This Saturday (28th January), Sail training Ireland will hold their fifth Annual Prize giving and season launch event at the Mansion house in Dublin, courtesy of Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr. Cllr. Ruairi McGinley will be attending on behalf of the Mayor. Sail Training Ireland has announced “The Voyage”, a Tall Ship initiative being run between the Cities of Dublin, Belfast and Liverpool which includes Sail Training voyages between the three cities and incorporates The Dublin Port River Fest, Belfast Maritime Festival and Liverpool’s International Mersey River Festival. The programme of events is planned to celebrate the historical, cultural and maritime links. Delegates from the three city councils will be present at the event.
Master of ceremonies is the well-known RTÉ Radio 1 Seascapes presenter and Sail Training Ireland Goodwill Ambassador Marcus Connaughton.
Sail Training Ireland funds young people, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and with disabilities to sail on Tall Ship voyages at sea where they have a real experience of life under sail.
Their work has resulted in over twelve hundred young people going to sea since 2011. In 2016 the numbers of funded trainees reached almost 300 going to sea on ships from Ireland and across Europe. We aim to fund a similar number of trainees in 2017. (See Notes for Images of 2017 Ships). These numbers have not been seen since the loss of Ireland’s National Tall Ship Asgard II in 2008. The 2016 trainees included young people from residential care homes, Garda Diversion Projects, Sea Scouts, Youth and Community groups and Schools, former prisoners and asylum seekers and immigrants and young people with visual, hearing and physical impairments from across Ireland and Northern Ireland. The purpose: A change in direction/perspective, attitude and behaviour – self-confidence, motivation and adventure.
Daragh Sheridan, the CEO of Sail Training Ireland will announce a voyage programme for 2017 and a number of very exciting funded programmes that are supported by the development of regional bursary schemes. The bursary schemes in Drogheda, Cork and Waterford are into their 5th and 4th and 2nd years respectively while the Belfast, Dublin, Wexford, Derry, Galway and Limerick are at various stages of development. The Dublin City Council/Dublin Port Company Legacy project continues to build on the legacy of Tall Ships 2012.
Funded voyage schemes in 2017 include:
• EU Commission "Youth Exchange" projects, under the Erasmus + programme, in partnership with Merseyside Adventure Sailing Trust - Liverpool. These take place during June on Tall Ship Pelican of London.
• EU Commission “Youth Exchange” projects, under the Erasmus+ programme, in partnership with Tall Ship Maybe - UK. There are 3 voyages during the Summer months.
• Voyages with Spirit of Oysterhaven, a stunning 70ft Schooner based in Cork catering for a range of projects.
• The Garda Youth Diversion voyages will take place on Spirit of Oysterhaven in 2017.
• Voyages on board the Brian Ború, the newest edition to the Sail Training family! A traditional gaff rigged ketch specifically adapted for voyages of discovery, heritage and wildlife on the Waterford estuary.
