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Lough Derg Sub Aqua Club - Nenagh Guardian Notes from 2005
24 Jan 2005 12:25
Training is going well with most of the new trainees having done their snorkel test and moving on to learning how to use and be comfortable with their scuba gear. Training continues every Thursday night in Nenagh Pool at 7pm followed by lectures in the Ormond Hotel. The next club meeting is on Thursday 3rd Feb. in the Ormond Hotel, Nenagh. Congratulations to Martin and Aisling on their recent wedding and welcome to Emer O’Donnell the newest and youngest member. If anyone wants to contribute to these notes contact Derry on 086-3191673
29 November 2004 12:25
Our next meeting is on after pool training Thursday 2nd December in the Ormond Hotel. All members requested to attend. Don’t forget our Christmas party is on Sat. 18th Dec. in Lucky Bags. Margaret Ryan is the organiser and tickets must be paid for by Thursday 2nd Dec. to ensure a place. The Christmas party is always a great night and a perfect chance for new members to meet existing members. Lectures for trainees take place in the Ormond Hotel after the pool sessions on Thursdays.
15 November 2004 10:37
We had our monthly meeting on Thursday 4th Nov. in The Ormond Hotel. We have a good number of new members, who by now will have done their pool test and begin training. A new sign off document has been introduced by CFT, this is for trainees to sign, stating that they have had explained and taught to them the various procedures and exercises carried out in the pool. Lectures for trainees will take place in the Ormond Hotel after the pool session on Thursdays. Don’t forget our Christmas party is on Sat. 18th Dec. in Lucky Bags. Margaret Ryan is the organiser and tickets must be paid for in full as soon as possible to ensure a place. Our next meeting is on Thursday 2nd December.
01 November 2004 10:18
We had two successful open nights last month with quiet a few people expressing an interest in joining the club. Last Thursday was the first of our training sessions in Nenagh pool this season. New members had to do a pool test, which involved swimming 8 lengths freestyle and 2 lengths backstroke and a 30 second breath holding test. They will now move on to basic skill training with snorkelling equipment such as clearing the mask underwater and various methods of entering the water. These will ensure that all skills are second nature when trainees move on to diving. Our monthly meeting is this Thursday 4th Nov. at 9pm in The Ormond Hotel. All members requested to attend. On the social scene, which frequently eclipses the diving, our Christmas party is on Sat. 18th Dec. in Lucky Bags. Margaret Ryan is the organiser and tickets must be paid for in full as soon as possible to ensure a place. If the night is as crazy as the organiser it should be very good indeed! Speaking of craziness a great night was had by all who made it to Roscrea on Saturday night for Maureen’s birthday party with plenty of great fancy dress costumes around.
20 September 2004 12:50
The Leading Diver Exams were held in Smerwick in Co. Kerry at the weekend. Congratulations to Martin O’Sullivan who successfully passed his test in conditions that were less than favourable. Strong winds and rough seas contributed to an already difficult task. CFT The Irish Underwater Council define a Leading Diver as an experienced diver who has passed the Leading Diver exam, and is competent to lead divers of any grade on open water dives and to organise dive groups. Leading Divers will be involved in leading trainee divers. Ten divers in all from the south west region successfully passed their test. The Club AGM is on Thursday 7th October at 9pm all members requested to attend. Our open nights will be on Thursday 14th and 21st October, where members of the public are invited to try a dive in the pool followed by a presentation on club activities. Pool training will begin on Thursday October 28th in Nenagh at 7pm and every Thursday therafter. Any members interested in searching for the Lough Derg Monster contact Derry on 086-3191673 or email derryo@hotmail.com
13 September 2004 11:13
