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Irish Examiner
21-07-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Sturgeon sighting — the first here in decades
Sturgeon are enormous fish. Exceptional specimens can grow to be six metres long and weigh as much as 400kg, which is as heavy as an average horse. They can live to be 100 years old or more. Most European sturgeon would grow to a more reasonable two or three metres long. And last week, a sturgeon was caught by an Irish trawler near Valencia Island off the coast of Kerry. In among a net load of white fish, the skipper recognised it as a sturgeon, photographed and measured it, then released it back in to the sea. The fish was 180cm long — as long as I am tall. Another was seen nearby, swimming ahead of the net. The astonishing thing about this is that sturgeon are considered extinct in Irish waters. The last confirmed sighting of sturgeon here was in 1987, in the Irish Sea. Before that, they were a regular occurrence in Irish coastal waters and the larger rivers... a top predator of aquatic ecosystems since long before humans ever arrived on the scene. In a classic case of 'shifting baseline syndrome', these impressive fish have become extinct in very recent times, yet we have already forgotten they were ever here in the first place. Media coverage of a sturgeon caught in Kerry in April 1966. Left to right: Cork Examiner, April 4; Irish Press, April 5; Kerryman, April 9, 1966 The first I learned about sturgeon was in the context of early hunter gatherers across Europe and Asia. These palaeolithic people thrived by making expert use of the living resources available to them. Several species of sturgeon, all enormous fish, were a valuable resource indeed. Their eggs, now known as caviar, could be harvested from females without harming the fish. The flesh of a large sturgeon could feed a clan, as well as being preserved by smoking and drying. Their skin was cured and used to make shimmering, silver-coloured clothing. An Atlantic sturgeon But sturgeon go back a lot longer in history than even the palaeolithic period. In fact, sturgeon were among the largest inhabitants of freshwater ecosystems as long as 150 million years ago. In more recent history, we know that the monks at Clonmacnoise caught and ate sturgeon from the River Shannon in the the 6th and 7th centuries onwards. Sturgeon also swam up the Boyne, the Barrow, the Suir and the Blackwater, with records showing that they were common in Irish inshore waters during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries too. Like salmon, sturgeon are migratory. Much of their lives are spent out at sea, feeding on fish and crustaceans. When its time to spawn, from March through August, they swim up into freshwater rivers. The full moon in August is known as the 'sturgeon moon', when sturgeon were traditionally caught across Europe and North America in freshwater lakes and rivers. A fisherman stands next to his boat that is filled with sturgeon by the Volga River in Astrakhan, Russia. Picture: Robert Nickelsberg / Liaison After millions of years roaming freely through both freshwater and marine habitats, these ecological icons are now critically endangered, on the verge of disappearing forever. Having been celebrated for as long as humans have existed, and harvested for millennia at sustainable levels, these resilient fish were not able to withstand the might of 20th century trawlers. Their demise has come about as a result of too many fish being caught in commercial fisheries, the same activity that has contributed to the collapse of Atlantic salmon, cod, herring and whiting during the 1980s and 90s. Because sturgeon take more than a decade to reach sexual maturity, impacted populations are unable to recover quickly, making them exceptionally vulnerable to overfishing. Another issue that impacts sturgeon is when their access to spawning habitats is blocked off by damns and weirs, depriving them of the opportunity to reproduce. The main threats to their existence now are officially cited as fisheries bycatch in commercial benthic trawls; degradation of both freshwater and marine habitats; and pollution. Today, the species known as European sturgeon, one of many related sturgeon species across the world, is still swimming about European waters, virtually unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs, though much diminished in abundance. It is thought that there are only about 50 wild adult European sturgeon left. But because these are such an iconic species, and listed in the annexes of the European Habitats Directive, reintroductions from captive breeding programmes have gotten underway in Germany, Poland and France. Recovery measures in the Gironde-Garonne-Dordogne rivers in France between 1995 and 2015 have resulted in more than 1.6 million juveniles being released in to the wild. Between 2007 and 2015, approximately 20,000 captive bred individuals were released in to the Elbe River in Germany. Irish Examiner, February 17, 2012 Rare fish causes stir in Dingle According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the first returning fish from the releases have been observed entering the river since 2021. It is as yet unknown whether these reintroductions have been successful in reestablishing wild populations. In 2023, the Irish Wildlife Trust together with the Blue Marine Foundation published a report detailing the history of sturgeon here and the potential for reintroduction. They have been calling on the Government to be actively involved in Europe wide initiatives to save sturgeon from extinction. Now that two sturgeon have been recorded so close to the Kerry coast, it may be time for this call to action to be taken more seriously. Under the EU Habitats Directive, Ireland is obliged to assess the feasibility of reintroducing sturgeon here. The measures needed to facilitate a successful reintroduction would include improvements to water quality, as spawning habitats have been clogged up with silt and deprived of essential oxygen due to excess nutrients from intensive agriculture. Barriers to migration would also need to be addressed, giving sturgeon, along with wild Atlantic salmon and European eel, free passage to navigate upstream to their natal spawning grounds. A cohesive network of marine protected areas (MPAs) would be needed too, protection that could give marine ecosystems a chance to recover. If all of this sounds like a major effort, it would be. State agencies, scientists, fishers, farmers, and conservation groups would all be required to participate proactively. Restoring rivers and coastal habitats to a state in which they could once again sustain viable populations of salmon and sturgeon is within reach. The benefits of embarking on ambitious ecosystem scale ecological restoration would be far-reaching.
