The 25ft Shannon cutter Sally O'Keeffe, community built in Querin, County Clare in 2012, has successfully returned to Kilrush Marina after a remarkable out-and-back voyages which took in hundreds of miles of open ocean.
While members of Seol Sionna rotated the crew during this well-executed venture, sailing shipwright Steve Morris was aboard throughout, returning to Kilrush on the Shannon Estuary after a long haul from Newlyn in Cornwall.
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.
Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