There was no diving in Kerry at the weekend as the weather was too bad. However those who did venture down to help with the CAMP (Chesire Adventure Motivation Program) project for children with disabilities had a great time. Even though the water activities were cancelled, they took part in a treasure hunt around Tralee and even had a go at short film making. We had our monthly club meeting on Thursday 2nd Sept. in The Ormond Hotel, Nenagh, with a large attendance present. Best of luck to Martin O’Sullivan who is doing his Lead Diver exam this weekend 17th and 18th Sept. in Smerwick in Co. Kerry. The Club AGM is on Thursday 7th October at 9pm all members requested to attend. Our open nights will be on Thursday 14th and 21st October at 7pm, where members of the public are invited to try a dive in the pool followed by a presentation on club activities. Training in the pool in Nenagh will commence every Thursday therafter in the pool in Nenagh at 7pm. Any members interested in searching for the Lough Derg Monster contact Derry on 086-3191673 or email derryo@hotmail.com
06 September 2004 17:24
There was a good turnout in Kilkee for the weekend with good diving and great weather. On Saturday dives were done around Newfee and Middle Bay, and on Sunday Chimney Bay and Middle Rock were dived. We had our monthly club meeting on Thursday 2nd Sept. in The Ormond Hotel, Nenagh, with a large attendance present. This weekend 11th and 12th Sept. the boat will be in Kerry and on the Sunday members can help out with the water activities day in Tralee for CAMP (Chesire Adventure Motivation Program) for children with disabilities. Anyone interested in helping should contact Mary O’Loughlin or John Hogan. There will be diving on Saturday, contact Locky if interested. There’s always the aquarium in Fenit if you don’t want to get wet! For the brave, Derry and Mary are having their engagement party in Phil The Fluther’s, Borrisoleigh on Friday 10th Sept. you are all invited, bring a sense of fun and a sleeping bag. Best of luck to Martin O’Sullivan who is doing his Lead Diver exam on the following weekend 17th and 18th Sept. in Smerwick in Co. Kerry. The Club AGM is on Thursday 7th October at 9pm all members requested to attend. Our open nights will be on Thursday 14th and 21st October, where members of the public are invited to try a dive in the pool followed by a presentation on club activities. Any members interested in searching for the Lough Derg Monster contact Derry on 086-3191673 or email derryo@hotmail.com
Mon, 30 Aug 2004 15:37
There was no diving at the weekend as the conditions were unsuitable. Our monthly meeting is on Thursday 2nd September, in The Ormond Hotel, Nenagh at 9pm. All members are urged to attend to encourage greater participation in club activities. Brian is looking for some new photos to put on the website www.loughdergdiving.com . All photos welcomed, digital images are preferred and can be emailed to him, or he can collect them on disc as well. They will be returned to the owner if requested. Diving next weekend will be in Kilkee. One of the many dive sites in Kilkee is called Myles Creek. It is a North facing inlet on the top of the Duggerna Rocks, a large reef covered by tides at the mouth of Kilkee Bay. It is accessed by road on the South side of the bay and trekking over the rocks at low water. Beware of slipping, as some of our members have learned, and allow plenty of time in your planning. Except in very calm conditions, when it can be dived from a boat, the site is otherwise very tide sensitive. For shore diving, it is essential to enter the water before low water, preferably 30 minutes before. This gives you a dive in calm water. If there is white water out there, or a bad forecast, don't dive it. The creek is initially shallow (3m) with a ladder for bathers in the Summer. There is a drop off to about 14m into a sheltered valley, often with startlingly clear water, given reasonable conditions. This has spectacular colours on floors and walls covered with anenomes and is generally populated by a variety of fish. If one follows the left hand cliff, this turns round a corner and the protection ceases. You are now on a more normal dive site with kelp on the floor. Go North to the next drop, about 20m. Again follow the cliff on your left and you will eventually encounter a large cave at about 33m. You should check your air and perhaps start back. This dive can be made from the sea, however there are submerged rocks both sides of the entrance. The shallow valley is ideal for novices in very calm conditions at only 14m and clear water. This is an excellent site for snorkellers too. On a shore dive, you have to exit in exactly the same place and must navigate back correctly. The alternative is an almost impossibly long swim around the reef to Newfree. Any news or items of interest you may want included in these notes contact Derry at 086-3191673 or email derryo@hotmail.com and remember if you worry that the elevator you are in is ascending too quickly, you probably dive too much!
