National Maritime College of Ireland - NMCI

Recently, NMCI Nautical Science lecturer JohnPaul Kearns and technician Sheldon Kirkwood visited both a dry cargo ship and a tugboat to capture new 360° VR footage of working engine rooms for NMCI's virtual reality headsets.

These VR experiences are a valuable learning tool for our students, allowing them to explore real shipboard environments before stepping onboard themselves. They also play an important role in our outreach activities, helping us inspire future generations when visiting schools, career fairs and educational events by giving young learners a unique insight into what a ship's engine room looks and feels like.

A sincere thank you to the crew of Foteini Z for their warm welcome, generosity and support in helping us bring this project to life.

At NMCI, we are committed to using innovative technologies to make maritime education more accessible, engaging and immersive for learners of all ages.

Advance your career without putting it on hold. At Munster Technological University National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), we offer a range of flexible, industry focused part time programmes designed for professionals looking to upskill, reskill or progress to the next stage of their careers.
From Supply Chain Management and Customs & Global Trade, to Maritime Operations, High Voltage Operations and Safety, Maritime Law & Risk Management, and Offshore Energy, our programmes are developed in collaboration with industry to ensure graduates gain practical, relevant and future focused skills.
Whether you are beginning your educational journey, seeking a career change, or looking to build on existing experience, there is a pathway for you.
Study part time while continuing to work and join a network of professionals helping to shape the future of maritime, logistics, transport and offshore energy industries.
Programmes available from NFQ Levels 6 to 9.
For more information download our brochure to view the programme best suited to your career goals.
https://www.nmci.ie/parttimecourses

We are delighted to welcome back the MTU Sailing Club to the National Maritime College of Ireland following the purchase of six Firefly dinghies.
A sincere thank you to the MTU Student Finance Committee for their support in funding this exciting investment, which will provide students with valuable opportunities to develop their sailing skills and participate in competitive events.
We look forward to supporting the club and seeing it grow and thrive throughout the coming academic year, making the most of NMCI's unique location in the heart of Cork Harbour.
We wish all members every success for the season ahead and look forward to seeing the boats out on the water very soon.

Yesterday, NMCI Windstar Cruises sponsored cadets, together with NMCI staff, had the pleasure of visiting the Star Pride during her call to Cork Harbour.

The group enjoyed a fantastic tour of the vessel and had the opportunity to meet with Windstar officers on board to learn more about life at sea, discuss the ship's upcoming ports of call and gain valuable insights into day to day operations on a luxury cruise vessel.

For our cadets, the visit was a particularly valuable experience, providing an opportunity to speak directly with crew members, ask questions and gain first hand knowledge ahead of commencing their sea phases in the coming months.

Experiences such as these are an important part of preparing our students for careers at sea, helping to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real world operations.

Our sincere thanks to Padraig Condon, Marine Manager with Windstar Cruises, and to Captain Tony Pavlic, and officers Phoebe, Joseph, Paula and all the crew who extended such a warm welcome on board. Our thanks also to Annette Coughlan, Maritime Industry Liaison Officer, for arranging the visit.

Brian Devitt, Head of College at the National Maritime College of Ireland, and Jim O’Byrne, Head of NMCI Training Services, were delighted to visit UCD and meet with Aaron McNulty, CEO of UCD Professional Academy.
The discussion focused on potential collaborations in professional education, flexible learning, workforce development and industry-focused upskilling.
An engaging and positive conversation, with plenty of potential for future collaboration between NMCI and UCD Professional Academy.
NMCI Training Services - "Global Leaders in Maritime Safety Training" | University College Dublin | Munster Technological University |

It was a pleasure to welcome representatives from Kongsberg Maritime and Fleetway Inc. to the National Maritime College of Ireland this week.
The visit provided an opportunity to showcase our advanced engineering simulation capabilities to the Fleetway delegation and to discuss how simulation is integrated across both our academic programmes and professional maritime training courses.
Thank you to Fleetway and Kongsberg Maritime for the engaging discussions and knowledge sharing. We look forward to continuing to strengthen links between industry, technology providers and maritime education to support the future of the global maritime sector.

The group are pictured with Head of NMCI Training Services - "Global Leaders in Maritime Safety Training" Jim O'Byrne.

We were delighted to welcome pupils and staff from Mount Bruis National School, Tipperary Town, to the National Maritime College of Ireland.
The visit gave the pupils a chance to learn more about the maritime world, explore the unique facilities at NMCI, and get a glimpse of the education, training and career opportunities connected to Ireland’s maritime sector.
A sincere thank you to the staff and pupils of Mount Bruis NS for visiting us. It was a pleasure to host such an enthusiastic and engaged group.

Continuous professional development is just as important for our lecturers as it is for those they train.

Last week, a number of NMCI lecturers completed their updated STCW training with NMCI Training Services - "Global Leaders in Maritime Safety Training".
Refreshing these essential skills every five years helps ensure they continue to deliver industry relevant, practical training informed by current best practice.

CPD in action. Compliance maintained. Skills refreshed.

And, judging by the smiles throughout the week, they enjoyed being back in the training gear too.

The National Maritime College of Ireland is delighted to welcome Commander Mike Brunicardi to the MTU NMCI Doctoral Academy, as he commences his PhD with Munster Technological University and NMCI.
Mike’s research will map emerging risks to Ireland’s energy security including Offshore Renewable Energy, Critical National and Underwater Infrastructure, shaping future maritime defence, security and resilience.

As Ireland accelerates its energy‑security and decarbonisation ambitions, new offshore assets introduce complex vulnerabilities, from sabotage and maritime terrorism to cyber intrusion and climate‑driven disruption. Mike’s work will map these emerging risks and identify capability and governance gaps to support a more resilient national maritime posture.

With 25 years’ service in the Defence Forces and extensive operational, leadership and academic experience, Mike brings a unique blend of practitioner insight and strategic analysis to this research.
This PhD also marks an important step in the development of the MTU NMCI Doctoral Academy, which was established to support high-quality doctoral research in areas of strategic importance to Ireland’s maritime future.
The Academy will support research across themes such as:
➡️ Maritime Digitalisation
➡️ Maritime Cyber Security
➡️ Offshore Renewable Energy
➡️ Critical & Underwater Infrastructure
➡️ Seafarer Education
➡️ Autonomous & Remote Maritime Systems
➡️ Ports, Logistics & Sustainable Maritime Operations

If you are interested in undertaking doctoral research with MTU and NMCI in maritime security, digitalisation, offshore renewables, cyber resilience, critical infrastructure, or related areas, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Mike is pictured below with NMCI Head of College Dr Brian Devitt and Dr Robert McCabe, Lead Researcher MARSEC Project.

Irish Naval Service

This week, a number of our Dept. of Maritime Studies lecturers are completing their STCW refresher training with NMCI Training Services - "Global Leaders in Maritime Safety Training". STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) certificates must be refreshed every 5 years to maintain compliance.
Today, the group are undertaking Updated Training in Survival Craft & Rescue Boats (other than Fast Rescue Boats), refreshing their practical skills in launching, handling and operating survival craft and rescue boats (safe to say they look pretty happy!).
And, as always, the session was conducted under the watchful eyes of some of our most loyal spectators, the resident seals on the NMCI slipway, who were keeping a close eye on proceedings throughout the morning.