything isconnected’.

Mussels occasionally respond withtheir only defense which is to slowlyweave a byssal thread and acting ingroups they spin enough threads to tie-up their predator, if you look throughany area of mussels in the inter-tidalarea and you will see empty whelkshells tied by many strands to a musselcolony, the hapless whelk long-deadand it’s carcass eaten by anothercreature of this marvelous eco-system.

Hermit crabs take over the shell andtoday I can see one scavenging on thethe scraps of a mussel left behind by adog whelk. Other mollusks are feedingon the light green algae of the whelkshell, though the hermit crab’s suddencomic movements are testing theirgrip.

Into slightly deeper waters and I cansee fattened starfish devouring musselcolonies. A nudibranch (sea slug)straddles a mis-fortunate beadletanemone, already paralyzed with it’sdeadly toxins, albeit only in this macro-world. The dull purple pigment frompreviously digested anemones is visible

on the nudibranches skin, though notthe anemone’s toxins, which amazinglythe slug can absorb without anyreaction and store for reuse againstanemones and other prey., quite aningenious example of evolutionaryadaptation.

I’m trying to document this worldworking with macro photography.Focussing with a 35mm sensor camerais super-critical, and a tripod is anabsolute necessity. Being thrown backand forth in the surge, I try to focus myown eye on the viewfinder and pullfocus as I’m swept a metre either sideof the camera … didn’t get it this time,

I’ll try on the way back .. and so it goesuntil there’s a break in the swell. Manytimes a stronger set of waves will knockover the tripod, so you have to alwayshave a hand ready, and at least once inevery session, I lose patience and blowoff “I just can’t do this, it’s impossible”just as well the creatures can’t hear me,but maybe the release helps and I’malways back moments later tryingagain.

Yes, there’s a glaring contradictionhere between enjoying the beauty ofthis natural world and my own strivingin attempting to document it, but Iguess that’s for me to figure out! ◼

Purple Urchins

The Reef. Why do we need to get depth?

Shallow Diving


Last year was not a wonderful year fordiving conditions. I lay in myhospital bed in September lookingback at a mundane enough view of thelocal underwater world. We all haveour own turn ons like large ling,cooperative congers et cetera. Iparticularly like the small parade offoreign visitors we get here, trigger fish,sunfish and others, mid to late in theseason. They spice the local variety offauna and create a buzz of excitement.They (some of them) may alsoconsume fair quantities of that fauna,so the fact, that there were no triggerfish reported in Kilkee last year didn’tcause much regret. I had seen a groupof their most usual victims, crawfish,recently and it had raised my heart anotch or two.

But there are some trigger-happy,non-trigger fish about as well. DivingMiddle Rock I followed one or twopatterns to maximize the featuresavailable. I was heading around theback of the stack checking out thecontents of all the caves and creviceson the way. In a relatively large onewith a sloping sand bottom a very largebulbous lobster with both armsforward, jerked back with a noticeablestirring of sand, as I became visible tohim. Here’s John Wayne ready to drawand shoot me, it’s a cowpoke standoffon a dusty desert slope, surely not farfrom Death Valley and no one’s backingdown!

At least that was the body languageof this character. The actions wererapid and jerky, as he moved back and

forth, skidding up and down the sandslope in short bursts and in suddenretreats and just as unexpected attacks.I nearly retreated myself by reaction,but he never really came far enoughforward. This was pure bluff, not theOk Corral stuff, and I was enjoying theexperience, but remaining wary. Withthe dust accumulated at the rear of thecave his image was misted, as herustled off to the last roundup.

He was the real deal, a two guncowboy lobster, burly in shape, used tofacing down the foe, but, I think too, apoor enough shot like the realcowpokes were. I’m going back theresomeday to check out that sandy cave. Itell myself, “ if John Wayne’s not there,be prepared for God knows what. !!!

But Seriously! It’s wonderful whatthe world below can do to yourimagination, Narcosis excepted. Thingscan suggest other times and places andthe actions of lobsters and otherdenizens of the deep or even theshallows can often be quite funny.Lobsters especially to me seem to havemore than usual number of oddballcharacters, who rush out at youwithout forethought and live to regretit. I suspect many get themselves intohot water or worse, when they try thison with other creatures or lessscrupulous divers of the predatoryvariety. Of course, if you hoped to meetone of these rash creatures on yourdive, you’d be more likely to encounterthe opposite, shy recluses, whowouldn’t even smile out at you fromtheir safe holes.

In the bad old days our mentorswent forth with hooks, bags and, in oneparticular (non-CFT case) I hasten toadd, a spear gun. We followed behindand learned to handle and fondle thecreatures and longed to graduate topredator status. Occasionally in somelonesome, boring excursion from shoreon an empty kelp plain somewhereback of Newfee you’d encounter theJames Joyce of all lobsters out strollingblithely towards your hand and eveninsisting on shaking it. You’d take thisintellectual home to meet the family, ofcourse, and both would benefit fromthe resulting discussions. “Too hot? Alittle more salt?” A succession ofliterary lobster acquaintances later yourappetite for philosophy wanes and youjoin Amnesty for Crustaceans, yes,even humble crabs and crawfishprovide cranial nourishment. Youencourage the club to get squeaky cleanand surprise surprise, most agree withyou. They enforce the end of the GreatLobster Dinner Debating Circle. Youcontinue talking about it, while lobsters“attempting to come on board, sir”, areroundly rejected. You begin to use theL-word in your personal notes insteadof “anagram for bolster”, a crosswordclue. You are finally free. The lobbies,of course, are disappointed and many,like the lemmings before them, commitmass suicide by engaging in stimulatingdebates with triggerfish and the like.

I could finish this off with a longand comprehensive listing of literarylobsters I have met, and notnecessarily et, but must stay my hand,as I often have to do for real. Thetruth is I hate to see them suffer.Boiling them slowly alive or plungingrapidly into boiling water somehowmakes me less happy than, if I boughtit at a restaurant and missed theexecution bit. The same type ofreaction turned me from rabbitshooting many years before divingbegan for me and I will not be rearingchickens for the table either. Perhapswe are all here on earth to consumeone another, but the manner of ourconsuming things, should not demeanus. This applies across the board toliving things, nature, peoples and theplanet itself. How we humans use itsometimes seems incredibly stupid,ask any intelligent lobster! ◼

The John WayneLobster and Some

Crustacean MemoriesBy Noel Gleeson – Kilkee SAC


Fifty miles from Fethard, near theBurrow in Rosslare Strand another finemonument proudly lists the names ofthe crew of the Rosslare Fort lifeboat,‘James Stephens’ which played a heroicpart in the rescue of the survivors ofthe schooner, The Mexico and the fivesurvivors of the Helen Blake lifeboat.

These two monuments althoughconnected with the same tragic eventtell two very different stories.

In Fethard, the tale is one of tragicloss and sadness whilst in Rosslare, thetale is one of heroism and bravery.

With the centenary of the disasternow on the horizon, it is imperativethat the tale is told as one storyembracing all the communitiesinvolved in this tragic maritime tale.

The crew of the Helen Blake wereChristopher Bird coxswain; JohnMacNamara second coxswain; ThomasHandrick, bowman; Michael Handrick,William Bird, James Morrissey, RichardBird, George Crumpton, Patrick Roche,Garrett Handrick, William Banville,John Kelly, Patrick Cullen, and PatrickStafford.

The Kilmore lifeboat, ‘The Sisters’put out on Friday evening to renderassistance to the doomed vessel at theKeeraghs, but finding it impossible toencounter the heavy seas, was obligedto put back again. The crew howeverremained in the lifeboat all night so asto be ready to proceed to theKeeraghs the first opportunity in themorning.

The survivors spent three nightson the barren island, lashed with rain,hail and sleet. Repeated attempts atrescue all ended in failure andmothers, wives and children of thelifeboat men prayed desperately thattheir loved ones would survive thosetorturous nights. All their hopes andprayers were dashed when five of theirbodies were washed ashore atCullenstown strand on Saturdaymorning. The sufferings which thetwelve men on the rock endured arenot easily described. The youngPortuguese sailor, Antonio Lint DaCunha succumbed to the terrible coldand drenching rain which they all hadto endure. It was, it appears, theyouth’s first long sea voyage.

The Helen Blake Lifeboat

Tragedy at Keeragh Island, Co-Wexford 1914Adapted from “The Awful Tragedy of the Helen Blake Lifeboat,

Fethard Co-Wexford 1914.” By Liam Ryan.

On Friday the 20th February 1914, a Norwegian schooner, ‘The Mexico’ ran aground on the littleKeeragh Island off the South Wexford coast in atrocious weather conditions. Local men in Fethardspotted the schooner in distress and alerted the crew of the lifeboat. Subsequently the Fethardlifeboat, the ‘Helen Blake’ set off in stormy seas to rescue the crew of the schooner, ‘Mexico.’

In the village of Fethard on Sea, Co. Wexford there stands a fine monument. It was erected inmemory of the nine Fethard men who lost their lives when the Fethard lifeboat capsized on thatfateful day.


The last of what little food theyhad was consumed on Sunday and theythen had to rely on barnacles andshellfish which clung to the sides of therocks and which they were only able togather at the imminent risk of beingswept off at any moment. The rainwhich fell during Saturday nightthough unwelcome in one respect hadits compensating value in another;from indents in the rock, the menwhose thirst at this time had becomeagonizing, were able to quench theirthirst momentarily. The constant saltspray meant the water was at bestpartly diluted sea-water and even thesmallest amount of fresh water maywell have been of the utmost benefit tothe survival of the men. One of themen discovered two matches in aninside pocket of his vest and with thesethey were able to light a few bits ofwreckage, though it was impossible tokeep the fire going with the incessantrain and gales.

After sixty-six long hours of wearywaiting, and awful agony their feelingsof hope and joy must haveindescribable as they watched thenoble efforts of the lifeboat crews fromRosslare and Dunmore East in theirmerciful mission and eventually on

Monday all the survivors were rescuedfrom the island.

