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Displaying items by tag: Seafarers Service

The annual Irish Seaman's National Memorial service this year was again cancelled given ongoing Covid circumstances, however a small low-key ceremony did take place along Dublin's south quays, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Attending the ceremony last Friday at City Quay, was the president of the Maritime Institute of Ireland, Joe Varley, who laid a wreath on behalf of the Institute at the Seafarers Memorial monument.

In addition a second wreath was laid by Rose Kearney on behalf of the Stella Maris Seafarers Mission with their club and centre located across the Liffey, on Beresford Place near to Busaras.

Normally the ceremony which is also attended by other maritime organisations, is to remember those Irish Seafarers who were lost while serving on Irish merchant ships during World War II.

The ceremony which is organised by the M.I.I., had in the previous month marked its 80th anniversary as the Maritime Institute of Ireland was incorporated during WW2 in October 1941.

Asides the role of the Institute, they opened the Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire in 1978 which is located aptly in the former Church of Ireland Old Mariners' Church. The atmospheric 180 year-old historic building (near the East Pier) is located opposite of the DLRCoCo's LexIcon Library.

To read much more about the history of the M.I.I. and the National Maritime Museum of Ireland which includes a gift shop and library, click here.

Published in Ports & Shipping

About the Watersports Inclusion Games

The Watersports Inclusion Games are an award-winning event organised by Irish Sailing with partners from across the watersports sector, that enable people of all abilities from the physical, sensory, intellectual and learning spectrums to take to the water to participate in a wide range of water activities.

More than 250 people with physical, sensory, intellectual and learning disabilities typically take part in the weekend's events.

Participants will have the opportunity to try more sports than ever before, with an expanded range including sailing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle-boarding, rowing, surfing, water skiing and powerboating all on offer.

The Games typically take place each August.

The organisers of the Games want to let people of all abilities know that there are multiple watersports available to them, and to encourage more people from all backgrounds to get involved and out on the water regardless of ability. They aim to highlight that any barriers faced by people with disabilities can be eliminated.

There are social, health and wellness benefits associated with sailing and all watersports. These include improved muscle strength and endurance, improved cardiovascular fitness and increased agility, enhanced spatial awareness, greater mental wellness through the balancing of serotonin levels and the lowering of stress levels, improved concentration and the forging of positive relationships.