#LECTURES – "Below the Surface" is a new series of six monthly held maritime lectures which are aptly to take place on board the replica barque Jeanie Johnston. The tallship built in Blennerville a decade ago, is now a floating famine museum ship berthed at Custom House Quay in Dublin's Docklands.

The talks will touch on many aspects of our rich and controversial maritime history, from Viking fleets in Dublin bay, through pirates, queens and lost polar expeditions. All told in a most charming setting, while the River Liffey gently sways the hull beneath your chair.

All the lectures will be held on the first Wednesday (8pm) of every month, with the inaugural talk "Searching For Franklin" on 7 November. This will be presented by John Murray, who will examine the ill fated exploration to find the Northwest Passage, undertaken by Captain John Franklin .

Tickets are available online at www.jeaniejohnston.ie/below-the-surface-page.html For further information on the series click HERE

#LONDON SHIP SHOW - The 2012 London International Ship Show, will be held on Saturday 27th October at the Royal National Hotel, Bloomsbury, London, writes Jehan Ashmore. 

The show organised by the Ocean Liner Society, will have exhibitors stands in the Galleon Suite of the central city hotel. Among the exhibitors will be maritime booksellers, maritime artists, maritime model makers, traders in maritime memorabilia and ephemera postcards.

In addition there will be a Talks Programme held off the main exhibition hall. The theme for the lectures is P&O, which this year celebrates its 175th anniversary. The first speaker, Ian Gibb, will provide a personal link with the cruise era of the line. A popular Master and Commodore and a highly distinguished merchant mariner he will be known to a generation of cruise passengers.

Bringing the story up to the present, P&O's Operations and PR Departments will give an inside view of this year's spectacular 'Grand Event' from Southampton, where a seven-strong cruiseship fleet included Arcadia (2005/83,781grt) as previously reported on Afloat.ie In the report there is a photo link to the maritime spectacle. The Arcadia is the third vessel seen from the front as she sailed down Solent waters heading for her first port of call that was to be Dublin Port.

For further details about the London Ship Show (opening hours 10am-5pm), click HERE, noting admission is £5 for non- members of the society and £3 for members.

#MUSIC AFLOAT - The replica emmigrant barque Jeanie Johnston, is to embark with an exciting line-up of artists from all genres onto its timber decks. The unique music venue of the famine museum ship is located on Custom House Quay within the Dublin 'Docklands' quarter.

The next session on 20th October (7pm) is to be performed by Larry Beau. The Galwegian minstrel, composer and story collector will be accompanied by special guests to record the new album The Sundance Vagabonds live! on board the vessel.

The new album was written during a one year trip, from east to west coast America and was inspired by Peregrine White, the first-born to the Pilgrims when they arrived in the New World on the caravel Mayflower in 1620.

The sessions are held below decks in the main saloon where space is strictly limited to 80 persons. Advance booking online is recommended. Tickets are €15.00 and are available online through the Jeanie Johnston website by clicking HERE.

#LECTURES – The Killiney & Ballybrack Historical Society's 2012/13 lecture programme begins next Wednesday (10th October). An eclectic range of topics are lined-up for the season which runs until April.

The inaugural lecture is titled "Ireland's Armada Heritage" which is to be presented by Cormac Lowth. All are welcome to the monthly held lectures (at 8pm) and as usual they are held upstairs in The Graduate Lounge, Killiney Shopping Centre, Co. Dublin.

An admission fee €3 applies for each talk and refreshments will be provided. Should you be interested in joining the society, the annual subscription is €15 (€20 for couples/family).

For further details please contact: Richard Dolan 087 618 1212, Anna O'Connor (01) 285 2817 and Tom Moran (01) 284 0524.

#SHACKLETON – A month from now sees the Shackleton Autumn School (26-29 October), now in its 12th year, take place in the Athy Heritage Centre-Museum, in Co. Kildare.

The Shackleton Autumn School was established to commemorate the explorer in the county of his birth, as he was born at Kilkea House, near Athy in 1874. The school claims to be the only annual polar event of its kind in the world and is a forum for discussion and debate on polar exhibition and presentation of artistic work relevant to Shackleton.

The autumn school will feature lecturers, drama, film, excursions, exhibits, and the Polar Exhibition 'Scott' for further details visit: www.shackletonmuseum.com/news/

#OPEN SPACE – Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn T.D. and Seán O'Laoire, are to present boat-based guided tours of Dublin's Docklands, as part of Open House Dublin weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The three afternoon tours are to be held on Sunday 7th October. According to the organisers, the 'lively' architectural tours are to explore the urban quarter of the Docklands as seen from the water on board the excursion boat Liffey Voyager.