The Mexico left Laguna, Mexico onthe 4th November bound for Liverpoolwith a cargo of 481 tonnes ofmahogany and cedar logs. She waswind bound in the Gulf of Mexico for amonth, she encountered several heavygales on or about 26th December whenthe steering gear broke but wastemporarily repaired on board. AtPorto Delgada in the Azores about 20th

January, they arrived and the rudderwas repaired and new sails and alifeboat obtained as the former lifeboathad been broken in the storms. Onthat fateful Friday, they tookobservations in the forenoon, andcalculated they should be about 20miles SSW of the Hook. There was aheavy gale blowing at the time. Atabout half past one o’clock they sawland on the south. “After a little timethe captain said, “it cleared off and Ithen saw land on the other side and atonce sent out a cry ‘about ship’. Thenwe put the double reef foresail on andfull mizzen, our object being to getclear of the Keeragh Island. We wereheading sou’-west off south, and wethought we could come in and anchor,but we saw it was not possible-that we

would go aground. The gale wasgetting stronger and heavy seas wererunning. We got in so close to theisland that we found it difficult to getthe ship around. She wouldn’t stay andwe had to bear around as well as wecould. The tide was right against usand then the ship would not move.The nearer we came to the island thestronger the tide was. She then driftedright in on the reef and amongst thebreakers and commenced to knock upand down with the seas over her. Wetried to get the mizzen boom over tothe rock, so that we could come in onthe shore, but we were not able to doso. I had already put up the signal forthe pilots. This was about four o, clockand as soon as ship struck we loweredthe lifeboat, and two of the crew(Smith and Paulsen) got into it. Shegave a lurch and some of the gear gotlost. The boat got away between theislands, and the current prevented themen rowing back to the ship. We thensaw the lifeboat coming out fromFethard. We were all on the ship at thistime watching the lifeboat strugglingthrough the heavy seas. The waveswere mountainous high, and inaddition rain and hail were fallingheavily. The next thing we saw was thelifeboat being battered against therocks.

Mr. John MacNamara, a survivorof the Helen Blake crew says he was,knocked against the rocks when theboat was smashed and was swirledabout in the breakers which provedfatal to so many of his comrades.Once he had to dodge underneath aportion of the wrecked boat. Afterbeing borne backwards and forwardssome half-dozen times, he wasultimately caught by one tremendouswave and dashed towards the cliffabove the shelve of rocks. “I put myhands in front to save my head” hesaid “and by doing so managed tobreak the force of the impactsomewhat. But it was not sufficient toprevent my getting a bad gash on thehead. I was stunned for a moment andwas giving all up for lost. The nextthing I remember was that I was atthe mouth of a little alcove in the cliff,at the end of which a beam of woodhad got caught. On my hands andknees with my head bleeding

The Mexico

Keeragh Tragedy


profusely, I managed to clamber on tothe wood and get a hold of it. Whilethere I saw several of my mates beingswirled about, as I had been, and I amsure that more than one was, by thistime, dead or dying. Garrett Handrickwas one of these that was sweptnearest to me. He was about fouryards off when I crawled down andcaught him by one of the hooks of hislifebelt. With the other hand I graspeda ledge of rock and in that way I heldout against a couple of successivewaves. Hendrick shouted out to me tolet him go, and to save myself if Icould. I answered- “I suppose they areall gone now but the two of us, andwe will go or come together.” We bothgot to the broken wood again and Irolled him over on his side andbruised the water out of him, and hecame to after a while. From where wewere, there were some twelve feet ofsmooth, straight cliff to negotiate inorder to get to safety. But fortune wason our side. The air-boxes of the boatwere driven into the very cove wherewe were, and with these and the aid ofa piece of rope we clambered to thetop.

Two of the other lifeboat men hadgot upon the rocks and were wavingtheir arms. We signalled to them thatthey must take hold of the lines.George Crumpton, with intrepidcourage leaned over the cliffs into theraging sea and grasped the rope. Thena hawser was hauled on shore whichthe boy hero Richard Bird made fastto a boulder and it was made taut bybeing lashed to the mast of the ship.One by one the crew was taken to theisland by this means, and when JohnKelly, one of the lifeboat men, whowas driven onto the ship, fourth inturn, the dauntless fellow, instead ofseeking his own shelter, stood on thecliffs with his comrades until the lastof the Norwegians was over in safety.

The RescueThe Dunmore lifeboat, the FannyHarriet, with local man Ned Brienand Marks Barden from the Woodacting as pilot on board with theapparatus left at six o’clock onMonday morning. They brought asmall punt with them. They anchored

on the western side of the island andweighed anchor about 100 yards fromthe rocks. Ned Brien got the rocketready and fired the first rocket at 7.30,but was unsuccessful. About eight o,clock, the crew managed to get theboat in closer, and Ned Brien fired arocket ashore with the line attached,which the stricken men on the islandsecured. By means of this line a littleboat was just got to the edge of theisland, when a terrific sea smashed it

to pieces. A life jacket and life buoywere then got ashore, and JohnMacNamara, Fethard, put on the life-buoy and he was pulled through thesurf, 100 yards to the Dunmorelifeboat. John Kelly was rescued in asimilar manner. The Wexford lifeboatthen came on the scene and lowered asmall boat, measuring thirteen feetlong and four and a half feet widewith James Wickham and Wm.Duggan on board. They took two men

Crew of the schooner Mexico, on board the steamer "Arklow" on Waterford Quays prior to theirdeparture to Liverpool. First mate, Lee is holding the log book which was found by a

coastguard on Cullenstown strand. Captain Eriksen is in the centre of the photograph.

The Dunmore Lifeboat

Keeragh Tragedy


off the island and the entire crew ofthe Wexford lifeboat pulled the littleboat back to the lifeboat as quickly aspossible. On the second trip to theisland, the little boat got a plank fromthe bottom stove in, and the two menrepaired the leak by packing in breadand canvas. This strategy worked andall the men were taken off the island.All nine crew of the Wexford lifeboatpulled that little boat with all theirmight and rescued ten men in fivetrips. In the course of the rescuework, the punt at one time grounded.The two men in her, Wickham andDuggan jumped out, caught her andlifted her into the water again andclimbed back into her, continuing therescue operation. The three survivorsof the Fethard lifeboat weretransferred to the Dunmore lifeboat,the Fanny Harriet, which took the fiveFethard men home. The survivors ofthe Mexico were taken to Waterford.The Wexford tug, with CaptainBusher on board waited for theDunmore lifeboat to return fromFethard and towed both lifeboats toWaterford.

In the days following the rescue, thebodies of the lifeboatmen wererecovered and finally on the 21st April,Patrick Cullen’s body was recoveredbringing to an end the funerals of thenine brave lifeboat men.

Two years later in 1916, crewmanRichard Bird died having never fullyrecovered from his ordeal on KeeraghIsland.

There is always an ”If only”. Adecision to close Fethard Lifeboatstation was taken in July 1913, sevenmonths prior to the tragedy, once anew motor lifeboat was established atDunmore East. Somewhat ironicallythe new lifeboat arrived to DunmoreEast on the 3rd of April 1914, sixweeks too late for the men of Fethard.

In February 2008 a Norwegiannational, Oivind Ostby, a greatgrandson of Ole Edwin Eriksen, thecaptain of the ill-fated schooner,Mexico, travelled to Fethard and laida wreath there in honour of thosewho died on that fateful day. It was asmall but significant gesture andshowed that the heroism of theFethard men was never forgotten inNorway. ◼

The family of Patrick Cullen, Windy Gap who perished in the Fethard Lifeboat tragedy.L-r; Cissie, Nellie, Mikie, Mrs. Cullen, Cathy, Bridie, Dolly, Jack, Jimmy, Patsy.

Standing; Richard Bird and George CrumptonSeated; John Kelly, John MacNamara and Garret Handrick

The only survivors from the Helen Blake. Richard Bird died two years later having never fullyrecovered from his ordeal on the Keeragh Island.

Keeragh Tragedy


Eugene Whelan and Olan O Farrell manning the resucelaunch and attending the airlfit pump on the surface.

Photograph: John O’Connell.

Routine Search and Recoverytraining exercise solves a 22year missing person’s case

By Timmy Carey

In late October 2012 the inexorableannual drop in water temperatureswas already well underway in theriver Blackwater. The units search andrecovery diving officer David Careyhad organised a full face masktraining exercise in a part of the riververy rarely accessed and little didanyone taking part in the dive realisehow important a dive it would proveto be.


Shortly into the dive one the diversfound what they thought to be asteering wheel of a car protrudingslightly from the mud and gravel; oncloser inspection they saw it was firmlyattached and with some gentle waftingrealised there was a car without a roofand windows completely buried ingravel and mud and level with the restof the riverbed (no one was toosurprised by this initially as thereare lots of old cars disposed of inrivers throughout the country).

Two of the divers David Careyand Noel Hayes taking part in thedive had both dived in a missingperson’s case in 1990 for a localman William Fennessy who wentmissing at the time along with hiscar. In 1990 there was a huge Gardainvestigation which involvedInterpol and the Blackwater Searchunit had been involved at the timediving all areas of local rivers andlakes in consultation with the localGardaí where it was thought a car

could enter water and at the timenothing could be found anywhere. Themissing car was a Daihatsu and onnoticing a D in the middle of thesteering wheel the divers left the sceneuntouched and terminated the dive todiscuss the find. At the time no onewanted to get the families hopes upwithout being sure; so the car wasphotographed and videoed extensively

without touching the scene and it wasthen reported to the local Gardadivisional headquarters. As noregistration plate was visible and the carwas in a really poor state there was noway to be sure that it was the car(although one small part of the wingmirror appeared to be the correct colourof the car) and with no roof on it therecould be no way of knowing whether

human remains would be evidentbeneath the thick layer of silt andgravel filling the car.

The Gardaí decided that itmost likely was the car given theevidence we had as thephotograph from the steeringwheel was confirmed to be thecorrect type and the car colourwas also consistent with the casefiles. With heavy rains forecast forthe next morning, the Gardaíasked could the car be checkedfor human remains before thevisibility deteriorated and a planwas compiled to start diving at

Graham Burke and Noel Hayes operating the airlift in theriver Blackwater - photograph Timmy Carey

The steering wheel of the car that the divers first found.Photograph: Timmy Carey.

S&R Discovery


dawn the next day. Due to the sensitivenature of the case, the dive team waskept small with 4 divers and 3 supportpersonnel. With so much silt andmaterial in the vehicle the challengewould be to carry out an extremelyintensive search, knowing thatremoving any silt would decimate thevisibility. With this in mind early thenext morning the search launch wouldbe anchored above the search area andan airlift was set up in the boat drivenby a petrol engine; an airlift acts like ahuge industrial vacuum which wouldmean that the divers could slowly andmethodically empty the car while beingsure they would find anything as smallas a one cent coin.

