#TallshipPublicTours - The United States Coast Guard Cutter trainee tallship USCGC Eagle sailed into Dublin Port this morning following the maiden Irish port of call of cruiseship Disney Magic.

The USS Eagle is on a summer tour training schedule and the last port of call was New London, Connecticut – Fort Trumbull. The barque is on a five day visit to Dublin before heading to London.

According to the US Embassy, the tallship is to moor upriver at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and be open for free public tours on the following dates and times:

Thursday, May 26th: 3:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday, May 27th: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Saturday, May 28th: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 29th: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Monday, May 30th: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

At 90 meters (295ft) in length, Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the stars and stripes and the only active square-rigger in United States government service.

Constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and originally commissioned as Horst Wessell by the German Navy, Eagle was a war reparation for the United States following World War II. The vessel is a three-masted barque with more than 6797 square meters (22,300 sqFt) of sail and 9.7 kilometers (6-mi) of rigging.

Eagle has served as a classroom at sea to future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience as part of the Coast Guard Academy curriculum. During this sail, Eagle also hosts cadets from the Royal Malaysian, and Honduran Navies who, after they graduate with a 4-year degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, will return to their respective countries to share the lessons learned with their services.

The last time Eagle visited Dublin, Ireland was 1996. After 20 years, Eagle is crossing the North Atlantic to visit this historical city again. After departing Dublin, Eagle will set her course for London, England.

For a continuous stream of information about Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, including port cities, tour schedules, current events and cadet and active duty crew-member photographs, follow the “U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle” Facebook page. All U.S. Coast Guard imagery is public domain and can be shared widely.