Traditional Gaff Cutter Sally O’Keeffe Wins October League At Kilrush

1st November 2023

A joy to behold. The Myles Stapleton-designed Shannon Hooker re-creation Sally O’Keeffe has the performance to match her good looks – she was the overall winner of the Royal Western of Ireland YC October League 2023 at Kilrush Credit: Tony Maher

Master boat-builder Steve Morris of Kilrush has been busy with new projects these days, what with the re-birth of the Dublin Bay 21s for Hal Sisk and Fionan de Barra of Dun Laoghaire, and the building of a St Ayles Skiff to provide a local boat-building class and the prospect of Kilrush participation in Skiff Regattas to international level. And currently, he is also beginning the building of a “smallish” classically-constructed timber carvel yacht.

However, the challenge which really put him on the national map was the re-creation of a traditional Shannon Hooker to a lovely-design by Myles Stapleton. This brought us the characterful 25ft gaff cutter Sally O’Keeffe, and she continues to sail merrily along after ten years.

Despite being only 25ft hull length, Sally O’Keeffe is “all boat”, and provides the ideal vessel for community use. Photo: W M Nixon

Community-built under Steve’s direction in Querrin - one of those attractively secret places on the Shannon Estuary shore to the west of Kilrush - Sally O’Keeffe deserves to be better known. It would certainly be very worthwhile for some coastal communities to set about using the design to build their own multi-purpose “people’s boat”, as she won all five races in the Kilrush League, and did so with eight people on board every time when – thanks to October’s peculiarly localised weather – she was also able to set her topsail for each race.

Her building and sailing group Seol Sionna would be very willing to help any potential builders, both with plans and frames and deadwood patterns. Meanwhile, the October win has put them on such a high that there’s now talk of sailing her to the Douarnenez Traditional Festival in Brittany next year. There, her qualities will be much appreciated by those imbued with the true Breton fisherman spirit, though doubtless, the local opinion-formers will tend to claim – as they do - that she is clearly a French-inspired design when she is no such thing.

There are now several sailors in Kilrush whose first experience of helming came on board Sally O’Keeffe. Photo: Seol Sionna

Published in Shannon Estuary, Historic Boats

Published in Shannon Estuary

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About The Author

WM Nixon

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William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

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Shannon Foynes Port (SFPC) are investing in an unprecedented expansion at its general cargo terminal, Foynes, adding over two-thirds the size of its existing area. In the latest phase of a €64 million investment programme, SFPC is investing over €20 million in enabling works alone to convert 83 acres on the east side of the existing port into a landbank for marine-related industry, port-centric logistics and associated infrastructure. The project, which will be developed on a phased basis over the next five years, will require the biggest infrastructure works programme ever undertaken at the port, with the entire 83 acre landbank having to be raised by 4.4 metres. The programme will also require the provision of new internal roads and multiple bridge access as well as roundabout access.