The only downside would be thatwith water temperatures dropping toseven degrees Celsius the dive would bein cold conditions and painstakinglyslow to be done correctly and it wasdecided by the dive team to try andcomplete the diving in one day ifpossible. About an hour into the divethe first remains were found andanything found was then transferredfrom diving collection bags into blackrefuse sacks underwater to ensure noone on the river banks could seeanything while transferring any findsback to the Garda forensic teams anddetectives who were on hand for everyaspect of the operation and were veryhelpful during the day getting tea etc forthe divers after leaving the water. Theentire dive operation took over 7 hoursof continuous diving with the fourdivers diving in teams of two relievingeach team after an hour or so; this wasto ensure that each team left the waterbefore hypothermia became a factor asthis would affect diver performance andconcentration levels. With very shallowdepths; at less than 3 metersdecompression was not a considerationhowever to further reduce sub clinicalDCI and to ensure optimum diverperformance all divers would dive goodnitrox mixes. All dives were conductedon full face masks and controlled fromthe surface by comms with diving on thebottom only ceasing for two briefperiods while the airlift engine fuel tankwas replenished after running dry. Atthe end of the dive operations almost100 digital photographs were taken ofthe scene and issued to the Gardaí and

the airlift debris field double checked toensure the dive team didn’t missanything (which they hadn’t).

While the entry point of the car tothe river will never be establisheddefinitively it most likely entered in asmall lane way almost a mile upstreamand was washed down by powerfulflood water and it served as reminderof the huge power of a river in flood;that it could so quickly remove the rooffrom a car and bury it completely in siltand gravel.

Over the past few years this area ofriver has been side scanned on a number

of different searches and there was notrace of a car in the area on reviewingold side scans; this is due to the fact thatthe car was buried and a side scan onlyshows what is above the riverbed.

Conclusive identification of theremains could only be made by DNAanalysis and it would take a number ofmonths for this to take place; with theFennessy family finally getting to burytheir loved ones remains in June 2013;22 years after the disappearancebringing the mystery to an end andallowing closure for the friends andfamily of the deceased. ◼

Timmy Carey emerging from the river after a 70 minute recovery dive - photograph John O Connell

S&R Discovery


Like a great many other DivingClubs throughout the country,Dundalk SAC is frequently called

upon to utilize its in-water Search &Rescue capabilities. The search for anyindividual however, entails a great dealof logistical planning. Tasked by theGardai to initiate and coordinate anextensive land and sea search, a steeringgroup from within the Search & RescueUnit are quickly established to formulatea large scale plan to cater for anunspecified number of volunteers tosearch an extensive area of variedterrain in and around the environs ofany particular area. To promoteawareness and to encourage as manyvolunteers as possible to participate in asearch, both local print Media andRadio are fully utilised by both the clubPRO and DO, usually to great success.

As with all ventures of this type,organisation and pre planning prove tobe absolutely crucial to the overall pro-fessionalism and safety of the search.Large scale maps and Arielphotographs are procured throughvarious means. Copies of these mapsare then reproduced for Team Leaders,with a designated search areahighlighted and numbered. Theseportable maps are then laminated forthe rigors of field use. A master copy of

the map remains in the Operation’sRoom which is usually situatedconvenient to the search area, so as tosupervise a safe and systematic search.

Key to achieving objectives isrecording of personnel compiled byregistrars. The registration of allrelevant details and the logging in andout times of all personnel involved ineach search is paramount. Teamleaders are selected accordingly andbriefed on their general duties and thenecessity for appropriate protocol inthe case of a person being found. Toavoid bedlam in the Operation’s Room,Team Leaders are then individuallybriefed and their designated searcharea assigned to them by an over- allco-ordinator from the SAR Unit.These team leaders then brief theirown teams before each team is thendeployed to the ground by ourtransport units which worked tirelesslythroughout any search.

To avoid any confusion on theground two roving mobile units fromthe operations centre are deployed tothe area of operations each day in orderto:

1. Ensure a smooth transition ofsearch teams to their designatedsearch area.

2. To liaise with the co-ordinationcentre through our internalcommunication system.

3. To act as a “go – to” unit in theevent of a find, in order to seal offand preserve the area for a possibleforensic investigation.

4. Be equipped for a rapid deploymentfor a “water - borne” find.

5. To transport hot drinks and food tosupport all involved in the search.These mobile units wereaugmented by a Red CrossAmbulance which remains patientlyon stand-by through-out the searchperiod.

As no two areas of terrain are quitethe same, teams of various sizesneeded to be deployed, utilizing eachteam’s local knowledge to best effect.Whereas a six strong team maybeample for the search of a long arduouscoastal path, the professionalism of aCivil Defence Team is invaluable forbigger tracts of land which maybefestooned with marsh land anddissected with ditches. Likewise theDefence Forces may provided anexpert guide to lead a search teamthrough an area best known to them,while any semblance of water workwas preserved for the Dundalk SACUnit who tirelessly trawled through allthings aquatic.

On a recent search which lasted forthree days over a long weekend,involving two hundred members of thepublic, twenty five members ofDundalk SAC, members of the Gardai,Coast Guard, Civil Defence, Red Crossand Defence Forces, unfortunatelydespite the best efforts of all concernedthe result was negative. The missingperson was not found. But this negativeresult, while disappointing, does notdeter those participants who will nothesitate to act on any new informationwhich may come to light.

In conclusion, on behalf of theDundalk SAC I would like to thankeverybody who so whole heartedly getinvolved in any search for a missingperson. This community hasgraciously supported us over the years,and we are more than happy to playour part by participating in, and co-ordinating any search at any time. ◼

Members of the DSAC search and recovery unit with members of the ambulance unit.

A Profile Of A Search and RecoveryDon Baldwin, Dundalk SAC


This year, the Irish UnderwaterCouncil (Comhairle Fo-Thuinn)celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Set up in 1963, it provides a national,co-ordinating structure for 80 plusclubs that are part of it. Over thatperiod, a few longstanding membershave been part of that story too. One ofthese is retired Colonel Mick Moriarty,whose love of the sea began as a child,when he took to swimming in a bigway. Later, as a career he enjoyed theoutdoor life the army provided, beforegoing on to be part of the pioneering

diving movement in Ireland, promotingit when it was a distant, exotic activityfor most people.

After becoming a championswimmer, he embraced the freedomthe revolutionary Aqua Lung – thebreathing mechanism divers use –provided for exploring the waterydepths, becoming a champion spearfisher in the process.

He has proved to have anexploratory spirit for much of his life.Born in Bandon, he lived in Listowel,went to school in St Flannan’s, Ennis,

and then joined the army.

“Probably because I clearlyremember the effects of World War 2on Ireland when growing up inListowel, I longed only for a career inthe Army. In 1949 I applied for andwas awarded a cadetship, entering theCadet School in the Curragh Camp in1950, from which I graduated inNovember 1952 as a Second-Lieutenant in the Artillery Corps,” hesays.That gave him what he describes as a

A life aquaticBy Eibhir Mulqueen

A name synonymous with scuba diving in Ireland for more than 50 yearsis that of Mick Moriarty, who has combined his love of the outdoors witha life aquatic.

A much younger Mick about to go diving Carraroe in 1961


long and varied career spanning 42years and service in the Belgian Congo,Cyprus, Israel, the Lebanon andAngola. He retired in January 1992with the rank of Colonel.

Moriarty’s love of the water stemsfrom his boyhood days when he took toswimming on the beaches of West Corkand in Ballybunion before becoming anenthusiastic member of EnnisSwimming Club. He came under thetraining and direction of Fergus Barron,a senior member of the club, who wasan Irish 100m breaststroke champion.Inspired by Barron, he went on to winmany Clare and Munster championshipsin lifesaving and swimming.

“From my interest in swimmingand lifesaving, it seemed a naturalprogression to begin to wonderwhat lay beneath us as we swam in

the rivers and lakes of Clare andLimerick. While serving with the 4th

Field Artillery Regiment I swam alot at Lough Owel outsideMullingar. One day a friend offeredme the use of a set of fins, a divingmask and a metal snorkel and onelook into the water below memeant that I was hookedimmediately.”

Fifty five years later he says he is stillabsorbed in what become for him asecond career and a fascinatingpastime. He is a founding member ofCurragh Sub Aqua Club, in May 1958,making good use of the large Armyswimming pool in Curragh Camp andbecame one Ireland’s early enthusiastsfor spreading the word about theexciting world of scuba diving.

“The club prospered rapidly and is

still today one of the largest andmost successful clubs in thecountry,” he notes.

The late fifties saw the beginnings ofother clubs in the nascent sport tooand they began helping each other.Moriarty recalls two other clubs thenin existence, the Irish Sub Aqua Club inDublin and the Belfast branch of theBritish Sub Aqua Club, which lenttechnical expertise andencouragement.

“Meeting up with a group fromBelfast, I experienced my first divein the care of a qualified divercalled Alistair Gilmore atCarraroe in Connemara in August1958. It was everything I expectedit to be. I had been a keen fin-swimmer (a term we used todescribe where the diver wore amask, fins and snorkel) and hadmany hours of finning behind mein the Dublin area mainly, so thisnew experience did not create anyspecial problems for me,” he says.

He recalls being offered the use of anAqualung brought from Belfast byGilmore and his friends for a dive inthe sea to about 15m. “It was what wecalled a ‘Tadpole’ cylinder, a small steelcylinder containing enough air to lastfor about 20 minutes in shallow water.The supply of air was controlled by apressure-reducing valve called ademand valve because it supplied air‘on demand’ to the diver when hedemanded it, that is, inhaled.”

He wore a belt with about 13lbs oflead of it, which enabled him to stay atdepth, and a heavy pullover provided asmall measure of warmth.

“I went as often as possible to thesea mainly in the Dublin area because itwas not far from the Curragh, butwhen we discovered the HookLighthouse area, we went there as oftenas possible for variety and for the longweekends. I would have clocked up 20or 30 dives in those early years, as theshortage of Aqua Lungs in the clublimited my own opportunities to dive.

“As there were so few qualified orexperienced divers in the club, most ifnot all of our dives were spent inbringing trainees up to a safe standard

Mick proudly holding the Glaucus Trophy for the Irish Open Spearfishing Championship ofIreland in August 1966. Photo: M. Fleming.

A Life Aquatic


of ability, something that I enjoyedgreatly,” he remembers.

He also has memories of exploringKilkee, in West Clare, after visiting hisfamily, who continued to live in Ennis.He linked in with Limerick Sub AquaClub, another new club taken with theexciting sport.