24 August 2004 10:15
There was some diving in Kilkee at the weekend with members going out on the Kilkee boat. Diving was mostly around Middle Rock and Outer Rock. Despite bad weather forecasts for the weekend in general, the conditions were pretty favourable in Kilkee, with an easterly wind prevailing. Diving will be in Kilkee again this weekend. Our monthly club meeting takes place on Thursday 2nd September in the Ormond Hotel, Nenagh at 9pm. All members are urged to attend, as member participation in club activities seems to have fallen off this year.
19 July 2004 12:26
Diving was in Kilkee at the weekend, mainly around middle bay. The weather was good but there was a strong breeze. The Rescue diver course takes place in Kilkee this Saturday 24th July. The test includes a lift from 20m, i.e. a simulated rescue of an unconscious diver from 20m. Shore management, take control of a situation, such as a diver fainting etc. and answer a number of theory questions. Best of luck to all candidates taking part. The following weekend is the August bank holiday weekend where we head to Smerwick Harbour in Co. Kerry. It is situated on the North coast of the Dingle peninsula. Launching from Wine Strand, interesting shallow dives may be made along the Western side of the Harbour. If you need to log deep dives you can generally get whatever depth you require in the middle of the bay, on sand. the further out you go, the deeper it gets. Out side the Harbour to the South West, under the Three Sisters and Sybil Head, there is excellent wall diving. Whilst scuba diving you are likely to see lobsters, lots of types of crabs, prawns, starfish, dogfish, conger eels, squid, cuttlefish, octopus, rays, pollack, ling, jellyfish (non-stinging variety), wrasse, blennies, mussel beds, cold water corals and anemones, harbour seals, fur seals, porpoises and various types of dolphins. If lucky you might see orcas, minke whales, humpback whales and basking sharks. And if you're really lucky you might get to see the occasional sunfish! To book into the hostel there call 066-9155109. Snorkelling continues every Thursday night at 7pm at Youghal Quay. Everyone should try and attend to keep up fitness levels, which results in safer and more enjoyable diving for everyone. Apologies to Edwina Knight for omitting her name in the congratulations to those who passed their RNLI VHF course. If you would like anything included in these notes contact Derry on 086-3191673 or email derryo@hotmail.com
12 July 2004 12:53
Diving was in Kilkee at the weekend, with a large number of divers present. Diving was done around the middle of the bay. There was a great fireworks display on Saturday night. One of the dive sites regularly frequented by the club is Middle Rock. Located in the mouth of Kilkee Bay, this is one of the finest dive sites in the area, a very large hunk of indented rock, the middle rock of a group shown on the charts as "Black Rocks". That just about describes the colour of the exposed peaks visible at low tide. This is the most diveable of the three and is well worth a visit or two, there is more than one good dive here!Three of the four faces, all except the East, are worthwhile. the North face is the easiest to approach, but is less well lit, particularly in the evening. The ideal approach is in calm conditions at low water, when the rock is visible.Find the trench near the Cnap (peak), follow this Southwards. The trench widens and deepens, as you near the South face of the rock. On the right hand side of the trench you will notice a slotted hole, this slopes downwards and exits in the back of a cave facing deeper open water. Beware of the occasional strands of coral as you come out about 27m depth on the bottom which then slopes away to the South. There are a few more features on the South face where light is best. a different approach is to try to find the Arch hole. this is an impressive cathedral vault opening to the west, it is hard to find as prevailing conditions don't always allow water searches, approached from below the effect is noticeable.After leaving the arch or on any other dive you can work along the rock face at your choice of depth, crossing over the West face. Depth increases rapidly towards Outer Rock. there are indented low caves on the seaward face where you can see many prawns, squat lobsters or the occasional resting monkfish. Pollack just hang off the rock in mid water. Kilkee will be the venue for the next two weekends, before heading to Smerwick in Kerry for the August weekend. To book into the Hostel Tigh An Phoist call 066 9155109. Apologies to Edwina Knight for omiting her name last week, Edwina passed her VHF course with the RNLI. Snorkelling continues every Thursday night at Youghal Quay at 7pm, it is worth while taking part to ensure a good level of fitness, which results in safer and more enjoyable diving for all.
