Displaying items by tag: Pat Murphy

16th February 2015

Asgard: The Story of The Most Famous Yacht in Irish History Told This Wednesday At Howth Yacht Club

#hyc – Howth Yacht Club's Pat Murphy presents the life of Asgard, this famous yacht in Irish history from her launch in 1905 to her current conservation in Collins Barracks Museum and the 100th commemoration in 2014. The venue for the special talk is Howth Yacht Club this Wednesday, 18th February at 20:00. The lecture is open to all inlcuding non–yacht club members.

'Asgard's' 23 day voyage to collect the guns and ammunition for the Irish Volunteers and their landing in Howth in July 1914 is described in detail with unique photographs. Also covered will be the landing of Conor O'Brien's 'Kelpie' in Kilcoole.

Donations, no matter how small, will be welcomed on the night for the Howth 17s Heritage Fund.

Published in Howth YC

Tagged under

Murphy Takes Asgard Centenary Talk To Fingal For Heritage Week

#Asgard - Boating historian and round-the-world yachtsman Pat Murphy will once again give his centenary talk on the famous gun-running ship Asgard and its pivotal place in Irish history over the coming days for 2014's Heritage Week.

The series of free talks in north coastal Dublin begins tomorrow (Monday 25 August) at the public library in Rush, moving to Donabate/Portrane (Tuesday 26), Malahide (Wednesday 27) and Baldoyle (Thursday 28).

Each evening's presentation begins at 6.30pm and booking ahead is essential – contact Charlie Quinn at Fingal County Libraries at [email protected] or call 01 8708464 or 01 8708414.

Published in Tall Ships

Tagged under

Round–the–World Yachtsman Relates Bad Experience in Dunmore East

Further to your article on Dunmore East and its very unwelcoming attitude towards leisure craft let me relate a very bad experience we had there.

After nine years circumnavigating and having visited 39 countries and receiving a warm welcome in each my wife and I returned to Ireland by way of Dunmore East. Having crossed the Bay of Biscay we had planned to land in Kilmore Quay from where we had departed Ireland from. However due to a southerly gale and having hove-to for 4 hours during the night south of the Saltees we decided to divert to Dunmore East at first light, what a mistake.

We were well aware of the bad reputation of Dunmore East but after 100 hours at sea and with winds of over 30 knots we were very tired and decided for safety reasons to chance berthing there.

We rafted up with two other visiting yachts, they had also ran for shelter, and later in the morning when the Harbour Master walked down the Harbour he shouted at us making it VERY clear that we were not welcome, this despite the weather outside. Speaking to a neighbouring fisherman what we heard him say about us is not worth repeating, his language was disgraceful. We left the following morning.

Since returning the most popular question we are asked is "where is the nicest place you have been to" to which we reply "if we were to go around again there is no place we visited that we would avoid except Dunmore East". I think that sums it up.

Looking to the future, I have heard there is a new Harbour Master by the name of Harry McLoughlin and that he has already shown that he intends to make lovely Dunmore East a much more welcoming Harbour.

We wish him every success and all visiting leisure craft should show their appreciation by co-operating with him.

Looking forward to a return visit to Dunmore East.

Pat & Olivia Murphy

Published in Your Say

Tagged under

Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.