“Kilkee became my place ofpilgrimage,” he says. “Because therewere so few clubs and divers in thecountry in the late fifties and earlysixties, practically every dive was a newexperience, providing all divers with astrong feeling of exploration. Today,there are few enough locations aroundthe Irish coast today that has not beenvisited by divers. If one is an activediver, each outstanding dive quicklybecame erased by the next outstandingdive!”

Despite many non-divers believingthe sport is dangerous, Mick has neverhad a bad experience, even if he hasbeen involved in some tough scrapes. “Ihave searched for and found bodies inthe sea and rivers. I have had somedifficult moments when trying to getout onto rocks in rough conditions, orperhaps helping some panicky traineesto shore but I cannot state that I had a‘worst dive’. I suppose for me ‘a worsedive’ was when I was handed a cylinderwith which to go diving only todiscover that it was empty!”

The scuba world has changed a lotnationally and internationally over the

past five decades. He remembers thatin the early sixties, money was scarceand diving equipment was bothexpensive and not readily available.Two early dive equipment shopsopened, DISCO – Divers SupplyCompany, in Dublin, and Marine Sales,in Dalkey. Gradually the numbers ofdivers began to grow and by 1962,there were six clubs in the whole ofIreland. The talk focused on the needto set up rigorous standards to ensurethe sport’s safety.

“The first mention of a federationof clubs was made at a committeemeeting of the Irish Sub Aqua Clubin 1959 but was not followed up.Eventually, by common agreement,a number of meetings of represen-tatives of the clubs took placeduring 1962 and early 1963 and inSeptember of that year, ComhairleFo Thuinn (CFT) – The IrishUnderwater Council was formallylaunched at the Curragh Camp,”he remembers.

CFT had four founder member clubswith two other clubs as observers.Shortly afterwards, these clubs alsojoined, and moves were made to bringthe new national body in line withinternational standards. “CFT appliedto become an affiliate of CMAS(Confédération Mondiale des ActivitésSubaquatiques), the world governing

body for diving based in Paris and wereaccepted in 1966 for two of the threecommissions – the TechnicalCommission and the CompetitionsCommission.”

The new national organisation, nowpart of an international fraternity, wasthe impetus for a surge in diving clubs.

“It provided a focus for theattention of individuals who hadheard about this new leisureactivity and wished to be part of it.”

It also provided the benefits of beingpart of the developing methods andprocedures of the established clubs,and as divers became experienced andconfident, they were able to contributeto the discussions themselves as theygained in confidence.

He adds that CFT helped inputting diving on the map for non-divers also, and “was needed tomaintain a strong face to theGovernment and to those who mightregard any diver simply as a nuisanceonly interested in stealing from thepot of a fisherman”.

Moriarty was Secretary of CFTfrom 1964 until 1972, and becamePresident in 1973 for a year. He wasalso Treasurer for a while in 1965.

For beginners, he has always saidthat if they like the sea and areadequate swimmers, scuba diving isalways worth “a look and a listen”.

A man for open spaces. Mick and Dave Atherton, (author of La Trinidad Valencera) discussing his next project.

A Life Aquatic


“Diving is reallyvery simple once the training isthorough while the gear isexpensive, once purchased, it willlast for a long time if you lookafter it. My personal belief is thatpersonal contact between a diverand a potential diver is probablythe best way of recruiting newdivers to one’s club. Full use ofthe local papers with goodphotos will also do the trick.”

He says he would like to see areturn of the competitions thatwere once regularly held all aroundthe country, winter and summer,ranging from underwater hockey tolake and sea races and spearfishing,believing that overall diver fitnesshas suffered as a result.

“They all contributed to a highlevel of fitness. It also encouragedmuch greater friendship betweendivers for the competing clubs.”

In 2001, CFT published a

collection of his memories andexperiences, but since then MickMoriarty has built up many more,not least through his work inmaintaining and adding to CFT’sarchive at its headquarters in DunLaoghaire.

What he cherishes most of allfrom the adventure is the numberof friends he has made.

“At one time I felt that I could goto nearly any town in Irelandand look up a friend oracquaintance from the local club.This facility has receded,naturally enough, but I have stilla wide circle for old friends that Ivalue very much right across thecountry.”

“I could not imagine any othercourse or journey that wouldbetter the experiences of fifty fiveyears, I would not wish to changeanything.” ◼

Mick MoriartyThere from the beginning and still there

doing his bit for diving and CFT.

Thank you Mick

A Life Aquatic

The CourseYou could do better with your winterevenings, then sit in a cool study roomwatching tropical water based power-point background slides flick past youreyes, but you’d be forgiven to complainas there is an end point to achieve; thatis to become a one star diver. The CFTtrainee diver & club diver lecturescover all the basics on what you needto know before you go diving. But itsironic that they tell you all about thegear first and what you need topurchase and then you learn howthings can go terribly wrong with thissport. Reassuringly I refocused onwhat I learned, gas laws and the effectsof pressure. While all the course topicsare equally of important value, committhese two lessons to mind and youshouldn’t go wrong.

The GearBeing the second youngest in myfamily, I’m used to hand-me-downs,but when it comes to scuba gear, mineare all new. One should shop aroundof course, but reliability and personalassistance are top of my list. So I go tomy local dive shop, because I like to fitit, feel it and fix the price to pay for it.

Firstly the suit, well you know image iseverything, but get it to fit perfectlywhether semi-dry or dry is allimportant. You basically want to lookmore like a mermaid than a whale butwith a bit more flexibility. Many Eurosand hours later and I am almost fullykitted out. You would think that whenyou put all this gear on, getting downthe shot line would be easy withoutmore weight, but to neutralize thebuoyancy effect of the diving suit aweight belt must be worn. While Ithought I was a plump slip-of-a-lass, ittook an uneven eleven kilos to get medown to the sea bed floor.

Additional must haves are a knife,torch, computer, beacons and surfacemarker buoy are so essential for a morecomfortable dive and of course a kitbag to carry the lot around in. Butspend wisely as it can be a costlyexperience. I once spent a little morethan I should have on a mask only tocarelessly remove my hood forgettingthat I had elevated the mask onto myforehead and decanted them into thesea and down to the deep they go. Butthe best toy in my gear box is the EasyShot video camera. I can record all mydives and show them to all my friends.It’s just like they were there with me.

The CallThe month of May usually suggests aquiet, restful month when naturedecks herself our in her summerleisure wear and relaxes as swallowscircle and the cuckoo calls. Fordivers, the great seas drum aninsistent message, “come dive withme.” For no team of technicians in aGrand Prix pit stop could change acar wheel as quickly as I could whipup my scuba gear and head for theshore. The conditions were just right.Because among all those alternativemedicines in vogue today, nothingheals heart, mind and soul like a deepsea dive. There is nothing predictableabout it. It is the elixir of life incontrolled proportions. “Yes I’ll bethere, put me on the list”. Then Ihang out the shingle, “Gone diving,God only knows when I’ll be back,”because in Dundalk, we dive all yearround. Things can happen, theyalways do. Low tide for launching orre-launching, forgetting part of thegear, ripped seals on the dry suit, notenough buddies turning up, lastminute engine trouble despiteprevious checks been completed, thelist can be endless. Improvisation is askill you learn very fast when at sea.


In December 2012 I joined the Dundalk Sub Aqua club and diving became the

new passion for me. Once you hang out the shingle “Gone Diving, you throw

the switch that locks care to the world, you’re out of sight and out of the

mind as determination knows no bounds.

A GirlieDiveStoryFromDundalkBy Patricia Finley Hanratty

The DivesThe club safety officer produces a verycomprehensive gear inventory but youcan always tell if you’ve forgottensomething, usually when you arrive fivemiles away from the dive site aftertravelling one hour to get there. Justthen helplessly, you can never reallyimprovise, it is always the mostimportant thing. For me one day it wasthe wet suit and dry underwear for afterthe dive. Let’s just say it pays to livenear the coast! The distance is shorter,just like the memory! But if you plan todive, then you should dive to the plan.But it is all about the adrenaline rush.In its synthetic form it maintainscoronary and cerebral profusion inprolonged resuscitation. Whennaturally produced, delivered inincreasing spurts through the bloodstream, pro-pulsed by unexpectedthoughts in the mind, its effects seem tolast longer, plus it is healthier. Each divecan produce this feeling, just believe me!

As a two star diver in 2012 I onlytook 46 dives and all of them very good(Wow, that’s good!). Initially thedescent was not easy. The challengesof equalization, buoyancy, and properfining technique all took their toll onme. Yes I got the tooth squeeze, bustedeyeball and alveolar tear. I should havepaid more attention in class! Everydiver has a story to tell but I survivedto dive another day. The mostinteresting dives are the deep dives to38 metres, but for a disappointingbottom time of 15 minutes. The build-up, the tension, the buddy checkingand that’s just the divers, what aboutthe hosts. Well was Mrs. Congar Eelexpecting any visitors today? Or howdo the crabs feel when their private actof coitus is interrupted? Nothing isprivate in the deep sea. Whenvisibility is clear, it becomes a carpet ofsea urchins, anemones, sponges,squirts and fish of all kinds galorestrutting their walks. The colour,texture and movement of water is sorelaxing that it is a great pleasure toshare this space with these animals andplants. No matter how many timesyou dive to the same location, everydive is an adventure into the unknown.

The scenic dives in Rathlin Island,St. John’s Point in Donegal, Kinsale,

Baltimore and The Hook in Wexfordhave all fascinated me but wreckdiving, now that’s what I call diving. Itis like a visit to a graveyard with alarger than life story yet to be told.You can’t help thinking, how did ithappen, who was on this vessel, whatwere their last thoughts and could theaccident have been avoided? We willnever know. A wreck is a space ofunfinished story telling but like allgraveyards it has memories andbeautiful ones yet to share. Thewrecks I had the pleasure of visiting sofar in Ireland include, Le Garre(Rathlin Island), Laurentic (Donegal),Kowloon Bridge (Baltimore), TheRetriever (Greenore), to name but afew. As a two star diver you must gowith an experienced diver who hasbeen wreck diving on many occasions.