05 July 2004 22:51
We had our monthly meeting on Thursday 1st July in The Ormond Hotel, Nenagh. All members are reminded to ensure that log books are properly completed and up to date. They need to be filled in right away after each dive, lecture etc. Could all the trainees contact Denis “Locky” the diving officer and inform him which lectures you have done and which ones you need to do, to ensure that all training is up to date. The diver rescue course takes place in Kilkee the weekend of the 24 and 25 July. Congratulations to John Hoare and Valerie and Lean Knight on passing the VHF course with the RNLI. For the August bank holiday weekend the club will be going to Smerrick in Co. Kerry, this is also the venue the leading diver exams later in the season. This weekend, 10th July, diving will be in Kilkee. There will be fireworks to see for anyone staying overnight.
31 May 2004 12:38
At the weekend only a couple of divers took to the water in Kilkee, due to poor sea area conditions. Hopefully the conditions will be more favourable for the June Bank Holiday weekend which sees the club heading to the picturesque island of Valentia in Kerry offering some of Irelands most beautiful and unspoiled scenery. It is linked to the mainland by a bridge, with a car ferry operating from April to October. The waters around Valentia are clear and unpolluted, with often spectacular visibility and the benefit of being diveable in most wind and weather conditions. There is an amazing wealth of scenic, wreck and night diving. The local club there is Inbhear Sceine Kerry S.A.C who have a guide to the dive sites and area map on the links page of their website www.inbhersceine.onestop.net . Close to Valentia are The Skellig Islands considered by many to be two of the underwater jewels in Ireland's dive-crown. It is here that the warm Gulf Stream first touches the Irish coast, bringing its frequent, international visitors to the Skelligs: trigger fish, basking sharks, minke whales, dolphins, and the occasional leatherback turtle. But apart from the exotic visitors, Nature has run riot in local sea life - the colours, the anemone-clad walls, the grey seals who always arrive wide eyed and curious to inspect the latest human intruders, the guillemots, razorbills and puffins who 'fly' as good underwater as they do in air. And gannets - 27,000 pairs of them, the ultimate 'free divers' of the ocean's skies! The Minister of Marine announced on the 16th May that all users of small watercraft under 7m will be required to carry and wear lifejackets. CFT have been in discussions with the deptartment, looking for an exemption for divers from the new regulations. At present the signs are not good and CFT is urging all clubs to lobby their politicians urgently to get our exemption. download the document hereNext club meeting is on Thursday June 3rd in The Ormond Hotel, Nenagh. All members are urged to attend. If you want anything included in these notes contact Derry O’Donnell 086-3191673 or email derryo@hotmail.com
Monday, May 24, 2004 18:00 PM
There were around ten divers from the club in Kilkee on Sunday 23rd May. Great weather over the weekend made for some very enjoyable diving. The visibility for the second dives wasn’t as good as the first as the tide was changing. The dives were done around Diamond Rock. The name comes from the quartz in the rocks, which glisten in the sunshine. This dive is accessible by land along a path leading to nearby Lookout Hill overlooking Intrinsic Bay, named after the ship which was wrecked there at end of the 1800s. An anchor and some metal are believed to remain in the bay if you care to search it. Underwater, there is a reef about 6-9m deep, which protects a deep valley about 30m deep between itself and the shore. This protection can sometimes give rise to exceptional visibility within the valley. There is a nice approach from outside the reef, which crosses over two circular holes at the narrow entry which are about 6m deeper than the floor and are often full of both edible and spider crabs.The sea face of the reef falls in steps from about 20m down to 40+m. It is interesting and varied. Avoid the reef in any type of white water, wave action, etc. This is a fair weather dive only. The boat will be in Kilkee again this weekend before heading to Valentia for the June Bank Holiday weekend. Next club meeting is on Thursday June 3rd in The Ormond Hotel, Nenagh. Don’t forget you can keep up to date on club activities by logging on to the club website www.loughdergdiving.com where Brian regularly updates the news page and provides links to topics mentioned in these notes. If you want anything included in these notes contact Derry O’Donnell 086-3191673 or email derryo@hotmail.com
Monday, May 16, 2004 11:26 AM
