Sport

Angling Notes: Inland Fisheries Ireland launches new recruitment drive

The state agency is looking to hire 40 seasonal fisheries officers across six river basin districts

Inland Fisheries Ireland officer Darren Halpin operates surveillance equipment on patrol

Derek Evans
Mon Jan 28 2019 - 05:02

A recruitment drive to enrol 40 seasonal fisheries officers across six river basin districts was launched recently by Inland Fisheries Ireland. The positions are available on a six-month basis with contracts commencing late April and training will be provided to all new recruits.

Roisin Bradley, head of HR, said: “These roles offer an excellent opportunity to spend summer outdoors helping to protect and enhance Ireland’s rivers, lakes and coastline. We are looking for people across the country who enjoy working outdoors, who are passionate about protecting our fisheries resource and who have excellent interpersonal skills.”

Locations will be based in the following districts: Eastern: Kilcoole, Dundalk, Drogheda and CityWest. South Eastern: Carrick-on-Suir, Enniscorthy and New Ross. South Western: Farnanes, Kenmare, Killorglin and Bantry.

Shannon: Listowel, Limerick, Birr and Sheelin. Western: Galway City, Ballinakill, Ballina, Bangor Erris and Sligo. North Western: Cavan Town, Letterkenny, Glenties, Ballyshannon and Gweedore.

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Closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday, 8th of February 2019. To find out more about the roles and how to apply, see fisheriesireland.ie/careers.

Ireland Angling Show

Excitement is building for this year’s Ireland Angling Show, scheduled for 16th/17th February in Swords Expo Centre, with lots of bookings coming in from home and abroad. The show is a great weekend for all the family with something for everyone.

All ages and abilities are catered for and highlights include casting pool demonstrations, lure demo tank, boat displays and theatre talks, while exhibiting companies cover all areas of angling.

New for 2019 is the Family Zone hosted by inland fisheries which will include a fishing simulator free for kids to experience the thrill of a big catch. Watch out also for an increased presence of sea kayaks and boats to suit all budgets.

With plenty of visitors expected over the two days, the show is an ideal venue for companies to do business, retail, meet customers and showcase new products and innovations.

Grace McDermott of Mara Media, said: “We were pleased with the response from exhibitors for the 2018 show and expect a lot more bookings in the coming weeks.”

Date for the diary: National Show Centre, Swords, Co. Dublin, February 16th/17th. Opening times: Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 10am-5pm. Tickets available at maramedia.ie/buy-a-ticket-angling. For more information, contact Grace on 00353 (0)74 954 8936 or grace@maramedia.ie.

Snippets of sea angling

Recently I received a copy of the first printed handbook of the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers. Starting this week, I include excerpts from the handbook which, I am sure, will make for some interesting reading to the many thousands of Irish anglers involved in sea angling.

The first meeting of representatives from sea angling clubs in Ireland was held in the Central Hotel, Dublin, on Sunday, 29th November, 1953, to discuss a) the formation of an Irish Federation of Sea Anglers, b) to consider a draft of a proposed constitution to govern the federation, and c) to arrange for a first general meeting. Representatives from six clubs were present.

The first annual general meeting was held on April 24th 1954, at the Lios Mara Hotel, Dun Laoghaire where the formation of the federation was confirmed, officers elected and the constitution read and amended.

Officers elected were: Chairman, Capt. J. Saul; Vice-Chairman, Capt. M. Dalton; Hon. Secretary, Capt. C. O’Toole; Asst. Hon Secretary, J. Coulter; Hon. Treasurer, P. Rigney. Clubs present were: Bangor SAC; Belfast Waltonians; Dun Laoghaire; Knights of the Silver Hook; Belfast SAC and Shannon Airport Society.

The handbook was printed in 1957 and cost one shilling. More next week.

angling@irishtimes.com / derekvevans@gmail.com