President Michael D Higgins has led the tributes to the late Padraic de Bhalraithe, "The Boatman of Barna", whose natural talents as a teacher and mentor went far beyond the classrooms of Galway and Connemara. These talents enabled him to be a quietly inspiring figure in the revival of the traditional sailing boats of the west, in which his personal input was much greater than his years of service as Honorary Secretary of the Galway Hooker Association.
The President said: "It is with great sadness that I have learned of the death of my long-standing and dear friend Padraic de Bhaldraithe. Padraic was one of my closest friends from the time we were post-graduates at University College Galway, and what a great friend he was.
"Full of a natural instinct for friendship and companionship, he brought light, humour and a great courtesy to all occasions. While he worked for much of his life in the education sphere as a teacher, inspector and examiner, he unstintingly gave his heart and soul to all the other shared areas interests of Irish life as well, including traditional music, sailing, and the protection of the seas and sea life.
"Involved on a voluntary basis with coastal watch activities and the protection of whales, dolphins and other sea creatures, he was sensitive to our ocean and for all its forms of life.
"The craft of boatbuilding was an enduring interest for Padraic, in particular the construction of the traditional sailing craft, with which he was involved in both building and sailing, undertaking significant voyages at home and abroad.
"His shore interests included a profound involvement with the language and the rights associated with it, and he also made a important contribution as a freelance translator".
Padraic de Bhaldraithe – curious, informative, entertaining, and quietly inspiring
FRIEND OF GALWAY BAY SC
Padraic was long a colleague and friend of Pierce Purcell of Galway Bay SC, who recalls him during a period of teaching in Carraroe as taking the first steps to introduce instructional dinghy sailing to his pupils in the controlled setting of the local reservoir, rather than in the challenging tidal setting of the neighbourhood's rocky local inlets.
"His enthusiasm was boundless, yet as a natural gentleman and diplomat, he brought people with him in shared projects rather than turning everything into a competition. He will be much missed"
Having more than done his duty by traditional boats in both their building, sailing and maintenance, in his latter years Padraic de Bhalraithe treated himself to the gift of a traditional-style cutter, Mrs Mouse, which minimised the struggle of upkeep by being, as he drolly put it, "hewn from glassfibre".
With Mrs Mouse, he was a familiar figure afloat in Galway Bay waters, often delightedly introducing newcomers to sailing. He will be much missed by his very many friends afloat and ashore, and our heartfelt condolences are with his wife Maire and their children and grandchildren, their extended family and his very many friends.
In serious mood – sea safety and maintaining a coastal watch were high on Padraic de Baldraithe's priorities