Congratulations to our two new coxwains John Hoare and Martin O’Sullivan who passed their examinations on Sunday 16th May in Kilkee. The use of small boats has played a central role in the type of diving done by most clubs in Ireland. It is therefore essential that the divers at an early stage in their development acquire a good level of knowledge and skill in the use and limitations of small boats for diving.During the examination the candidates had to demonstrate that they had acquired the knowledge and the ability to plan and prepare a small boat for open sea diving.They had to show that they were able to handle the boat and crew to provide safe and reliable cover for divers in the water and, in the event of an emergency, be capable of dealing with the situation. So well done again lads. Snorkelling continues every Thursday night at Youghal Quay at 7pm. Diving will be in Kilkee for the next two weekends. Kilkee is probably the most popular dive site in Ireland at present. It owes its existence to a natural break in the cliff wall facing the Atlantic. It is renowned for it's deep clear water and an abundance of flora and fauna. Because of it's exposed location the elements have ensured that Kilkee is well preserved and not over-dived as many a more sheltered location tends to be. There are over twenty surveyed dive sites. Kilkee has a Dive Centre and Marine Rescue Centre which is manned on a voluntary basis. Newfee is a popular dive site for trainees. Near the car park on the South side of the bay, down steps, Newfee is the most sheltered of all Kilkee dive sites and is usually accessible in all but the worst conditions. It is ideal for inexperienced divers. The best course is to proceed over Kelp 30 degrees West of North towards the inner face of Duggerna Head. There is a rock reef on a sandy bottom and a maximum depth of 10 metres. The next meeting is on Thursday 3rd June in the Ormond hotel, Nenagh. Club meetings are always held on the first Thursday of every month. Don’t forget you can keep up to date on club activities by logging on to the club website www.loughdergdiving.com where Brian regularly updates the news page and provides links to topics mentioned in these notes. If you want anything included in these notes contact Derry O’Donnell 086-3191673 or email derryo@hotmail.com
Monday, May 10, 2004 5:26 PM
We had our monthly meeting on Thursday 6th May in the Ormond Hotel, Nenagh. The boat will be in Kilkee for the rest of May, so all club diving will take place in Kilkee for May. Lectures will take place next Thursday 13th May at 8.30pm in the Ormond Hotel. The lectures will be on Dive planning and Dive computers. Dive planning is essential to ensure all dives are carried out safely. Factors to be considered include location, tides, weather etc. Dive computers monitors the rate at which nitrogen is being absorbed by the body’s tissues for any given depth and time. Snorkelling is on every Thursday night at 7pm at Youghal Quay. The Diver Rescue theory course is on June 19th and 20th. For the June bank holiday weekend we will be going to Valentia, please contact Richard Long to secure your place in the youth hostel. There was diving in Kilkee over the weekend of 8th and 9th May with good weather conditions although the wind changed from a southerly direction to a north westerly bringing a chill to the air. The next meeting is on Thursday 3rd June in the Ormond hotel, Nenagh. Club meetings are always held on the first Thursday of every month. Don’t forget you can keep up to date on club activities by logging on to the club web site www.loughdergdiving.com where Brian regularly updates the news page and provides links to topics mentioned in these notes. If you want anything included in these notes contact Derry O’Donnell 086-3191673 or email derryo@hotmail.com
Tuesday, May 04, 2004 8:49 AM
There was a good turnout in Galway for the bank holiday weekend, where the Renvyle dive centre was the base for all diving. Most of the club were present for the first big weekend away of the season. There were a lot of dives on Saturday and Sunday, including night dives both nights. Those who were not singing songs on Sunday night dived on Monday. A small group did a wreck dive with the dive centre. The conditions were good with great visibility and scallops, clams and crayfish a plenty. Martin O’Sullivan, John Hoare and Denis McLoughlin took turns being diving officer each day. David, Brian, John and Tim did trainee dives. One of the trainees, who had done a PADI diving course previously, had his regulator accidentally knocked from his mouth. Thanks to the winter pool training he confidently and calmly regained control whereas he said he would have panicked previously. This reiterates the importance placed on training and safety emphasised by the club and other clubs affiliated to CFT (The Irish Underwater Council). Through the practise and repetition of various manoeuvres they become second nature and natural instinct and result in safer diving for everybody. There is a meeting Thursday night 6th May in the Ormond Hotel, Nenagh at 9pm. If you want something included in these notes contact Derry O Donnell at 086-3191673 or email derryo@hotmail.com
