NUI Galway, Dunguaire Castle in Kinvara, Port of Galway, GMIT Letterfrack, Galway Atlantaquaria, Galway Bay Boat Tours, Murphys Ice Cream, and the Marine Institute are among the local buildings joining in the national Go Atlantic Blue initiative this weekend to mark World Oceans Day on Saturday.
Famous landmarks, businesses, schools, and homes across Ireland will Go Atlantic Blue over the weekend to celebrate our connection to the Atlantic Ocean, as part of World Oceans Day.
The global day on Saturday connects people worldwide in celebrating the ocean, its importance in our lives and how each of us can protect it, no matter where we live.
“We are delighted to support the Go Atlantic Blue campaign by lighting up some of Ireland’s most famous tourist attractions this year,” said Niall O’Callaghan, managing director of Shannon Heritage, which includes Dunguaire Castle in Kinvara. “Our attractions along the Wild Atlantic Way provide reasons for visitors to immerse themselves with unrivalled storytelling and authentic experiences, to the backdrop of the great expanse that is the Atlantic Ocean.
“What better way to celebrate this incredible body of water, which gives us so much today as it did throughout our history, than to go blue on June 8. We are immensely proud to be involved in this initiative, which again highlights our commitment to sustainability through our environmental strategy.”
Dermot O’Donovan, head of centre at GMIT Letterfrack, added: “Here at GMIT’s campus in Letterfrack, Connemara, we are literally a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean. Our connections with the sea are interwoven with our community in so many aspects of our daily lives; from fishing and transporting people to recreational activities such as swimming and surfing.
“As a higher education institution, we value greatly our local environment and we proudly flag a Green Flag at our entrance, marking our efforts in respect of environmental issues. GMIT Letterfrack is proud to be part of World Oceans Day by lighting up our campus blue from June 7 to 10 and helping raise awareness of the critical role that the ocean plays in supporting life on our planet.”
Go Atlantic Blue is being spearheaded in Ireland by the Marine Institute-led AORA-CSA (Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance Co-ordination & Support Action ) against the backdrop of SeaFest 2019 and the Our Ocean Wealth Summit, both taking place in Cork.
More than 30 landmarks around the country are expected to participate in the day by lighting up.
Go Atlantic Blue aims to raise awareness of the vital role that the Atlantic Ocean plays in the lives of Irish people, no matter how near or far they live from the Atlantic coastline. Among the activities that AORA (www.atlanticresource.org ) promotes through its work are the development of an ‘Atlantic community’, made up of citizens of countries that neighbour the Atlantic Ocean, and also exploring, observing, and mapping the remainder of the Atlantic Ocean floor.
“Our ocean is our greatest natural resource and we see that most directly in Ireland with the vital importance that the Atlantic Ocean plays in our daily lives – from influencing the weather to facilitating our trade industry and from seafood to surfing off the coast,” said Dr Peter Heffernan, CEO of the Marine Institute. “The Marine Institute is proud to support the Go Atlantic Blue initiative, particularly at SeaFest and Our Ocean Wealth Summit, and we encourage and welcome everyone to come onboard.”
People are also being invited to participate in the initiative by decorating their homes, businesses, or schools in Atlantic blue, using lights or decorations, dressing in Atlantic blue clothing, or organising an Atlantic blue themed event. People can also share images of their participation on social media using the hashtags #WorldOceansDay and #GoAtlanticBlue. Participants can also tag @AtlanticAll along with @Seafest_ie and @OurOceanWealth in their posts.
