#Exhibition - The Rosslare Maritime Enthusiasts are hosting a Community Arts Exhibition at the Rosslare Harbour Maritime Heritage Centre which opened this October Bank Holiday weekend and will continue to Sunday 2 November.

The exhibition opening times are daily between 12 noon and 6pm which forms part of the Wexford Opera Festival Fringe Events.

The centre promotes the local maritime history of Wexford and nationally in addition to internationally.

For information about the centre and other events and activities, visit their facebook page here.

#IrishShipping - A new publication 'Irish Shipping Ltd. – A Fleet History' as previously reported on Afloat.ie was launched recently with an official reception held in Rosslare Harbour.

More than 250 people attended the inaugural launch in the Hotel Rosslare which overlooks the ferryport. The publication was well received by the general public and critics alike and former ISL employee Capt. Jim O' Leary officially launched the long awaited publication.

It is anticipated that this book will be a great source of reference as well as telling the story of a very special shipping company. The promotional tour of the book continues with a launch taking place today in the Port of Cork Company's Boardroom at 6pm.

Also this week the National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dun Laoghaire will be the venue on Thursday starting at 4pm. Appropriately another former ISL employee, Operations Manager Mr. Bill Lynch FICS, FCILT is to launch the book and again all are welcome to attend.

'Irish Shipping Ltd. – A Fleet History' involved around 5 years of research by the authors Brian Cleare, Leo Coy and brothers, Brian and John Boyce. They established the Rosslare Maritime Enthusiasts in 2004 and the group decided to proceed with the book venture following exhibitions on Irish Shipping Ltd in Rosslare Harbour and the National Maritime College of Ireland in Cork Harbour which attracted a combined attendance of over 2,500 people.

This is the RME's third publication, following the titles: 'Images of Rosslare Harbour' and 'The Ships of Rosslare Harbour'. They have received widespread respect in their field and much praise from renowned authorities in the maritime history sphere including the World Ships Society. Amongst the group are dedicated maritime historians, retired and serving seafarers, and local history experts.

In October 2012 the group established the Rosslare Maritime Heritage Centre which as reported is open to public on weekends.

#IrishShipping - The eagerly awaited publication 'Irish Shipping Ltd-A Fleet History' which traces every ship of the former state-owned shipping company, will be celebrated with an inaugural book launch this Friday in Rosslare Harbour, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The launch of the publication which covers the fleet from its humble beginnings in 1941 to its sad demise in 1984, is to be held in the Hotel Rosslare (22 Nov.) at 8pm.

All are welcome to the launch venue which appropriately overlooks the ferryport from where ISL's ferry division Irish Continental Line (ICL) ran routes to France. Among the ferries they run was the St. Killian which was notably lengthened in 1982.

Further book launches and signings are to take place next week, firstly in the Port of Cork Company's Boardroom on Tuesday (26 Nov.) at 6pm.

Two days later the book's promotional tour heads for another nautically apt venue, the National Maritime Museum of Ireland (NMMI) in Dun Laoghaire on Thursday (28 Nov.) at 4pm. The launch will be performed by the former Operations Manager in Irish Shipping, Mr. Bill Lynch FICS, FCILT, and again all are welcome to attend.

The authors, Brian Cleare, Leo Coy and brothers, Brian and John Boyce have spent the last five years researching and gathering material about the fleet that were mostly cargoships, bulk-carriers and a handful of oil tankers. All ships were named with the prefix 'Irish' followed by a species of tree, i.e. Irish Pine.

With over four hundred photographs, the publication is lavishly illustrated in covering every vessel of the fleet. Many of the photographs have never been published before.

This fine hardback (354pages) is priced €30.00 and will be an invaluable source of reference for many years to come. No doubt this new book will generate interest from former ISL seafarers, shore-staff and researchers. In addition to all those who hold dearly the importance of an Irish flagged merchant fleet and this unique period in our maritime history.

The authors as previously reported are also behind the Rosslare Harbour Maritime Heritage Centre and they will be holding additional launches nationwide, details made available upon confirmation. To keep track of book launches and of the centre visit the Rosslare Maritime Enthusiasts facebook page.

#NewBook - A new book tracing every ship in Irish Shipping Ltd is due to be published in October.

The publication 'Irish Shipping Ltd-A Fleet History' is to cover the fleet from its humble beginnings in 1941 to its sad demise in 1984.

The authors, Brian Cleare, Leo Coy and brothers, Brian and John Boyce have done many years of research and gathered together over four hundred photographs covering every ship in the fleet. Many of the photographs have never been published before.

This fine hardback publication, with more than 500 pages will be a superb source of reference for many years to come.

After an initial launch in County Wexford, the authors will visit the ports of Cork, Dublin and Waterford to further promote the book.

As is usual with such a publication initial production costs are expected to be high. The authors are inviting one hundred people the exciting opportunity to become "investors" in the project.

For €100, each "investor" will receive a special, limited edition of the book. Their name will appear in ALL of the 1000 + books printed.

Each book will be signed by the authors and will have a special hand drawn sketch of an Irish Shipping Ltd vessel signed by the artist. In addition, each of these 100 books will have a special dust jacket and will be numbered 1 – 100.

If you would like to register your interest please contact the Rosslare Maritime Enthusiasts:

John Boyce 086 3934251 email: [email protected]                                                                                                                 Brian Cleare 086 1075057 email: [email protected]
Leo Coy 086 3103417 email: [email protected]

Please note that the last date for registration is less than a week away!... next Saturday 21st September