Legendary yachtsman, writer and classical expert Wallace Clark is due to be buried in Co Derry tomorrow, following his death at home earlier this week writes Lorna Siggins in the Irish Times this morning.
He was injured several months ago when he was struck by a truck while out walking. His funeral notice is here.
Mr Clark, who was in his eighties, was once described by the late taoiseach Charles J Haughey as the finest maritime writer of his generation.
He was author of a number of works, including the classic Sailing Round Ireland, an account of his circumnavigation of the island in his 30 ft wooden yawl, Wild Goose (italics).
Mr Clark, a classical scholar, served in the British naval reserve during the second world war, and subsequently joined the Ulster Defence Regiment for a period during the early years of the Troubles. He worked in his family business, William Clark and Sons, which was established in 1736 and held the distinction of being the oldest linen manufacturer in the North.
In 1963, he led an expedition to re-enact St Colmcille's voyage to Iona off Scotland by currach some 1,400 years before. He was involved with Tim Severin's Brendan voyage across the Atlantic in 1977, and was a participant in the Lord of the Isles project to construct the first Scottish highland galley in 300 years which played a major part in the history of Rathlin island off the Antrim coast.
He was author of Rathlin:Its Island Story, and of Linen on the Green, the story of an Irish mill village during 250 years of weaving and bleaching linen. He wrote of the Lord of the Isles voyage from Mayo via Rathlin to Stornoway in a book of the same name, and the vessel also undertook a passage to the Faeroe islands in 1992.
He is survived by his wife June, son Bruce and was predeceased by another son, Miles.
