For sailing folk in Dublin Bay, coastal rowing and racing with skiffs in their many forms seem a world unto itself. As too does the Tolka Estuary, that mysterious waterway in the North City that makes it way southeast to the sea close to the northwards of Belvedere Rugby Ground and Croke Park, before curving in a widening form to head seaward past Clontarf and on into the outer Liffey Estuary.

--These two special worlds apart of classic boats and little-known waterways are found together in the Tolka-side East Wall Water Sports Group, along with other maritime activities, and as ever the eagle eye of Cormac Lowth was there for an important waterfront happening, and we thank him for this report:

THE FIRST LAUNCHING OF THE PATSY JUNIOR

On Saturday, June 8th, the East Wall Water Sports Group launched their magnificent new East Coast skiff Patsy Junior at the East Wall Water Centre. The boat was built in the Clubhouse by Shipwright and Boatbuilder Patsy Whelan Junior, with help from his brothers Martin and Jimmy, and members of the Rowing Group.

The Club have named the boat after the man who built her. Patsy and his brothers are the sons of the renowned Patsy Whelan Senior, who was the last commercial Boatbuilder in Ringsend. As for Patsy Junior, he works as a shipwright with the Dublin Port Company.

The superb craftsmanship of the new boat descends directly from the highest skills of Ringsend boatbuilders and the Dublin Port Shipwrights. Photo: Cormac Lowth

LINK TO LAST BOATYARD IN RINGSEND

The standard of craftsmanship in the new boat is superb, and is a fine continuation of centuries of the tradition of boatbuilding in Dublin, Patsy Whelan Senior served his time as a boatbuilder and Shipwright with Harry Smith, who owned the last of a long line of boatyards that existed on the bank of the River Dodder at Ringsend.

Harry had served his time with the firm of Hollweys, who built a vast array of yachts, sailing trawlers, lifeboats, and motorboats, They employed dozens of boatbuilders from Ringsend who were descended from generations in the same trade going back hundreds of years.

The East Wall club concentrates mostly on rowing, but it also takes in boatbuilding and repairs. They have a variety of boats, including two clinker rowing boats, and a Shannon Gandelow which were also built by Patsy Whelan Junior. They also own currachs and two East Coast skiffs that were originally built by Patsy Whelan Senior. There are a great many young people in the club who learn rowing, and it is wonderful to see old skills being passed on to new generations.

ANCESTRY OF THE SKIFFS

East Coast rowing skiffs are long double-ended wooden clinker built boats that are direct descendants of the boats that were used in the past by 'Hobblers'. These boats were rowed out to sea to meet incoming vessels, mostly small schooners, and the Hobblers acted as pilots, and sometimes towed the vessels in times of calm. They also ran mooring lines ashore, and sometimes helped to work the cargo.

The new boat heads out for her first rowing session after close inspection revealed she wasn’t making so much as a drop of water. Photo: Cormac Lowth

Boats from different harbours would race each other to be first to get a line aboard incoming vessels. There were still plenty of Hobblers around in the mid 1930s, when the sport of skiff racing was codified and the first two clubs were formed, Saint Patrick's and Stella Maris, both in Ringsend. The sport has since then gone from strength to strength.

NO LEAKS AT ALL

The first of the current type of East Coast skiffs were built by Harry Smith, and then a great many more were subsequently built by Patsy Whelan Senior. Standards are high both ashore and afloat, with the well-organised proceedings on Saturday being overseen by Club member Joe Morrison. The new boat was launched at the Club's slipway, and the crucial post-launch inspection revealed that the boat had not taken in so much as a drop of water. That vital test having been passed with flying colours, the new Patsy Junior was taken on a first row by a crew of young people from the Club, accompanied by a flotilla of the other boats of the Club to celebrate this 21st Century continuation of a time-honoured Dublin Port tradition.

Not all boat-building projects conclude so well that the new vessel is named in honour of the builder, but it happened with acclamation at East Wall Watersports Centre. Photo: Cormac Lowth