Historic Boats
Keith Payne On How To Build A Dunfanaghy Currach And Write A Poem About It In 16 Weeks
22nd February 2024 Wavelength Podcast
Currachs and naomhógs are among the only sea craft built upside down, and the expertise dates back generations. Poet Keith Payne learned all this and much more when he found himself working on a Dunfanaghy currach over 16 weeks. He…
Captains Cook and Bligh and Their Place in Valentine's Day Maritime History
14th February 2024 Historic Boats
February the 14th is mostly known as Valentine’s Day, but it has a significance in maritime history far removed from romantic exploits – other, of course, than the romanticism of sailing the seas…..! In 1813, it was the day when…
The bow of the former Aran island ferry Naomh Éanna, which has been broken up for scrap, is en route to Galway. As The Irish Independent reports, Port of Galway harbourmaster Capt Brian Sheridan hopes to take delivery of the…
Businessman and sailor Enda O’Coineen is spearheading a 14 million euro project to build a replica of adventurer Ernest Shackleton’s most famous ship, Endurance. As The Sunday Independent reports, details of an “Endurance II” construction will be outlined at events…
Archaeologists in Newfoundland are planning a survey of a wrecked ship which has recently washed up on the coast and may be up to 200 years old. As the BBC reports, the 24 metre-long shipwreck was found by a boy…
The Slow Food Movement started in Italy many years ago, with its admirable ideal in the notion that the gentle preparation and leisurely cooking - preferably of locally sourced ingredients - was best complemented by then eating the simple feast…
New ‘Unique Attraction’ As Former Mersey Ferry Set for £2.5m Transformation Project
3rd January 2024 Historic Boats
As news of a new Mersey ferry to be built in 60 years was announced recently, a former such historic ferry is to receive a £2.5m project to transform the MV Royal Daffodil into a major destination set for completion…
Christmas Tree in A Currach - Life on Inis Treabhair Depicted in New Book
27th December 2023 Currachs
The tough realities of Irish island life are depicted in a new memoir of the Connemara island of Inis Treabhair. The last years of an Irish-speaking community are recorded by Micheál Ó Conghaile in his book, An Island Christmas. The…
An assessment of Ernest Shackleton's lost ship, the wreck of the Endurance in the Antarctic, recommends it is best preserved if left where it is. The shipwreck is 3,000 metres below sea level and in a "very stable" condition, the…
Race Against Time As Locals Attempt to Save Historic Arklow Sail-Cargo Ship before Deconstruction Deadline
22nd December 2023 Historic Boats
Maritime enthusiasts from Arklow have implored Wicklow County Council to help them in their race against the clock to save parts of an historic auxiliary sailing cargo-ship, the last of its type to serve on the Irish Sea. The local…
Tributes have been paid to Badóirí an Cladaigh for illuminating their fleet of Galway Hookers this Christmas time in Galway. The traditional boat fleet takes pride in lighting their rigs in the city's basin for special occasions. As regular Afloat readers know,…
Ireland’s Cruising And Voyaging Continues To Develop The Rich Legacy And International Friendship Radiating From Cork
16th December 2023 W M Nixon
In a week’s time, Sailing on Saturday will resume normal service with a preview on December 23rd of the up-coming Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race on December 26th, both generally and from an Irish angle, for we…
National Historic Ships UK 2023 Winners Featuring Belfast’s Awarded Flagship HMS Caroline
27th November 2023 Historic Boats
Winners of the National Historic Ships UK 2023 Photography Competition, Marsh Volunteer Awards, and Excellence in Maritime Conservation Award were revealed on Wednesday 22 November, during an Awards Ceremony filmed at The Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith Docks, Edinburgh and…
Snipe Dinghy 'Valkyria' Restoration Project is Offered on Lough Erne
23rd November 2023 Historic Boats
Sailing enthusiasts around Lough Erne in County Fermanagh have a proud record of restoring old boats as well as building new craft in traditional designs. Some years ago, the late Fred Ternan set up a small organisation called Lough Erne…
Shannon Estuary & Limerick Have Combined Over Centuries As Ireland’s Most Innovative Sailing Area
18th November 2023 W M Nixon
The Cruising Group can often emerge as the backbone of any sailing club, particularly in the winter. Back in the day when the new Howth Yacht Club premises opened in March 1987, fresh concepts were needed to ensure that the…
When God made time, he made a lot of it. You need a proper regard for that sense of under-stated reverence and patience when considering the very complete restoration in Crosshaven of Anthony and Sally O'Leary's unique yet universally appealing…