Quinn who was a former leader of the Labour Party, also lectured architecture in UCD, having qualified with a Bachelor of Architecture and he holds a Higher Diploma in Ekistics, the science of human settlements.

For embarkation points, departure times, and how to book spaces (limited spaces) of the tours sponsored by Liffey River Cruises, click HERE. All tours are provided on a first-come first-served basis and have disabled access.

#MUSEUM AGM - The Maritime Institute of Ireland's AGM is to take place on Saturday 6 October in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, in Dun Laoghaire, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The museum which is housed in the former Old Mariners Church was re-opened in April after several years of closure so to carry out an extensive renovation and modernisation programme.

The M.I.I. fosters an appreciation of Irish maritime heritage and through operating the museum, they also host lectures, issue newsletters, host and support commemorations, conduct research and publish papers. In addition they intend to re-instate a library which includes an impressive collection of Lloyds Register of Shipping volumes.

The institute is a totally voluntary body, without regular finance from any quarter. New members are welcome as are volunteers. For information including how to make a voluntary donation visit: www.mariner.ie

#EXHIBITION TO LOST SAILORS– The exhibition 'Lost Sailors' is to tell an intriguing story told through sculpture, prose and portraits by Agnes Conway which is to run between 6-31 July (11am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday) in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dun Laoghaire.

The exhibition is a display of physical elements and consists of monuments with that tell the stories of the Lost Sailors with prints of their portraits, and through the diary of the monument maker. The diary describes the finding of the sailors' relics and the making of the work associated with them.

A soundtrack was specially written for the exhibition by Cathy Davey and Neil Hannon of the 'Divine Comedy' who is to officially open 'Lost Sailors'. The exhibition is sponsored by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and for further information about the sculpture and writer visit www.agnesconway.com

As previously reported a Summer BBQ Party fundraiser in aid of the maritime museum is to be held on 14 July in the Dun Laoghaire Club, Eblana Avenue off Marine Road. The evening event starting at 8pm will be accompanied by live jazz band and where a full bar will be open. Tickets cost €12.00 and are available from the museum or the club door, for inquires call 01-2143964

Proceeds will go towards the refurbishment of the stairs leading to the spire where the bells would of rung-out across Kingstown /Dun Laoghaire from the building that was the former Old Mariners Church built in 1837 to serve the seafaring community until its closure in 1971. The Maritime Institute of Ireland which runs the museum moved in to the building four years later.

The spire with elevated views overlooking the harbour and Dublin Bay would certainly present an added visitor attraction to the venue which in April reopened its doors after several years of closure due to essential and extensive renovation work.

#SYMPOSIUM: SPANISH ARMADA - As part of the four-day long Celtic Fringe Festival, there will be an International Symposium on The Spanish Armada Wrecks in Ireland held on the weekend of 23 and 24th June. The symposium is to be held in Grange, Co. Sligo.

The maritime event will be visited by expert underwater archaeologists, surveyors, historians, authors, training officers and divers from Ireland and England.

They will piece together the fascinating story of 1588 through to the present day, detailing their own experiences and participation with underwater archaeological surveys, explorations, excavations, research, conservation and exhibition of artefacts retrieved from the Spanish Armada shipwrecks.

Particular focus will be given to the discovery & underwater archaeology of the three Spanish Armada galleons wrecked on Streedagh Strand, Co. Sligo; 'La Lavia', 'La Juliana' and 'Santa Maria de la Vision'.

A special symposium package costing €35 covers admission to the weekend held symposium. Also included is a buffet lunch on the Saturday. In the evening a Galician/Irish music session & seafood reception will be held. The symposium concludes on the Sunday at 1:30pm.

For further information including tickets, times and venue plus the list of guest speakers visit click HERE

As for the other events during the four-days of the Celtic Fringe Festival (20th - 24th June) there will be a programme of international musicians and dancers, drama, walks, tours, street entertainment, strawboys, food stalls and more. To view festival programme and ticket information visit www.celticfringefest.com

#CHOIRAL CONCERT - The Luther College Nordic Choir from Iowa in the US is to perform a concert in aid of the Maritime Institute of Ireland's National Maritime Museum.

The choir conducted by Dr Allen Hightower, will be held in Monkstown Church of Ireland at 8pm next Wednesday 23 May. Tickets cost €10.

In early June the refurbished National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dun Laoghaire is to be officially re-opened by President Michael D. Higgins. For information about the institute and museum which has been open to visitors since Easter visit www.mariner.ie