The Ilen is the last of Ireland’s traditional wooden sailing ships.

Who designed the Ilen?

The Ilen was designed by Conor O’Brien, the first Irish man to circumnavigate the world.

Where does the name Ilen get her name?

Ilen is named for the West Cork River which flows to the sea at Baltimore, her home port.

The Ilen was built by Baltimore Sea Fisheries School, West Cork in 1926. Tom Moynihan was foreman.

What is Ilen built from?

Ilen's wood construction is of oak ribs and planks of larch.

What are the dimensions of the lIen?

As-built initially, she is 56 feet in length overall with a beam of 14 feet and a displacement of 45 tonnes.

How did the Ilen get from Baltimore to the Falkland Islands in 1926?

Conor O’Brien set sail in August 1926 with two Cadogan cousins from Cape Clear in West Cork, arriving at Port Stanley in January 1927 and handed it over to the new owners.

How much did the Ilen cost in 1926?

The Ilen was delivered to the Falkland Islands Company, in exchange for £1,500.

What roles has Ilen performed in her lifetime?

Ilen served for over 70 years as a cargo ship and a ferry in the Falkland Islands, enduring and enjoying the Roaring Forties, the Furious Fifties, and Screaming Sixties. She stayed in service until the early 1990s.

Who from Ireland rediscovered the Ilen in the Falkland Islands?

Limerick sailor Gary McMahon and his team located Ilen. MacMahon started looking for her in 1996 and went out to the Falklands and struck a deal with the owner to bring her back to Ireland.

What condition was Ilen in when she was found in the Falkland Islands?

After a lifetime of hard work in the Falklands, Ilen required a ground-up rebuild.

How did the Ilen come back to Ireland?

A Russian cargo ship transported her back on a 12,000-mile trip from the Southern Oceans to Dublin. The Ilen was discharged at the Port of Dublin 1997, after an absence from Ireland of 70 years.

Who restored the Ilen?

It was a collaboration between the Ilen Project in Limerick and Hegarty’s Boatyard in Old Court, near Skibbereen. Much of the heavy lifting, of frames, planking, deadwood & backbone, knees, floors, shelves and stringers, deck beams, and carlins, was done in Hegarty’s. The generally lighter work of preparing sole, bulkheads, deck‐houses fixed furniture, fixtures & fittings, deck fittings, machinery, systems, tanks, spar making and rigging is being done at the Ilen boat building school in Limerick.

How long did it take to restore Ilen?

Ten years. The boat was much the worse for wear when it returned to West Cork in May 1998, and it remained dormant for ten years before the start of a decade-long restoration.

What is the role of the Ilen today?

Ilen now serves as a community floating classroom and cargo vessel – visiting 23 ports in 2019 and making a transatlantic crossing to Greenland as part of a relationship-building project to link youth in Limerick City with youth in Nuuk, west Greenland.

What is so good about Ilen’s relatively small size as a sailing cargo ship?

At a mere 56ft, Ilen is capable of visiting most of the small harbours of Ireland.

Displaying items by tag: Head of the Shannon

1st December 2022

Shannon Navigation: ‘Head of the Shannon’ Rowing Event in Carrick-on-Shannon This Saturday

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels and waterway users on the Shannon Navigation that the Head of the Shannon rowing event will take place in Carrick-on-Shannon this Saturday 3 December.

The event will take place downstream of Carrick bridge for a distance of 3.5km. The rowing starts at navigation maker known locally as White Woman/White Lady downstream of Carrick-on-Shannon and will proceed back to the Marina just downstream of the bridge.

The rowing events will take place between 10am and 4pm. Masters of vessels are requested to proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the rowing events during these times.

This event is the second Head of the Shannon of 2022, as last year’s event was postponed until February. Details for competing rowers can be found HERE.

Published in Inland Waterways

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20th January 2022

Advisory for Water Users Around Rescheduled ‘Head of the Shannon’ Rowing Event Next Month

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels and water users that the rescheduled Head of the Shannon rowing event will take place on Saturday 19 February.

The day’s events will take place at 11am and 2pm downstream of Carrick-on-Shannon bridge for a distance of 3.5km. The rowing starts at the navigation maker known locally as White Woman/White Lady and will proceed back to the marina downstream of the bridge.

Masters of vessels on the Shannon Navigation are requested to proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the rowing events.

Published in Rowing

Tagged under

21st November 2021

Caution Advised for Boaters Around ‘Head of the Shannon’ Rowing Event

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise all masters of vessels and water users that the Head of the Shannon rowing event will take place on Saturday 4 December.

The event will take place downstream of Carrick-on-Shannon bridge for a distance of 3.5km.

