Ireland’s leading maritime newspaper covering the Coastal, Fishing and Maritime Communities
MARINE TIMES NEWS February 13th:
End of an era for ‘Celtic Mist’ research vessel
The yacht once owned by Charles Haughey will carry out its final surveys this year
Celtic Mist around Fastnet Lighthouse, Co. Cork © IWDG Eoghan Quinn
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has announced that 2026 will be the final season for its dedicated research sailing vessel, Celtic Mist. The 17-metre yacht was donated to the IWDG by the Haughey family in 2011 and has surveyed more than 100,000 km of Irish inshore and offshore waters since 2012.
The vessel undertakes systematic visual surveys for whales, dolphins, porpoises and wider marine wildlife around the Irish coast, contributing essential long-term data for marine conservation, research and policy.
Celtic Mist has circumnavigated the island of Ireland on five occasions, sailed to the Isle of Man and the Inner Hebrides, Scotland twice to connect with like-minded groups in the UK. In 2018 she embarked on a seven-week expedition to Iceland where she rounded the famous Hornstrandir, Iceland's most northernmost peninsula, entering into Arctic waters in search of humpback whales.
Last year, the Celtic Mist completed a 3,300 km survey with Fair Seas as part of the campaign for Marine Protected Area (MPA) legislation to protect, conserve and restore Ireland’s marine environment. Over 11 weeks, volunteer skippers and crew recorded more than 2,000 individuals of eight species of whale and dolphins.
IWDG Celtic Mist Officer, Andrew Shine said, “We’re sad to see the end of the Celtic Mist’s journey with the IWDG. Our members have had an incredible experience over the last 14 years living, sailing and surveying along Ireland’s stunning coastline. They have encountered some of the most spectacular marine wildlife in the northeast Atlantic and that would not have been possible without the Celtic Mist and the generosity of the Haughey family. This wonderful vessel is now 50 years old and the rising cost of maintenance and challenges in finding willing and experienced volunteers to skipper and crew her means that 2026 will be her last year with us. Grand Canal Basin in Dublin was her winter home for over 10 years but now she is based in Kilrush, Co Clare and this season will find her plying the waters of the south and southwest coast for the final time on behalf of the IWDG."
IWDG Marine Advocacy and Policy Officer, Eva Lambert said “Celtic Mist is about far more than numbers and maps. Year after year, volunteers give their time, energy and skills to Celtic Mist, often in challenging conditions. It’s about people working together at sea, learning from the wildlife around them, and turning those experiences into data that genuinely helps protect the places that matter most for whales and dolphins, including areas now being considered for Marine Protected Areas.”
Celtic Mist in the Shannon estuary © IWDG Frances Gallagher
Celtic Mist has completed 30 weeks of research surveys on behalf of Fair Seas since 2023. Fair Seas Campaign Coordinator, Dr Dónal Griffin said, “I’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to spend two weeks on board the Celtic Mist over the last few years. There is something really special about living on board for a week, learning about sailing, maritime heritage and marine ecology. While the list of recorded species sightings was long, I must admit it was the people on board that impressed me most. Even the skipper and first mate charged with the crew’s safety and the safe operation of the boat itself were volunteering their time, and had been doing so for decades. The social and ecological benefit of people volunteering along our coast is something I know will continue long after the Celtic Mist retires this year.”
The IWDG is hosting an event at Poolbeg Yacht Club, Dublin this evening (Friday, February 13th) to launch the results of the 2025 season, and announce Celtic Mist’s retirement, bringing together skippers, volunteers, members and supporters to to highlight the role of community-supported research in informing marine conservation and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Ireland.
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In our February edition -
Once Lost Inshore Fleet Cannot Be Easily Rebuilt - NIFA warns of dangers ahead and calls for a major plan for inshore fisheries; The Aquaculture Licensing Scandal; The human dimension of a mackerel season that is at the crossroads – Blink and you might miss it; Fisheries must not be left on the sideline in development of MPAs, as has happened previously; the industry is in the worst place it has ever been ....
.... all of this plus so much more in our February issue
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The Marine Times Newspaper is Ireland’s leading maritime newspaper covering the Coastal, Fishing and Maritime Communities. We publish a monthly newspaper available in all good shops but also provide additional topical news from around our coast free on our website - help keep it free by buying us a cheap old cup of coffee by clicking on the image above