Mon, 19 Apr 2004 16:31:58 +0000
There was no diving at the weekend as the sea at Kilkee was too rough, some dancing was done instead on Saturday night. Snorkelling continues on the lake Thursday nights 7pm at Yougal Quay. If you think it's too cold to go in the water there is a programme on Radio 1 at 7.30 this Thursday called Seascapes, which this week deals with snorkelling and diving. The Diver Medic course takes place in Limerick on Saturday 24th April. Here you will learn the correct procedure for administration of oxygen, how to use the equipment, the difference between a demand and freeflow mask etc. along with the CPR technique used to resuscitate an unconscious victim. It is a hands on course and one which everybody should do to ensure the correct reponse in the case of an emergency. Contact Denis ‘Locky’ O Loughlin for further information and to book your place. The following weekend, which is the May bank holiday weekend, is a trip away to Renvyle in Galway, where the trainee divers will do their first open water dives. A trip to the Dive Chamber in Galway has been organised for Friday 23rd April, the bus leaves 5pm sharp from the Abbey Court Hotel, bring your log books if you intend going on this very worthwhile and educational experience. Contact Lian Knight for more details. Also on Saturday 24th April a “Sunflower Raft” made up of boats to raise funds for rescue services on Lough Derg is being organised. Anyone with a boat interested in taking part should be at Dromineer harbour that day. If anybody has something they want included in these notes contact Derry O’Donnell 086-3191673.
Tuesday, April 06, 2004 12:20 AM
We had our monthly meeting on Thursday 1st April, really. The pool sessions in Nenagh are finished for the year, as we move to the waters of Lough Derg for snorkelling. Meet every Thursday at 7pm at Youghal Quay. We will be going to Kilkee on Easter Sunday and Monday for snorkelling and trainee dives. Meet in southern car park at 9am. The medals from the Fin Swimming Gala were presented at the meeting. Congratulations again to John Dunne, Annette Foley, Brian Mulligan and Ger Hogan. The Table Quiz in The Dapp Inn was successful in raising over €600 for the club. There is a Dive Medic course on April 17th, contact Locky for more information. Weather permitting we are going to Renvyle in Galway for the May Bank Holiday weekend. Please ensure all equipment is accounted for after each use, the manequin for practising CPR is not where it should be and the whiteboard for giving lectures appears to have vanished. Malachy has mislaid a pair of booties size 10, if anyone has picked them up by mistake please return them to him. Not many can fill his boots
22 March 2004 23:01
A chairde go leir, we definitely need a clubhouse now with yet another Trophy to put on display after coming second in the Sporting and Recreational Category at the St. Patricks Day Parade in Nenagh. Agreat effort was put in by all those who braved the weather with plenty of colour and outfits. The boat looked extremely well adorned in buntings and the National Flag and of course a Jolly Roger. With Captain Birds Eye at the helm flanked on either side by fully equiped divers and a dolphin jumping off the back. The walkers were led by our young Grand Marshal James with placards bearing the CFT logo and the club name. We had a jolly prancing dancing leprechaun who needed regular refuelling from the beer keg air tank® ™ and a divers mammy thrown in for good measure. Afterwards we returned to The Abbey Court Hotel for thawing out and the prize giving ceremony. None were more surprised and delighted than ourselves when we heard we had come second as evidenced by the loud cheers that erupted from our table. John Hoare accepted the trophy on behalf of the club. Congratulations also to Shannon Sailing and the Knight sisters who came second in their category and made our placards. Thanks to Joannes for the use of her house as a base for the day. Brian Donnelly has put pictures of the day onto our website www.loughdergdiving.com just click here. Many thanks on behalf of the club to everyone invloved. A small group travelled to Dundalk for the National Dive Conference at the weekend. At the delegate meeting on Sunday a motion was passed wherby divers will play a more active role with the coastguard in search and recovery excercises. I'll have more detail when I get more information. Don't forget the Table quiz in The Dapp Inn on Thursday 25th March, bring a spot prize if you can.