The descent to 38 metres, it is along way down and a busy shot linemeeting divers on deco on their assentcan be a little disconcerting as you finpast them. It is like watching diversfloating in some sort of time freeze.Fixated eyes in congress as they blowoff their gases, bubble, bubble, andmore bubbles. I wasn’t expecting theshot line to be like Grafton Street atmid-day. Scary stuff but during thedescent to 20 metres it appears to gosuddenly dark and just as we arrive at36 metres it’s like somebody has justswitched on the lights to light up thewreck. My buddy shakes my hand in agesture, “and now for your on-boardcomfort, madam we have…” I canhardly believe it myself; on theLaurentic wreck. This will make for aninteresting coffee morning discussionat work! My heart pulsates, mybuoyancy is perfect, I’m like a kitten ina wool shop, and I’m here to play forthe next fifteen minutes, whoopee.!!At first it is just like any seabed floorbut gradually the view takes shape forwhat was once a large ocean goingliner, its twisted metal reveals thestrain. The beauty of this ship wastorn apart and strewn across theseabed floor. But no gold to be found,maybe better luck next time!

The BuddiesThey are a handsome lot in theDundalk Sub Aqua club. We all have

become close friends. With themeverything is well planned andorganised so that the unpredictablewhich brings out the quality in acharacter does not generally occur.In their company there is never a dullmoment. They rarely agree upfrontinstead a working consensus emerges.Fog or faulty equipment can changethe moods of some divers veryquickly. If the results do not measureup to expectations, no quarter isgiven to apportioning blame. Standclear, it could easily be your fault!After each dive there is a detailedscrutiny of what went right and whatwent wrong. The protocol requiresthat you never blame the shortfall onyour own incompetence ormisjudgment. Divers are a strangebunch. Class or status does notcount. The judge and the consultantare cut down to size. Boasting ofone’s achievements attracts a chillingsilence.

But surprisingly “the gut feeling”still prevails. Is this an old sea faringthing or what, the gut feeling? You canthrow all the tidal, weather, technicaland scientific knowledge against thedecision to dive or not to dive, but ifthe gut feeling is not right, today,forget it, the dive is off.

The FutureOne of the great advantages of being amember of CFT is the endless numberof progression diving courses that youcan complete in your lifetime. Certainlyfor me, I want more wreck divingexperience. I know I’m a searcher, it’s atrait deep in my soul. Sink it and I’ll trymy best to find it, within limits ofcourse. But I’m driven by an urge topursue my own goals and adetermination to see more of this earth,particularly underwater. I hope I nevertire and that this urge lasts my lifetime.

Finally, my thanks to Ken, Bernie, Paul,Finbarr and April (my 2* instructor)from DSAC who minded me like ababy. To Phil Scott, the bestunderwater photographer I know. And,of course, my husband DermotHanratty for his tolerance andpatience. Also my workmates whom Ibore to tears with dive stories. ◼


Girlie Dive Story


I’m sitting in a restaurant inLlangattock, South Wales with myfriend Jason Pepper and two of MartynFarr’s students. They had justcompleted day one of a two day caverncourse (the entry level qualification forcave diving) and are absolutely buzzingwith talk of “snoopy loops” and “4mmnylon line”. I chuckled, but knew theunderlying feeling all too well. Thesense of accomplishment and quietsatisfaction, coupled with therealization that a whole new world ofdiving was opening up to them – oh tobe a fly on the wall after they completeday two! Jason and I would be divingthe deeper levels of the Silica Mine atDinas Rock, the students would bediving with Martyn in the uppermostlevels, learning some of the key skillsrequired to dive safely in an overheadenvironment.

The restaurant and bar are nowrapidly filling up with people keen tocelebrate (and commiserate) the Welshvictory, and as if right on cue Martynappears, and excitedly pushes a bookinto my hand. I look down...Classic

Darksite Diving...I look up, openmouthed – it’s finally here!

Martyn is probably most famous (inliterary terms) for his publications “TheDarkness Beckons” and “Diving inDarkness” which draw directly from awealth of experience that can only be

gained from many, many years of caveexploration and diver instruction fromaround the world. This latest title is adirect response to the one of the mostfrequent questions he is asked bystudents, “Where can I go to dive?”Martyn can now answer this with a

Martyn Farr’s New Book

ClassicDarksiteDivingReview by Alan Purcell

Most of the world’s cave divingcommunity have been waiting patientlyfor Martyn Farr’s new book “ClassicDarksite Diving” to arrive. So how didStirling SAC’s Alan Purcell manage toget one of the first copies? - and whydoes he think all divers should add it totheir collections?

This picture is Stalactites in Mexico, another favorite site with Martyn


comprehensive collation of details andimages of suitable dive sites sourcedfrom his travels around the UK andEurope – catering immediately to thosewith the requisite level of overheadenvironment training, “Cavern” “IntroCave” and “Full Cave”. Nobody is leftout, however, as those without thenecessary training can still appreciatesome of nature’s most incredibleenvironments. The front cover getsthings off to a good start, beautifully lit,full of colour - a good indication of

what lies within. Every single page ispacked with beautiful photography andinformative details, maps of the sites,directions of how to get there, accesspermissions, contact details - all in fullcolour with a useful key to determinethe suitability of the site for your levelof experience.

Consequentially, it’s no surprise thatDinas Rock, one of the premier minediving sites is detailed within the bookand I paid particular interest to thebeautifully rendered map of theflooded silica mine (where I would bediving tomorrow) and planned a routethrough the passageways that wouldtake us down to the railway lines at -22m. I knew the entry to the sitereasonably well and could see thateverything you needed to know wasclearly marked out in the book and wasextremely accurate.

“Classic Darksite Diving” coverssites from across Britain and Europeand is available from Martyn’s onlineshop - www.farrworld.co.uk now! Cavedivers will appreciate the level of detailand information when planning thatnext trip and open water divers will

appreciate the beautiful photography ofthese wonderful natural places,displayed at their best from a truemaster of his craft. An insider’s insightinto what is still a much misunderstoodsphere of diving.

The exciting new world Martyn’scavern students had glimpsed upon isdetailed here, maybe it will inspire youto find some more! ◼

Some beautiful shots from Martyn Farr’s cavediving. This lady’s picture is in the new book.

Book Review

SubSea Summer 1987

Anyone interested in a in a trip tothe chamber. ?

Now now Caroline, stick with theJunior snorkellers.


In the Spring edition of SubSea the article below was aired. Its a goodarticle and as relative today as we work hard to encourage more

women into our sport. Can one detect just a little bit of ........

Womenand Diving

By EITHNE BOWE, Gemini SAC'Underwater swimming has become one of the most popularparticipation and adventure sports. Although it was once only enjoyedby the most adventurous and extrovert, it is now the chosen sport ofmany thousands of men and women from all walks of life' (BSAC).

And so it should follow that an almost equal number of men and women shouldsuccumb to the lure of the sea. This, as we all know, is not the case. Visit the 40 Foot /Sandycove area any Sunday morning and it is remarkable how few female divers orsnorkellers you will see relative to men. In fact, out of 1,840 registered CFT membersthere are only 234 females! Why so? Could it be that scuba-diving is usually portrayedas the 'macho-man' sport — 'he' standing kitted up, ready to explore the unknowndepths while 'she' stands to one side bidding her brave man adieu* (c.f. 'Diving for Fun'manual).

It is true of course that men by virtue of their physical make-up, are stronger thanwomen and therefore make lighter work of carrying scuba gear in general — but in thewater scuba gear is equally buoyant on men and women. Women should not bedissuaded by the weight and encumbrance of equipment. You soon get used tocarrying your own gear (as us girls all know so well!) and no female (or male) will rejecta helping hand from a chivalrous male!

One trait I have certainly noticed about female divers during my six years diving istheir enthusiasm and tenacity for the sport once they take it up. Certainly, in my ownclub, you can always count on the girls to turn up for that cold Sunday morning snorkelor to help out with the trainees. They give of themselves a lot more in the sport thantheir male counterparts, who it must be remembered are far greater in number. (87%males: 13% females). At committee level too girls have proven themselves again andagain. They are far more organised and meticulous in their approach as a rule and in myown opinion, less likely to suffer from personality clashes. A sobering influence in anyclub. In Gemini SAC three of the five female club members sit on the committee andhave proven a valuable asset to the club in fundraising, training and general running andadministration. Where would we be without them? It is not only in SCUBA diving itselfthat women project themselves far more than men (remember 87% versus 13%) butalso in competition. In junior and senior galas both at home and abroad the talentportrayed by females relative to their numbers in the sport is phenomenal. Their teamspirit and commitment to the sport is commendable and they improve times and shatterrecords as often as their male counterparts do. (Whose relay team did the Irish squadproud in Crystal Palace March '88!!) It is very encouraging to see junior female diversdoing equally well and brandishing such good times in the water (c.f. Jim McMonagle'sarticle in Summer SUB-SEA). In fact, of the 234 registered female divers 53 are juniors(approximately 29%). Let's hope for ALL our sakes and the betterment of SCUBA divingthey keep rolling in.

Notes for the would-be female SCUBA diver:You don't have to be built like a tank and pump iron.You do get used to carrying gear and there ARE some — just a few — gentlemen in thediving circle.Neither must you be built like the female divers who feature in the James Bond moviesor the manufacturers ads. When God created women he liked variety. (All makes,shapes and varieties are welcome.)Don't be afraid to sport the bright pinks and blues now hitting the market. We could dowith a few Flo-Jos to brighten up the overall scene (men are very conservative youknow).The only questions in the medical form dealing specifically with females relate to wombtrouble and pregnancy — so don't get pregnant! (Mind you, a lot of those so-called 'fit'male divers look as if they're due any day.)Ambitious? How about a few more women on club committees and at CFT. level (nowthat Maeve and Irene have paved the way)? After all, mermaids are much nicer to lookat than overfed Neptune's.

For a number of years in the late 1980s alady from Portmarnock took on the task of

writing a junior section in SubSea.

Her articles were terrific and wouldencourage anyone to get involved in

snorkelling.

Of course Caroline didn’t disappear whenshe finished her junior section she laterbecame Secretary of CFT in ’89 and

served for a number of years.

STILL A MYSTERYThe deep sea is still a somewhatunexplored area. Exploring the depthsis a very difficult job and takes a lot ofmoney, time, equipment and expertise.Nearly twenty years ago man went into'outer space' when he visited themoon. The underwater world is our'inner space' and we are only nowbeginning to understand how it worksand the secrets it holds.

FACTStarfish and crabs can regrow legswhich get bitten or broken off. Crabfishermen break off the claws andthrow the crabs back into the water sothey can continue to live. Edible meatcan be found in most crab legs. Thenext time you go snorkelling, keep alook out for crabs missing a leg or two!