Irish Examiner
21-06-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Air India Flight 182: Cork photographer recalls taking iconic image of 1985 bombing tragedy
One of the most poignant photographs ever printed on the front page of this publication was that of the lines of dead bodies in the temporary morgue set up in Cork for the victims of Air India flight 182. A bomb placed on board the flight by militants exploded off the Kerry/West Cork coast on June 23, 1985, with the plane plunging into the Atlantic. Forty years on, photographer Denis Minihane can still recall second by second the lead-up to snapping that iconic photograph, which also showed a group of medics gathered in the background of the image. Now retired after spending 47 years as a press photographer, the then 26-year-old snapper had been looking forward to a busy afternoon shooting sports photos in Thurles for two Munster hurling games. HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading But when news broke of the horror air disaster off the west Cork coast, Denis' day took a different turn. He was not to know it as he returned from Thurles to the offices of the Cork Examiner on Academy Street in Cork city centre but his image would become synonymous with the tragedy unfolding in the sea off West Cork. Denis's image from the temporary mortuary set up in the then Cork Regional Hospital was syndicated across the world, and was featured in the New York magazine, Life, which was very influential at the time. Former Irish Examiner photographer Denis Minihane's picture of the remains of victims from the Air India Flight 182 air disaster on June 23, 1985, in a temporary morgue at Cork Regional Hospital (now Cork University Hospital). The world exclusive photograph taken through a window was published in newspapers and magazines all over the world including LIFE magazine and won a news picture of the year award the following year. Photo: Denis Minihane Looking back, the Skibbereen-born photographer said: 'It was the most significant photograph I took in my career really. Sadly it was one of a disaster. Such is life.' Denis retired last year and recalls entering the photographic trade after seeing his father Michael work as a photographer with the then Cork Examiner. After his Leaving Certificate, Denis entered the dark room in the Cork Examiner in October 1976, not knowing that one of the most iconic images of Irish press photography history would his. He recalls: 'On the morning of the 23rd of June 1985, I was marked to go to Thurles to cover two Munster hurling championship games and the 11 o'clock news came on on RTÉ Radio 1 and it said that Air India flight 182 had gone down off the Irish coast. "So we came back to Cork and parked the car and came into the office and it was rather difficult to get into the photographic department because it was packed with photographers who had arrived in Cork from different countries around the world.' He says of himself that he was just a 'young fella' at the time, aged 26. Forty years on, photographer Denis Minihane can still recall second by second the lead-up to snapping that iconic photograph. Picture: Chani Anderson He continues: 'I went out and attended the press conference (at the Regional Hospital) and there was a huge gathering of photographers and camera crews at it. I managed, through enquiries, to find out where the remains of the people taken from the wreckage were being kept and it was a temporary morgue that was set up in the gymnasium. "I got as far as the door and I obviously was not able to get any further so I went around the back of the building and I could see that there was a very high window. "But it was just down to my level so I could just about see in and didn't know if I could get a photograph or not because there was a very high thick net curtain, full length, inside the window, down on to the window sill. "So I could barely see into the room. I was by the window for quite a while and it was getting late in the evening. It must have been 10.30pm, may be 10.30/11 o'clock at night and I saw someone coming towards the window with a ladder and I move, I step back around the side of the building. I thought I had been seen but obviously I hadn't because what it was was that somebody had gone up and opened the window to let some air in to the building. Seeing his chance, Denis decided to have another attempt at seeing into the mortuary and recalls: 'That's how I had a gap of maybe two inches to get the photograph through and I managed to get a few frames.' But even then, he didn't know if his attempt was successful, in a time when photography took more patience than today. He explains: 'In those days, you had to come back to the office and process so I didn't know whether I had a photograph or not and it was a nervous seven or eight minutes developing the film – an anxious wait. Anxious also because it was also an upsetting scene that I had seen. It was a poignant scene.' He recalls seeing the images develop and night editor Liam Moher writing the caption for his now famous image, which included the words 'world exclusive picture'. He says: 'I just didn't understand the significance of it I suppose. It was over my head. I had done what I had done because it was my job and he had asked me to go and do it but I didn't