Northside Today 01 – 11 – 2019 Rory Keatinge, Co-ordinator of the Dublin Angling Initiative

Dublin Angling Initiative

Rory Keatinge, Co-ordinator of the Dublin Angling Initiative, talks to Noel McGuinness on Northside Today. Rory says that the Dublin Angling Initiative is a programme that introduces fishing to young people from the Greater Dublin Area. It gives participants the chance to take up a fishing rod and experience what fishing is all about. Recently young people from all around Dublin, including a group from Sphere 17 in Darndale, took part in the annual Sean McMorrow Memorial Fishing Competition for novice Dublin anglers. Rory says that this was a great way for young people to come together and showcase their new skills and compete for fun. The competition was held in the “Angling for All” facility in Aughrim, Co. Wicklow and the boys’ team from Killinarden Angling Initiative, Tallaght, were winners on the day. Mentoring was given by a team of Inland Fisheries Ireland staff and Dublin Angling Initiative volunteers who ensured that all fish were released back into the water.

The Dublin Angling Initiative caters for anyone interested in angling, from the complete novice to the more advanced angler and trains them in different types of fishing. Young people who take part in the initiative are educated in the different species of fish, their habitats, the importance of catch and release of our fish species and broader conservation. The initiative has been running for over 20 years and has resulted in many of these young people setting up their own fishing clubs. The youth programme is operating throughout the autumn months and those interested should apply to Rory Keatinge, Co-ordinator of the Dublin Angling Initiative by email (rory.keatinge@fisheriesireland.ie) or telephone 087 614 2906.