DID YOU KNOW?The slowest walker has been classifiedas a crab of the species NEPTUMUSPELAGINES. One particular crab wastagged in the Red Sea and took twentynine years to travel the 101.5 miles(163km) to the Mediterranean Sea viathe Suez Canal at an average speed of3.5 miles (5.6km) a year.

THE SURFACE LIFE JACKETWhen going snorkelling, being able tosee, breathe and move comfortably areimportant if you are to enjoy yoursnorkel dive. One thing that is mostimportant for comfort would be'buoyancy control.' What I mean bybuoyancy control is being able to floatlightly in the water, therefore makingyour swim much more enjoyable. To beable to relax on the surface you shouldalways wear a life jacket.

More snippets from the past


The jumper brigadeTom Shakespeare, Irish SAC. The Baily, Howth C.1957

In the wheel house Tom Shakespeare, the first NDO.Back row, Tony Balfe, Cork, Seamus O’Reilly, Belfast, Brian

Cusack, Irish, Joe Murray, Irish.Front row. Shane Grey, Curragh, Hugh Hennessy, Ulster, John

Hailes,Curragh, Liam Clegg, Irish. The boat is Des Lavelle’s ‘BealBocht’ and the photo was probably taken by Bill Crowley

The event was not just out for a days fishing but a week longLeading Diver test, (Now Leading Instructor) at Valentia Island in

1970.

Alan Brislane, winner and Candy O’Connor runner up in the Limerick Junior Disc Recovery Competition in Kilkee 1967

“The Assault Craft” The fore runner to the ribsPat Crowley; Gerry Stokes; Noel Hodge; Helena O'Regan; Ken Walsh;Tony Power; Kevin McGrath. All from the Waterford Hb SAC. C.1983

At the Hoobawns, outside Kilkee in 1960.On the left Eoin Geary and on right Gerry Hayes, both

of LSAC. Photo: Ronnie Hurley.

L to R, Cedric Bowmer, Mick Moriarty, Mike Suchard, Paddy Hughes and Rory Breslin.

Front, Anthony Bishop and Brian Pim

Picture Parade From The Past


Paddy Hughes, Irish SAC. C.1957

Betty and Shane O’Connor about to dive in Carraroe, in 1960Who needs a dry suit ?

Wet suits have arrivedL to R. Noel McCormack, Ronnie Hurley, Martin Hennigar, MichaelHennigar, Deirdre O’Donnell, Dave Brown and Jimmy O’Connor.

All from the LSAC training in 1978. Photo from Ronnie Hurley collection

A Pod Of Presidents! From ’63 to ’94Standing L-R: Billy Nott 1984-88, Ronnie Hurley 1968, John Hailes 1977-78, Ted Spendlove 1975-76, John O'Connor 1992-94,

Nick Moriarty 1973-74, Gerry Stokes 1978-81, Bart McMullin 1983-84, Paul Ryan 1991-92Seated L-R: Jim Whelan 1969-70, Hugh Quigley 1966-67, Shane O'Connor 1963, Hugh Hennessy 1964-65, Brian McGuinness

1981-83, Pat Bergin 1988-90.

Missing from the photo; Jim Sweetman and Dr. Nigel Mathers

Picture Parade From The Past


Comhairle Fó-Thuinn Executives 1963-2013Year President Vice President Secretary Treasurer NDO

1963 Shane O'Connor Tom Shakespeare Neil Bracken

1964 Hugh Hennessy Michael Moriarty Neil Bracken

1965 Hugh Hennessy Michael Moriarty Michael Moriarty

1966 Hugh Quigley Michael Moriarty

1967 Hugh Quigley Michael Moriarty

1968 Ronnie Hurley Michael Moriarty

1969 Jim Whelan Michael Moriarty

1970 Jim Whelan Michael Moriarty Tom Shakespeare

1971 Jim Sweetnam Brian Cusack

1972 Jim Sweetnam John Hailes

1973 Michael Moriarty James Sweetnam Edward Spendlove Dara Hogan John Hailes

1974 Jim Sweetnam Douglas Brislane Edward Spendlove Dara Hogan John Hailes

1975 Ted Spendlove Jerry Stokes Maire Keogh Dara Hogan John Hailes

1976 Nigel Mathews John Hailes Edward Spendlove Dara Hogan Tom Mason

1977 John Hailes Martin Hennigar Dave Hyland Dara Hogan Billy Nott

1978 Gerry Stokes Adrain Blyth Dave Hyland Frank Hand Billy Nott

1979 Gerry Stokes Brian Mc Guinness

1980 Gerry Stokes Brian Mc Guinness

1981 Brian Mc Guinness Pat Bergin

1982 Brian Mc Guinness Bart McMulllan John Geraghty Dara Keyes Pat Bergin

1983 Bart Mc Mullan John Geraghty Dara Keyes Pat Bergin

1984 Billy Knot Bart Mc Mullin

1985 Billy Knot Fred Jump Peter Brady Dara Keyes Gerry Stokes

1986 Billy Knot Ray Yeates Peter Brady Dara Keyes Gerry Stokes

1987 Billy Knot Pat Bergin Peter Brady Dara Keyes Gerry Stokes

1988 Pat Bergin Gerry Stokes

1989 Pat Bergin Fred Jump Caroline Hussey Dara Keyes Gerry Stokes

1990 Ronnie Fitzgibbon Caroline Hussey Stewart Clarke Dave Jackson

1991 Paul Ryan George Malone Irene Harrison Stewart Clarke Dave Jackson

1992 John O'Connor Gerry Stokes Irene Harrison Stewart Clarke George Malone

1993 John O'Connor Gerry Stokes Roisin Mc Guire Stewart Clarke George Malone

1994 Stewart Clarke Billy O'Connor Roisin Mc Guire Colm O'Shea Irene Harrison

1995 Stewart Clarke Billy O'Connor Roisin Mc Guire Colm O'Shea Irene Harrison

1996 Stewart Clarke Nigel Kelleher Roisin Mc Guire Colm O'Shea Irene Harrison

1997 Peter Brady Nigel Kelleher Andrew Thompson Colm O'Shea Don Mc Glinchey

1998 Peter Brady Gearoid Murphy Andrew Thompson Colm O'Shea Don Mc Glinchey

1999 Gearoid Murphy Roisin McGuire Andrew Thompson Colm O'Shea Don Mc Glinchey

2000 Gearoid Murphy Roisin McGuire Sharon Kelly Jim Turbett Kevin O'Shaughnessy

2001 Gearoid Murphy Roisin McGuire Sharon Kelly Jim Turbett Kevin O'Shaughnessy

2002 Michael Loftus Roisin McGuire Richard Thorn Jim Turbett Kevin O'Shaughnessy

2003 Michael Loftus Don McGlinchey Richard Thorn Jim Turbett Kevin O'Shaughnessy

2004 Michael Loftus Don McGlinchey Tony Healy Brian Morrow Thomas Hoey

2005 Don Mc Glinchey Tony Healy Paddy McGowan Brian Morrow Thomas Hoey

2006 Don Mc Glinchey John Dunne Paddy Mc Gowan Anthony Smith Thomas Hoey

2007 Don Mc Glinchey Finbar Murphy Mary Taylor Anthony Smith Kathy Brickell

2008 Don Mc Glinchey Finbar Murphy Mary Taylor Maureen Brogan Kathy Brickell

2009 Finbar Murphy Keith Singleton Mary Taylor Darach Rossiter Niall Stapleton

2010 Finbar Murphy Keith Singleton Mary Taylor Darach Rossiter Niall Stapleton

2011 Mary Taylor Richard Thorn Jean Kelleher Darach Rossiter Martin Kiely

2012 Richard Thorn Mike Orth Jean Kelleher Ray Furlong Martin Kiely

2013 Richard Thorn Mike Orth Jean Kelleher Ray Furlong Martin Kiely

Over the years and in particular overthe past year we are continuallysinging the praises of CFT and thegreat work it has done over the yearssince its foundation fifty years ago.

But what of the people who havebeen part of the building process.Who were the many individualmembers who gave of their timewillingly and generously to build this

organization? Can any present daymember name any of them, say, tenyears ago?

A visit to CFT office will show youwho was President or NDO over theyears but sadly all the other executivemembers over the years have beenconsigned to various copies of SubSea,

The Executive


Comhairle Fó-Thuinn Executives 1963-2013Year NSO PRO Pub. Officer Sci. Officer Child Protect Comp. Officer