11 March 2004 09:08
A great day was had by all at the National Fin Swimming Gala in The Garda Training Centre in Templemore. The club was well represented for it's first ever entry into the competitions. With over 70 clubs affiliated to CFT in Ireland we had the proud distinction of coming in fifth place overall. Congratulations to our team who came second in the mixed 100 metre candle relay race. The team consisted of John Dunne, Annette Foley, Mike Kelly and Brian Mulligan. Well done also to everyone else who took part. May you always have air in your bottle and may your fin straps never break. We had our monthly meeting on Thursday 4th March. We have the boat back again with some alterations done to it. Our new club logo should be up for decision time by the next meeting. Training in Templemore Garda Training pool is starting on Tuesday nights at 9pm. We will still be using Nenagh pool up until the end of March. There is a bus going to The National Dive Conference in Dundalk on March 20th, scheduled to leave from The Abbey Court Hotel at 8am and returning later that evening. We will be entering a float in the St. Patrick's Day Parade on the following day. Anybody wishing to take part is encouraged to do so. Keep Thursday 25th March free in your diary as we are planning to hold a Table Quiz on that night. Try and bring some people to make up tables if you can.
01 March 2004 21:46
On Friday 20th Feb. a group of us travelled by bus to Galway Recompression Chamber. We were welcomed by members of The Galway Sub Aqua Club who have voluntarily run the hyperbaric unit for 28 years. We all took turns entering the chamber in groups of 2 or 3 along with an attendant. An attendant is always present in the chamber when someone is being treated, to communicate with the outside. They enter and exit through an air lock. There are always two more volunteers on the outside, further testament to the dedication of the members of Galway SAC. Everyone enjoyed the experience of going diving without getting wet, with some members singing away in high pitched cartoon like voices while 'narked' (suffering the effects of nitrogen narcossis). Afterwards we visited the Galway SAC clubhouse for refreshments and met some more of their members who showed us some of their prized assets. We are very grateful for the educational and interesting experience and the hospitality shown to us by Galway SAC. Hard luck Rickard on not securing the nomination despite an informed inspirational speech. Our monthly meeting is on Thursday 4th March in the Ormond hotel at 9pm after pool training. The National Fin Swimming Gala is taking place on Sat. 6th March in the Garda Training Centre in Templemore, followed by a function in the Templemore Arms. We will be practising for the Gala in the pool on Thursday. Two of our members John Hoare and Valerie Knight, along with others, spent last week in Wales as part of the first group to go training with the RNLI as volunteer crew for the new lifeboat to be stationed in Dromineer. They had an enjoyable and educational week of tough training. Anyone else intereseted in volunteering should go along to the school house in Ballycommon on Wednesday evenings.
Tue, 17 Feb 2004 01:03:26
Training continues as usual Thursday night at 7pm in Nenagh Pool. We will be practising for the National Gala which is being hosted by the Garda SAC in the Garda Training Centre in Templemore on Sat. 6th March. An evening function will take place in the Templemore Arms the same day. Some of the events include Tug of War in the pool, 3 legged fin swimming race, candle pushing, underwater lenght swimming and fin swimming races. A trip to the recompression chamber in Galway has been organised for this Fri. 20th Feb. the bus is leaving the Abbey Court Hotel at 5pm and costs E7 a collection for the chamber will be done on the bus. You can get a chance to enter the chamber as it is pressurised to the eqivalent of depths of 40 metres. So bring your balloons and see first hand the effects of pressure on air spaces. With good training and safe dive practises hopefully none of us will ever need to use this important facility. Contact Lian Knight to book your place.
