Ahoy there, Cork!
More than €2 million is predicted to be spent in Cork as Europe’s premier maritime conference takes place this week.
Some 1,000 players in European maritime sector began to arrive in the city on Wednesday for the European Maritime Day (EMD) conference which will finish up on Friday. It’s the annual flagship community showing the latest developments in the EU blue economy and is being hosted by Cork City Council, Government of Ireland and the European Commission.
Delegates from more than 40 countries are registered for the three-day flagship event including from China, Canada, Japan, Africa, Denmark, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, France and Germany which is a major boost to the city’s hospitality sector.
The EMD conference is taking place at City Hall and adjoining venues over the three days. To celebrate this, a free family friendly festival European Maritime Days to Play will transform the city quays from 11am-7pm on Friday and from 10am-6pm on Saturday.
An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin will be attending EMD in Cork as will the European Commissioner for Ocean and Fisheries, Costas Kadis and Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Commissioner, Michael McGrath. Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Darragh O’Brien TD and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Timmy Dooley TD will also be in Cork for the three-day conference.
At EMD workshops, topics like the future of the ocean economy, maritime and food security, blue energy and opportunities and challenges for coastal communities will be discussed by maritime professionals, the Irish government, European commission representatives and innovators.
Cork City Council Chief Executive, Valerie O’Sullivan said: “It is an honour for Cork City Council and the Government of Ireland to host European Maritime Day and to see the positive impact this conference is having on the city’s hospitality and tourism sector.
“The importance of the maritime sector to Cork and the national economy is significant. Up to 37% of Ireland’s marine companies and 40% of our blue bioeconomy and seafood industry are based in the south of the country. Cork is also home to the country’s naval base and the National Maritime College of Ireland while the Port of Cork is one of Ireland’s main commercial ports. From a tourism perspective, Cork Harbour is Ireland’s top cruise destination with over 115,000 passengers visiting each year,” she added.
Cork City Council, the Marine Institute, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the Irish Naval Service and Commissioners of Irish Lights have an exciting festival programme lined up on Albert and Kennedy Quays for European Maritime Days to Play on Friday and Saturday. This will include live cooking demos by up-and-coming stars of the Irish culinary world, interactive science exhibitions and the opportunity to explore an aquaculture classroom on wheels and to tour some of the country’s naval, research, patrol and buoy laying vessels.
The two-day free family friendly event will also mark the annual return of the Cork Harbour Festival which runs from 24 May-2 June with 80-plus events in a dozen locations across Cork city and county.
For more, see corkcity.ie.