1963 Hugh Quigley

1964 Tom Shakespeare

1965 Shane O'Connor

1966 Joseph Murray

1967 Donal Douglas

1968 Joseph Murray

1969 Hugh Hennesy

1970 M. Wilson Edward Spendlove

1971

1972

1973 Hugh Hennesy Hugh Hennesy Peter Paice Roger Fitzgerald

1974 Brian Cusack Hugh Hennesy Nigel Matthers Roger Fitzgerald

1975 Brian Cusack Hugh Hennesy Nigel Matthers Shane Gray

1976 Pat Sweeney Hugh Hennesy Michael Hayes Dave Hyland

1977 Pat Sweeney Hugh Hennesy Paul Ryan Des Coleman

1978 Paul Fogarty Hugh Hennesy John Galvin Des Coleman

1979 Hugh Hennesy

1980 Hugh Hennesy

1981 Hugh Hennesy

1982 Ronnie Fitzgibbon Shane Gray Ronan Quinlan Michael Max Pat McCoole

1983 Ronnie Fitzgibbon Shane Gray Ronan Quinlan Michael Max Pat McCoole

1984 Ronnie Fitzgibbon Shane Gray Ronan Quinlan Dave McCormack

1985 Ronnie Fitzgibbon Pat McCoole Harry Smith Michael Max Dave McCormack

1986 Shane Gray Harry Smith Ronnie Fitzgibbon Dave McCormack

1987 Ronnie Fitzgibbon Shane Gray Harry Smith Paul Ryan Dave McCormack

1988 Edward Burke

1989 Ronnie Fitzgibbon Rory Golden Billy Nott Nessa O'Connor John Cantillon

1990 John O'Connor Rory Golden Billy Nott Nessa O'Connor Roisin Mc Guire

1991 John O'Connor Rory Golden Billy Nott Mike Redfern Roisin Mc Guire

1992 Peter Brady J.J. Flavin Pat Dillane Roisin Mc Guire

1993 Peter Brady J.J. Flavin Pat Dillane Des O'Connor

1994 Peter Brady Peter O'Doherty Pat Dillane Eddie Burke Pat Duffy

1995 Peter Brady Peter O'Doherty Pat Dillane Pat Duffy

1996 Polly Dolan Peter O'Doherty Edward Burke Pat Duffy

1997 Polly Dolan John Rhattigan Edward Burke Roisin Mc Guire

1998 Siobhan Brennan John Rhattigan Edward Burke Hugh Nolan

1999 Siobhan Brennan Michael Loftus Polly Dolan Hugh Nolan

2000 Kate Hills Michael Loftus Polly Dolan Deirdre O'Hara Hugh Nolan

2001 Kate Hills Michael Loftus Polly Dolan Sean Power

2002 Kate Hills Edward Burke Polly Dolan Stefan Kraan Roisin Mc Guire

2003 Kate Hills Edward Burke Polly Dolan Stefan Kraan Roisin Mc Guire

2004 Richard Jones Liam Finnegan Polly Dolan John Dunne

2005 Richard Jones Finbar Murphy Edward Burke Silvana Acevedo John Dunne

2006 Finbar Murphy Edward Burke Eoghan Kieran Conall O Domhnaill

2007 Eoin Peacock Keith Singleton Joe Mc Cabe Eoghan Kieran Conall O Domhnaill

2008 Eoin Peacock Keith Singleton CFT Executive Adrienne Mockler Martin Leddy

2009 Eoin Peacock Martin Leddy Marie Grennan Adrienne Mockler Paul Keller

2010 Stephen Singleton Martin Leddy Marie Grennan Adrienne Mockler Paul Keller

2011 Stephen Singleton Martin Leddy Marie Grennan Ger Donnelly Fidelma Carroll

2012 Stephen Singleton Eibhir Mulqueen Denny Lawlor Ger Donnelly Fidelma Carroll

2013 Martine Mc Carthy Eibhir Mulqueen Denny Lawlor Tim Butter Fidelma Carroll

if they were lucky, and stored away inthe archive and not to be ever seenagain.

Surely the work carried out by thevarious members down through theyears deserves some recognition.

Well, thanks to the painstakingwork of Mick Moriarty and Louise, we

have brought them all back fromobliteration and are happy to sharetheir names with you and the world.

And before the letters comepouring in to say we have it wrong, wehave missed names or we have wrongdates, yes, we may have made mistakesand we would be happy, nay, delighted

if someone can correct us. We wanthistory to be recorded correctly so doplease tell us.

So for the first time a complete listof all the executives has beencomplied and what better time to dothan the present as we celebrate fiftyyears of Comhairle Fó-Thuinn. ◼


From spear fishing to photography,from the small capacity bottles of earlydivers to the large capacity lungs ofthose who have eschewed bottles forfree diving, from 6 year old snorkelersto 82 year old divers, from the printednewsletters of the early years to thedigital and social media revolution ofrecent years, from 1963 to 2013 this‘sport for active grandmothers’, as theFrench refer to it, has grown,developed, morphed, reinvented itselftime and again over the last 50 years ofCFT’s existence. Clubs have formed,and died, and new ones been born.Members have come and gone andfaces have changed. Old friends havepassed on and new ones have emergedto fill the gaps, while making theircontribution to the memory bank.Rows have been had and battles have

been fought within clubs, withinregions and within CFT. But,somehow, perhaps like families, all getspushed to one side when the reason wecome together comes to the fore; toput our heads underwater andexperience a different world and beable to share it and talk about itafterwards. Have you ever noticedhow boats full of divers are much morechatty after a dive than before?

We all dive for different reasons andthe range of interests that CFT supportsis testament to that. With activephotography, marine identification,technical, search and recoverycommunities there is something in CFTfor most people who share an interestin the underwater world. Whilecompetitive underwater sports have notbeen to the fore in recent years they are

experiencing a resurgence in interest, asis the case with underwater hockey, andthere is a strong movement to reengagewith spear fishing, an activity thatcharacterised the early years of CFT’sexistence.

The 50th Anniversary Dinner Danceon Saturday 14th September is anopportunity to celebrate the richness ofthe last fifty years and, who knows,maybe to dream about the next 50.While no one can foretell whatdirection diving will take in the futureone thing is certain, the joy of puttingyour head underwater and entering adifferent world will be central to it.

Looking forward to meeting manyof you on the 14th September.

Richard Thorn, President Comhairle Fo-Thuinn.

From The President

As National Diving Officer I have beenprivileged to dive with many clubs anddivers around the country. I haveenjoyed this enormously however ithas also given me the opportunity tosee for myself the standards and carewe put into our diving practices.

Knowing first hand how mucheffort previous and present TechnicalCommissions put into the Courses andTests to ensure the safest possiblestandards for our members, it frightensme how much Clubs and membersbreak, bend or totally ignore the Rulesand Recommendations. The followingare only some of the concerns I haveregarding our regular diving practices:

• Depth limits seem to be ignoredthroughout all grades from Diver *right the way up to instructor. Thedepth limits are there for yoursafety so please be extra vigilantthat you do not exceed these even ifyour Buddy wants you to.

• The Fitness to dive is anotherpractice that appears not to beadhered to. Perhaps Diving Officers/ DOD’s are turning a blind eye topeople diving without all threegreen ticks on COMS or they are

unaware of who is fully insured todive and who is not. Again thissystem is there for a reason and itsfor your safety.

• Instructors are not exempt from theabove practices and indeed I havebeen seen Club Diver tests beingpreformed on dives deeper thanthose set in the Courses & Testsbook with little regard for diversafety and Trainee divers regularlydiving deeper than those allowed.

• Another worrying practice is theamount of Decompression Divingtaking place by unqualified divers.Some of those that are qualified arenot planning and communicatingtheir dives to the coxswain andDOD. Remember if a dive time hasbeen set by the DO this must beadhered to as a late diver is a missingdiver and should be treated as so.

• There seems to be a general lack ofcommunication between boats andthe coastguard regarding TrafficReports, boats going out to seawithout working VHF radios andunqualified coxswains talkingdivers out to sea.

Please remember if you are divingwithin the CFT Rules and Regulationsyou are insured, if you break themYOU ARE NOT .

The importance of clubs havingLeading Diver Candidates can’t beignored or undervalued. Firstly thecandidates have to train to ourstandards but more importantly itrefreshes all the divers in the groupfrom the new excited trainee to themost experienced instructor andeveryone in-between.

Some of our clubs are exemplary intheir planning and diving practices andI commend these, it leaves mewondering why others are not.

The responsibility for divingpractices is not just down to the DivingOfficer, it is for each and everymember of CFT to know. Pleaserefresh your knowledge of these, theyare available to view in your COMSaccount or you can contact head officeand they will email a version to you.

We all have a duty of care to ourfamily and friends to dive to highestpossible standards.

Yours in Safe DivingMartin Kiely

National Diving Officer

From The NDO

CFT News


Portmarnock Sub Aqua Club has alot in common with others in thediving world this year - CFT is 50,

SubSea is 40 and we too are celebratinga “Roundy” Birthday. This year PSAC is30 years old and well on its way to beingan established part of North CountyDublin’s Sports Community.

The Club was founded in 1983 bythree residents of Portmarnock whowere divers from other clubs – PatDoherty (who sadly died prematurelyin 2010) and Brian McGuinness fromthe Irish SAC and Pat Kavanagh fromthe Army. The line-up for the firstClub Committee was...Pat Doherty, PatKavanagh (current member), HarryO’Neill, Eamon Kavanagh, JohnMurphy, Les Grennan (currentmember) and Eoghan Cahill.

Under their excellent care PSACgrew into a well- respected club with astrong sense of fun and an evenstronger safety ethos. Since itsfoundation in 1983, the club has builton both of these core factors to becomethe vibrant club we are now in 2013.The membership has grown to over 55,with 12 new members joining this year.

Within the Club there is a good mix ofyoung, old, female and male members.

We train all year round, withThursday night pool sessions run by PatKavanagh, who after 30 years

membership is still very active withinthe Club. We use the pool inPortmarnock Leisure Centre for trainingand usually round off with a ‘lemonade’in the bar. We snorkel all the year round

Portmarnock Sub Aqua ClubThirty Years on

By Michael Whelan

Offical blessing of the boats.This ceremony was held on Sunday, 26th May 2013 at 12.30 pm in the grounds of Portmarnock Sports and Leisure Centre; and was celebrated by

Fr, Niall McDermott Co-P.P. who himself is a sailor and one of the priests from Saint Anne's Parish in Portmarnock. Photo: Agnieszka Samsel

Club founders, and some of the first committee members taken on a dive weekend in Kilkee. L to R – Harry O’Neill, Pat Kavanagh; Middle Row - John Murphy, Eamonn Kavanagh, Brian Mc Guinness

(Irish SAC); Front Row – Caelan Grennan and the late Pat Doherty, Les Grennan is behind the camera.


at various places around Dublinincluding Loughshinny, Portmarnockand Skerries. During the dive season(which for some hardy members is allyear round), weekend dive trips areorganised to many places around theIrish coast. Throughout the dive season,from May to October, we also have mid-week evening dives in Dublin Bay. Atother times, qualified divers within theClub organise dives catering for clubmembers with special qualifications.

Dublin Bay has many interestingscenic dive sites as well as the wrecksites of the Tayleur, the ill fated WhiteStar Line steel clipper that ran agroundoff Lambay Island on its maidenvoyage, the Shamrock, whose boilersare still relatively intact and theLeinster, which in 30+ metres is bestsuited to the more experienced diver.Our foreign trip destinations over thelast few years have included Malta,Mexico and Scapa Flow (where thewater is only 6 degrees). Trips to theCanary Islands and the RedSea are becoming annualoutings, where the water islike a warm bath at 26-28degrees. Some of the manyhighlights from our outingsabroad include swimmingwith dolphins, turtles, andhuge Napoleon wrasse whileexploring the wrecks of theRed Sea and in Lanzarote,getting to see a seahorse,almost perfectlycamouflaged against theseaweed.

PSAC is active in thecommunity and provides

boat cover for the Lions Club New YearSwim each year. We have also beeninvolved in safety cover on the LiffeyDescent, the Coastguard Joint Searchand Recovery weekend and Sea Scouttraining days. In our 30 year history theClub has raised over €45k for manycharities including the RNLI, GuideDogs for the Blind and Sport Aid. Arelay team from PSAC became theholders of the Underwater 10kGuinness World Record in 2000,raising over €7k for People in Need onthat occasion.