The rowing starts at navigation maker known locally as White Woman/White Lady and will proceed back to the Marina downstream of of the bridge.

Rowing events will take place at 11am and 2pm on the day.

Masters of vessels on the Shannon Navigation are requested to proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the rowing events.

Published in Rowing

Tagged under

7th December 2019

St Joseph's Shine at Head of the Shannon

St Joseph's of Galway were the fastest crew in the shortened second head at the Head of the Shannon rowing event in Carrick on Shannon today. The men's junior 18A eight rowed well and set a provisional time of nine minutes 19.3 seconds.

Commercial's men's junior 18A quadruple were almost as fast, winning their class in nine minutes 22.6 seconds.

The fastest women's crew was the Commercial club one eight, while the Tribesmen/Athlone combination came home fastest of the mixed masters eights.

Brian Colsh of Sligo came home fastest of the junior men's single scullers; Molly Curry was the best women's junior single sculler.

The conditions were surprisingly good, with the water calmer as the afternoon went on.

Published in Rowing

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5th December 2019

Muckross Head Cancelled But Head of Shannon Set to Be Held

Muckross Head of the River, set for Saturday, has cancelled but rowing people will be glad to hear that the big Head of the Shannon event in Carrick-on-Shannon is set to go ahead.

The organising committee of Muckross Head said that the weather forecast led them to cancel on safety grounds

Published in Rowing

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4th December 2017

Enniskillen and Coláiste Iognáid Pick up Pennants at Carrick

Commercial celebrate at Carrick on Shannon

#Rowing: The Head of the Shannon enjoyed good weather and an appreciative crowd at Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday. The timing system encountered some difficulties. Neptune’s junior 18 quadruple were the fastest crew in the first head. The pennant for this class was granted in the second head and Enniskillen took it. The Fermanagh club had a set of wins at junior level, as did Coláiste Iognáid of Galway. Commercial’s junior 16 women’s eight also came out on top.

Head of the Shannon, Carrick-on-Shannon, Selected Results (Category winners)

Head One

Men

Eight – Jun 16: Col Iognáid. Masters: Neptune (d)

Four – Jun 18, coxed: Enniskillen

Pair – Sen: Galway. Jun 18: Enniskillen

Sculling

Quadruple – Jun 16, coxed: Sligo. Masters: Galway (e). Masters, coxed: Athlone (e).

Double – Sen: Portadown. Masters: City of Derry (d). Jun 18: Enniskillen

Single – Jun 16: Athlone (Carroll)

Women

Eight – Jun 18: Col Iognáid

Four – Club, coxed: Athlone

Sculling, Quadruple – Jun 18: Enniskillen

Double – Club: Carrick-on-Shannon. Jun 16: Commercial

Single – Club: Carrick-on-Shannon (Early). Jun 18: Enniskillen (Fee)

Head Two

Men

Eight, Jun 18: Portadown

Four – Masters, coxed: Athlone (b)

Sculling

Quadruple – Jun 18: Enniskillen

Double – Club: Enniskillen. Jun 16: Enniskillen

Single – Sen: Sligo (G Patterson). Jun 18: Carrick-on-Shannon (Early). Masters: Athlone (Gallen, f)

Women,

Eight

Club: Galway. Jun 16: Commercial. Masters: Tribesmen B (e)

Four – Jun 18: Col Iognáid.

Pair – Jun 18: Col Iognáid

Sculling

Quadruple – Jun 16, coxed: Sligo.

Double – Jun 18: Enniskillen

Single – Club: Carrick-on-Shannon (T Duggan). Jun 16: Carrick-on-Shannon (Murtagh).

Published in Rowing

Tagged under

4th December 2016

Lightweight Queen's Crew Fastest at Shannon Rowing

Tiernan Oliver and Sam McKeown of Queen's

#Rowing: A young Queen’s University lightweight quadruple were the fastest crew at the Shannon Head of the River at Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday. The under-23 crew of Jordan Wilson, Miles Taylor, Ewan Murray and Harry Mahon took 11 minutes and 53 seconds to complete the course. Portora’s junior 16 eight also did well. Tiernan Oliver and Sam McKeown, in a senior double, almost matched their time. See Attached Results.

Head of the Shannon, Carrick-on-Shannon (Selected Results)

Head One:

Men

Eight – Jun 16: Portora 12 minutes 43 seconds.

Four – Jun 18, coxed: Portora 13:13.

Sculling, Quadruple – Jun 16, coxed: Carrick-on-Shannon 14:24. Double – Sen: Queen’s 12:46

Women

Eight – Club One: Commercial 14:29. Jun 18: Commercial 13:39

Sculling, Quadruple – Jun 18A: Portora 14:08.

Head Two:

Men

Eight – Novice: Commercial 14:55.