realise how significant the picture was going to be in the following days and years afterwards.' He is mindful of the pain and suffering of the families and friends of those who were lost in the Air India disaster. He continues: Looking back at the photograph now, it evokes memories of that awfully sad day and my heart still goes out to the families and friends of all those people who died so tragically in that awful disaster when the bomb exploded off the Irish coast. The flight was due to stop over in London's Heathrow before travelling to India for stops in Delhi and Mumbai. Passengers were primarily from Canada, but others on board came from India and Britain, as well as other countries. More than 80 of them were children. Two men accused of murder and conspiracy relating to the crash were found not guilty in March 2005. It was alleged that the bombing was plotted by Sikh extremists in Canada as revenge on India for its storming of Sikhism's Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984. Read More A selection of images chosen by the Irish Examiner picture desk
Irish Examiner
06-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Heartbreak Pier: Where a million souls took their last steps on Irish soil
Emigration. A word so ingrained in the Irish psyche, it carries as many complex emotions in 2018 as it did a hundred years ago. Regardless of whether the decision to quit 'the Auld Sod' was based on opportunity or compulsion, its effects upon those left behind remains one of our most vivid cultural landmarks with deep roots in every county across the nation. Between 1848 and 1950, it is estimated that 6 million adults and children emigrated from Ireland. Crowds waiting to embark the Titanic in Cobh, then called Queenstown, in 2012. An image from the Fr FM Browne SJ Collection More than 2.5 million of those boarded ships in Cobh, or Queenstown as it was known until 1920, making it the single most important port of emigration. Amongst those multitudes, over 1 million took their final steps from Irish soil across the gangplanks of 'Heartbreak Pier' — the jetty to an unknown New World trodden with the heavy hearts of those who would never return. Due to its association with the misery of forced departure, the pier became known locally for the heartache of a final goodbye to family and home. 'There was no such thing as a return ticket in the 1890s and early 1900s, every ticket was one-way,' recalled a shipping agent of the time. 'The man who emigrated was a 'two pence a day' man — the average wage for a labourer back then. They rode to Cobh on donkeys and ponies and were greeted there by opportunists who knew the animals were up for grabs on the quaysides.' On April 11, 1912, the Titanic called to the port of Queenstown (now Cobh), Co. Cork on her maiden voyage to New York. The picture shows some of the passengers strolling on the top deck as the liner was anchored just outside the mouth of Cork Harbour. A few days later, she sank after hitting an iceberg and most of those on board were killed. It's not known if those in the picture survived or not. Ref 114/115. Picture: Thomas Barker, Cork Examiner photographer With a history that must surely make it one of the most famous slipways in Ireland, if not the world, Heartbreak Pier is set for significant investment as part of an ambitious re-development plan to protect and conserve its status as a potentially major tourist attraction. Located adjacent to the iconic White Star Line building in Cobh, the pier had fallen into severe disrepair over the last number of decades, a victim of erosion, storm damage and the general weathering of time. 'The pier as a structure is a significant piece of history,' said Gillen Joyce, proprietor of the Titanic Experience. 'Having transformed the White Star Line building, and seen firsthand the impact of the site on visitors as well as the region, we felt passionately about saving 'Heartbreak Pier' and ensuring that it would not be lost to the elements.' The pier will add significantly to Cobh's existing attractions, providing another tangible landmark amongst the already popular themes of emigration and its vocative connection to the RMS Titanic. Key to the redevelopment is a new structure which interacts with the old pier, and where visitors can walk upon that same piece of 'the old country' as did the 1 million souls across the decades of Irish history. Amongst the 1 million who crossed the epochal structure, the 123 who were passengers on the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic have garnered much curiosity in recent years. At its final port of call at Queenstown on April 11th, the last passengers to board the ship for its intended journey to New York crossed the timbers of Heartbreak Pier on a journey where only 44 of the 123 would eventually survive. A photo taken on the deck of the Titanic when it was bearthed in Cobh. Picture: Thomas Barker, Irish Examiner Three travelled first class, seven in second and the remainder in third — or steerage. Having anchored at the entrance to Cork harbour to transfer and collect passengers, Titanic set sail on what became one of the most tragic of maritime legends. The ship struck an iceberg on the night of April 14th, and foundered with the loss of over 1,500 passengers early on the following morning.