We have a strong “social scene” fornon-diving friends and familymembers. The highlight of our Familyyear is our Annual Pirate’s Day, whereeach year we entertain over 200 adultsand children to a treasure hunt,barbecue, face painting and a bouncycastle on the beach on Ireland’s Eye, anisland only 1km from Howth Harbour.Unruly children (or adults) have beenknown to be made to walk the plank!!

Our ‘fleet’ consist of 3 RIBs and aZodiac, affectionately known asBarbie. The Club is equipped with airand nitrox compressors and we havetwo mobile compressors for our‘away’ trips. Tank fills andmaintenance costs are covered bymembership fees, as is insurance, poolfees and CFT membership. Newmembers, both qualified divers andbeginners, are always welcome.Beginners can come along to ourorganised ‘Try a Dive’ evenings orarrange a session with one of ourfriendly instructors.

In bringing snorkeling and SCUBAdiving to the people of North CountyDublin, we bring not only excitingsports, but also an appreciation of thebeauty of our coastal waters and therich marine life they contain along withan awareness of the safety andconservation needs of our chosenpastime. Over the years there havebeen many faces coming and going, but

through it all PSAC justkeeps going from strength tostrength. We would like towish both SubSea, on its 40th

birthday, and CFT, on its50th birthday, the very bestfor the future and hope thatsnorkeling and diving willcontinue to be exciting andadventurous sports to all thecurrent members and thenew people yet to discoverthem.

For more information aboutPSAC find us on Facebookor at www.psac.net ◼

Ola and Paul Our Newest Club Member Ola with one of our seasoned divers Paul

(Pat Kavanagh´s Son). Photo: Artur Wrobleski.

Girls from the ClubFinola, Maciej, Fiona and Louise after a dive off Lamby Island. Photo:

Artur Wrobleski.

Launching of “Potential One” Portmarnock’s first Inflatable boat atHowth, In January 1986.

Portmarnock


The Irish Sub Aqua Club is theoldest formal diving club inIreland, with an extensive

history. In fact we celebrated our 50th

anniversary in 2006! The minutes ofour first club meeting show that it tookplace in Jury’s Hotel on the 27th ofMarch 1956 and over the years therehave been over 430 people through ourclub from the records to which we haveaccess. Man had not yet ventured tothe stars but a fearless group of Irishmen and women were looking toexplore the depths of the Irishcoastline. Essentially you could say thatthe adventurous spirit of the foundingmembers of the Irish SAC was thefoundation of CFT diving in Ireland.These were the first underwateraquatic adventurers in Ireland.

Some of the early timelines in our club history were captured in club minutesand while important to our club they bear relevance to the origination ofdiving in Ireland.

March 1956: Formal founding of the Irish SAC

February 1957: Approval of the club crest

April 1957: First mention of buying a lung (dive cylinder )

May 1957: Purchase of a lung by Mr Pim

June 1957: First mention of waterproofing fabric (to create a dive suit)

November 1957: Bolton Street Technical School students affiliated to the ISAC

January 1958: First mention of buying a club boat

April 1958: First club trip away to Courtmacsherry and also the first mention ofrescue drill (Search and Rescue)

May 1958: First mention of the Curragh branch of the Irish SAC and otherbranches of the Irish SAC

February 1959: First Logbook mentioned, open sea test, lecture series and handsignals.

April 1959: First mention of the Irish Underwater Sports Federation, andmention of a club compressor.

July 1959: Finding of the John Tayleur off Lambay Island.

August 1959: Formation of spear fishing and salvage committee. (I am guessingthis may have had to do with finding the Tayleur.)

October 1959: The agreement of Glaucus as our club emblem with “Animis inUndas (with enthusiasm into the depths)” as our club motto.

November 1959: First mention of Recompression Chamber

September 1960: Mention of Killaloe branch of Irish SAC

May 1961: First Mention of Cork Branch of Irish SAC

Rockabill Diving

Club Spotlight

The Irish Sub AquaClub by James Scallon


The finding of the wreck of the“John Tayleur” in July 1952 wascertainly one of the big events in theclubs early days. This event wasrecorded by Billy Crowley as part of abooklet produced to commemoratingthe Irish Sub Aqua Club’s twenty firstbirthday celebrations. But that story isfor another day and another issue.

Originally the club pool was at theIveagh Baths in Dublin where arequest was made to allow mixedbathing at the pool which I guesswas something unusual at that time.Some members recall the westernstyle saloon bar dressing roomdoors that were along the side ofthe pool which restricted shareddressing room space with which weare familiar nowadays.

In the early years of our clubmembers could only progress toscuba once they were proved to beproficient in snorkelling whichrequired a 20 – 20 test to pass.Snorkel dive to 20m and stay therefor 20 seconds before returning tothe surface and completing theexercise again. Naturally Traininghas since evolved to the CFTsyllabus and new members can nowchoose between pursuingsnorkeling or diving.

Recruitment of new members intimes past was typically throughadverts in the news papers withapplications in writing, no mobiles,no internet, no social media sites

back then and the club nightbecame an important social contactpoint for new members to find outwhere activities were the followingweek as not all members had access toa phone. Some people might say thatthere may have been a groupee elementfollowing the first Irish oceanexplorers, with a lot of the early divingbeing more into a pint rather than the

ocean. In a short time the clubprogressed to a club room in BaggotStreet in Dublin where rumour has it aclub shebeen established itself for atime but club records are very vagueabout that.

Over the years ISAC was very activein diving related competitions and hasorganised many events in the pastparticularly long distance snorkelling

events.Some of the events from the

past were the CFT Gala which wasalways a fiercely fought nationalgala with great rivalry betweenclubs nationally, events at thisranged from individual race eventsincluding mono-fin races andscuba relay races which involved achangeover of gear underwater ona breath hold in the deep end of apool about 10m from the end,surfacing before touching the endof the pool disqualified. Otherevents of note were the penny grab,candle race relay, tug of war andthe infamous pipe puzzle.

Another snorkellingcompetition was the Davy Jonescompetition which was heldannually in Greystones. Itconsisted of throwing thousandsof new bottle tops in an enclosedarea and at a depth of 4 to 6metres. The objective was tocollect as many bottle caps as onecould within a specified time.There were different categories i.e.

Photos from the archiveDivers with catch of the day

Some things never change, Divers looking at the chart, the sounder of its day

The Glaucus Trophy for the Irish Open SpearfishingChampionship of Ireland was sponsored by the Irish SAC

in 1963

Club Spotlight

individual, team and junior and loadsof prizes. The competition wasstopped due to the danger ofindividuals getting shallow waterblackouts. Also the damage to theenvironment was not appreciated bylocals. A suitable new venue wasnever considered due to risks ofshallow water blackout. Thiscompetition was very popular and asmany as 50 to 70 competitorsfrom mostly east coast clubsattended annually in the month ofJune.

Currently ISAC has an active groupof divers and snorkellers and alsoassociated with our club is a juniorsnorkelling group called the SeaUrchins. They are based in SeanMcDermott Street in Dublin and arealways looking for new members.Senior snorkellers are active onSundays typically and a number ofhardy divers and snorkellers maintaintheir activity all year round in the sea.Favourite locations for these guys areRush, Skerries, Loughshinny,Sandycove and Seapoint.

Currently we are based at the ESBSportsco complex in Ringsend in thecentre of Dublin. Monday night is ourclub night where members maintaintheir fitness and pool training isconducted. Our club is very wellequipped these days with a boatavailable on both the north and southside of the city.

Diving happens out of DunLaoghaire and Rush. Lambay Islandbeing a favourite for the Northside andDalkey Island and the Muglins, like somany other clubs in Dublin, beingpopular dive locations on the southside. Diving typically happens over theweekend with midweek dives also runthrough the summer while the day lightis available.

As all divers from Dublin will agreeit is hard to match a sunny evening divein Dublin. In addition to the dive you getto drive into the sunset on return toDun Laoghaire which can offer apicturesque sunset on our capital city,with silhouettes of the Pigeon house andthe city centre skyline features. Notmany capital cities in the world can offerthat.

Although diving in Dublin can begreat our club also venture away forweekends and there are very fewlocations nationally that the club hasnot dived since our foundation.

The next Scuba training coursecommences September 2013 at theIrish SAC and details can be found onour club website www.irishsac.org. orscan the QR code withyour smart phone, newmembers are alwayswelcome. ◼

Pirates of the Muglins Island

1985 Guinness Book of Records at Butlins 168 hours continuous relay 333 milesLeft to Right: Laurence Thermes, Eddie McGettigan, Charles Haughey, Tony Boyle, Gearoid

Murphy (former CFT President)

The fella in the middle is unforgettable but the far left is Laurence Thermes now living in Sligo.The second from left is Eddie McGettigan he was a terrific endurance athlete from Viking SAC.Mick Moore recruited him onto the team. Besides this event Eddie and Mick have fin swam theNorth Channel and other long distance team swims. Eddie once soloed from Tusker to Walesin 26 hours. That was a great event. He was supported by Viking and ISAC. Photo: Unknown.

Brian Mc Guinness

Club Spotlight


Mart & ExchangeMart & Exchange carries small ads for commercial services at a rate of E50.00 for up to 50 words,cash with order. Ads from diver to diver for non commercial services are free. Send advertisements by fax, E-mail or post to CFT Head Office for inclusionin the next issue. If gear is stolen pleaseadvertise to assist recoveryand alert thetrade.

North Irish Lodge/North Irish DiverRe-Opens ‘NEW 5* Accommodation’

Islandmagee - Antrim CoastLuxury Dive Package breaks for 4 Divers

4 Dives + 2 Nights 5 * Accommodation from £199 PPS

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Tel from: ROI 048 9338 2246

Website www.northirishlodge.com

Email [email protected]

The Ocean Hotel Dunmore East, Co.Waterford10% discount for all diving clubs and CFT members

We offer Accommodation, Bar, Restaurant & Cafe.

Regular live music and a great atmosphere.

We will tailor a package to suit your needs.

For more information and rates please contact

Ciaran on 087 2823820 or [email protected]

West Cork Summer Special -Offshore Safari AdventuresOffshore dive trips for the experienced divers on WaveChieftain, groups of 8 - 12 people, 4 dives, 1 nightaccommodation

From €170 pp weekend trips or €150 pp mid-week

[email protected] tel 028-20511 mob 087-7961456

Congraulations to CFT fromeveryone at AQUAHOLICSAnd thank you to CFT Divers for their support for the last 15 years

www.aquaholics.ie 00442870832584

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Documents

Subsea 147