Mon, 09 Feb 2004 22:58:06
The new trainees had their first go at using their equipment in Nenagh pool last Thursday, while the rest of us carried on with our olympic training. Thank God for the sauna. Later we retired to The Ormond Hotel for some refreshments, lectures for trainees and our monthly meeting. Val Cope chaired the meeting for the night, and delegated duties with swiftness worthy of King Soloman. Recent modifications to the club boat were discussed, and it was agreed that it should be taken on a sea test. Anyone interested in going may do so. Designs for the new club logo were presented and were very impressive indeed. A graphic designer is to be consulted to narrow them down to the final three, and then club members will decide which one to use at the next club meeting. Well done to those who put the time and effort into the designs. A calender of events is being compiled for the year, contact Locky or Derry with any details. We hope to include a float (not be afloat) for this years St. Patricks Day parade in Nenagh if it goes ahead. Micheal O'Hagan is co-ordinating events such as accomodation in Dundalk for the annual dive conference this March 20th and 21st. Training continues Sunday mornings with Killaloe-Ballina Search and Rescue. See you in the pool Thursday!
Tue, 03 Feb 2004
Training continues this Thursday in Nenagh pool with fitness training for would be olympians, and the trainees moving on to using scuba (self contained underwater breathing apparatus) gear. Here they will learn basic but essential skills such as buddy breathing, in case of an 'out of air situation' and become completely familiar with the use and functions of the equipment. Safety again being the main concern, resulting in more enjoyable diving for everyone when we eventually hit the open water. Our monthly meeting is being held this Thursday 5th Feb. in The Ormond Hotel at 9pm.
Tue, 20 January 2004 10:51:38
Training continues each Thursday night in Nenagh pool at 7pm, followed by lectures in The Ormond Hotel. We had our monthly meeting on Thursday 8th Jan. Designs for the new club logo should be in by the next meting, a sub commitee was formed with this in mind consisting of Edwina Knight Moylan, Leanne Knight and Barry Lemasney, either of whom should be contacted with ideas designs etc. A VHF radio license course is being organised. This course ensures anyone using the boat radio has the proper knowledge to communicate effectively and in line with standard procedure, it is required by law that anyone using the radio has this qualification. Interested parties contact Seamus O Slatara 087-2535830. A proposed dive to Baltimore last weekend was cancelled due to bad weather conditions. This years Dive Show is being held in Dundalk on 20th and 21st March, so start saving to snap up some bargains!
Tuesday, January 06, 2004 11:15 AM
A very Happy New Year to All! Well it’s back to the pool now to work off the Christmas excesses, with training recommencing on Thurs. 8th Jan in Nenagh Pool at 7pm followed by the monthly meeting in The Ormond Hotel. Please bring all monies raised for the Christmas swim to the meeting, and well done to everyone who took part or contributed in some way. All membership fees should be paid up by now and anyone who hasn’t yet paid please bring it with you on Thursday. Congratulations to Martin and Aisling and to Seamus and Gretta on their recent engagements, we wish you all the very best. I believe we are still looking for a new logo reflecting how Lough Derg got it’s name. The lake derives its name from an ancient Irish legend. Lough Derg, which means the Lake of the red eye reminds us of the influence of poets in ancient Ireland and the merciless way they exercised that power. A king, living near here had but one eye. His name was Eochy Mac Luchta and he lost one eye in a battle. Aithirne a famous poet visited him and when leaving he asked him for the eye. The King immediately plucked it out and gave it to him. While washing the blood from his face the lake turned red. The King said, “let the lake be called Loch Dergdheirc, meaning ‘the lake of the bloody eye’, and so it is to this day.
 
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