Irish Examiner
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Headlines on papal visits to Ireland show how country has changed
Almost 40 years separated the visits of Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis to Ireland, and the contrasts between the tone of the two events are thrown into sharp focus even just from a glance at the headlines covering each event at the time. If the theme of the first papal visit was a celebration, then the tone for the second visit was more akin to seeking forgiveness. In the Cork Examiner on October 1, 1979, an image of the pontiff was accompanied by the headline: 'Young Ireland hails Pope for all ages'. Inside the newspaper, further headlines declared things such as 'Pope shares nation's tears of happiness' and 'Going to Mass will never be the same again'. One newspaper headline even said: ''A jolly good fellow,' sing the media' On August 27, 2018, the Irish Examiner let the image speak for itself on the front page while, inside, the very different mood to the visit of Pope Francis was reflected. 'Public act of contrition helps to clear the air for a festival of the faithful,' was the headline across pages two and three. Other headlines said how 'Francis asks forgiveness for abuse and cover-up', while we also heard how 'thousands of dissenting voices speak out against visit'. The legacy of church abuse cast a long shadow over Pope Francis's visit, during which he addressed a litany of crimes by its institutions and members. Popemobile in city centre The pontiff visited Ireland for two days in August 2018, which included a visit to Knock shrine in Co Mayo, a meeting with victims of clerical abuse, and a visit to a homeless centre run by the Capuchin Fathers. It also included a dash through Dublin City centre, where thousands of onlookers caught just a glimpse of the Popemobile as it sped past, as well as the Festival of Families in Croke Park — which featured performances from Andrea Bocelli and Daniel O'Donnell. The visit culminated in an open-air Sunday Mass in Dublin's Phoenix Park, where pilgrims's attendance was a fraction of the million people who greeted Pope John Paul II at the same spot in 1979. It nevertheless still had plenty of eyes on it, as RTÉ reported an audience of 1.1m viewers tuning in for at least a portion of the broadcast. During the Phoenix Park Mass, he asked for 'forgiveness for the abuses in Ireland' and for 'pardon for all the abuses committed in various types of institutions'. The visit prompted several demonstrations, including at a mass grave of infants at a former home for unmarried mothers in Co Galway, and at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin. Colm O'Gorman, a survivor of clerical abuse and the former head of Amnesty International Ireland, organised the rally at the Garden of Remembrance to coincide with the Phoenix Park Mass. Mr O'Gorman said it was an 'extraordinary' show of 'powerful solidarity and purpose'. He said that it was initially dismissed that Pope Francis would address a series of abuse and mistreatment scandals by the Catholic Church, which he said would have been 'completely unacceptable'. What popes generally do — and that includes, sadly, Pope Francis — is they speak of their regret and sadness, or sorrow at the hurt caused to so many people 'That's not an apology. It's an expression of sorrow,' he added. However, Mr O'Gorman said he has 'enormous regard' for the late pontiff's empathy towards refugees and migrants. He added that Pope Francis's stance on women's rights and LGBT+ issues had been 'open and non-judgmental'. A more liberal approach to social issues emphasised why his response to clerical abuse in Ireland was 'such a disappointment', Mr O'Gorman added.
