Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Now hear this, all you sailors or rowers of Greencastle Yawls, Dublin Bay Water Wags, Foyle Punts, International 12s, Shannon One Designs, Castlehaven Ettes, Strangford Lough Clippers, Coastal Hobbler Rowing Skiffs, Dublin Bay Mermaids, Mayfly-Fishing Lakeboats, IDRA 14s, Ballyholme Insects,…

Take a walk from Donaghadee Harbour east towards the Commons on the North Down coast and you’ll see the 70-year-old Sir Samuel Kelly lifeboat in its purpose-built shed near the Harbour. Protected now from the elements, it is being restored…

This spectacular Christmas lighting design on the historic wooden sailing ship Ilen may well be the greenest in Ireland. Ireland’s last surviving wooden cargo ship, as Limerick's ambassadorial vessel, has been illuminated on her seasonal visit to Galway Docks. And…

Every year, The Clyde Maritime Trust marks the anniversary of Glenlee's launch with their annual lecture, noting 2021 has the added celebration of the historic ship's 125th year afloat having been built in 1896. The Trust for this year' lecture…

In 1974, Ireland - and particularly Cork - leapt to a new level of international sailing prominence as the fresh combination of the design talents of Ron Holland, the sailmaking skills of Johnny McWilliam, and the boat-building talents of the…

The charity Silvery Light Sailing based in Newry at the head of Carlingford Lough is passionate about the refurbishment of old boats. One of these is now temporarily berthed in Carlingford Marina on the southern shore of Carlingford Lough. She's…

In 2018 Co Down sailor Del Fairley made a wish list of boats to buy from which he would choose his favourite design, and top of the list was a Swan 36. His wife Gill knew nothing about this! But…

The Ilen Marine School of Limerick’s 56ft traditional trading ketch Ilen has been making the best of a sojourn in Galway City and the gentler periods of late Autumn weather in November, with last weekend’s ideal conditions being used for…

During COP26 the Clyde Maritime Trust was visited by UN Special Envoy for the Oceans, Peter Thomson and the Relay4Nature baton as part of the Ocean Race initiative to give a voice on critical issues affecting the planet's oceans, writes…

Davaar is the conspicuous island at the entrance to Campbeltown Loch on Scotland's Mull of Kintyre, so it was entirely logical that when the local shipping company began to augment their fleet with steamships, the best-known became the Royal Mail…

Ireland's first woman to be a ship’s sea captain, Kate Tyrrell of Co. Wicklow became a captain in 1886, despite the law of the day did not recognize female shipowners. As The Irish Central records, she was born in Arklow…

When Brazilian Paulo Sergio Soares da Paixão became involved with traditional boats in Galway, little did he expect that his ashes would be scattered by fellow crew members at sea. Musicians and members of Galway group Badoirí an Chladaigh took…

They do things differently in Limerick and along the west coast. Where other migrating birds of passage head south as winter approaches, the restored 56ft trading ketch Ilen of 1926-vintage is departing her usual base in the Shannon Estuary today…

A century ago, a ship called The Quest was at sea between Lisbon and Madeira on what was to be Ernest Shackleton’s final expedition. This coming January, the centenary of the adventurer’s death in Antarctica will be marked with a…

When Irish adventurer Sir Ernest Shackleton was asked to give his expertise at the inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic, he singled out the need to slow down through the ice and the value of a ship’s lookout or…

The Galway gleoiteog named Loveen tacked across the Claddagh basin this weekend, some 96 years after it was built by the Reaney family of Spanish Arch. The gleoiteog has been restored, plank by plank, by the Galway Hooker Sailing Association…