Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Dun Laoghaire DART

The 'soft' re-opening of the Maritime Institute of Ireland's (M.I.I.) renovated maritime museum in Dun Laoghaire is this Sunday, though the opening is dependent to fire officer's approval, writes Jehan Ashmore.
For several years the museum has been closed due to extensive renovation that was urgently required in the former Mariners Church built in 1837. In 1971 the church closed and the museum moved into the building in 1976. The church retains many of the original features, including the prisoner's docks in the gallery and magnificent stained glass windows. Externally the building has also undergone external renovation with extensive cleaning of the structure's stonework.
It is situated between the town's main shopping thoroughfare on Georges Street Upper and Dun Laoghaire Harbour's East Pier. If you are arriving to Dun Laoghaire by DART, why not take the short stroll to the museum along The 'Metals' as far as the Christ the King sculpture opposite the East Pier. From here there are steps that lead up to Haigh Terrace and the museum.

At the end of this month the M.I.I. will celebrate the 70th anniversary of its foundation and it is the intention of the voluntary run museum to 'officially' re-open in March 2012.

To read more about the renovation programme click HERE. If you would like to assist through voluntary work, fund-raising activities or make a donation in addition to keeping abreast of the latest developments visit www.mariner.ie


View Larger Map
Published in Dublin Bay

About Commander Bill King, Solo Circumnavigator

William Donald Aelian King was the last surviving submarine commander in the Second World War - in charge of the British Navy's T-class Telemachus that sank a Japanese sub in the Strait of Malacca, between Malaysia and Sumatra, in 1944.

Decorated many times for his service by the end of the war, King became a trailblazing solo sailor.

At the age of 58, he was the oldest participant in The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race sailing Galway Blazer II, a junk-rigged schooner he designed himself.

After a number of abortive attempts, including an incident with "a large sea creature", he finally completed his solo circumnavigation of the globe in 1973.

Beyond his aquatic escapades, King settled with his wife Anita (who died in 1984, aged 70) at Oranmore Castle outside Galway after the war, where he later developed a pioneering organic farm and garden to help tackle his wife's asthma.

The round-the-world sailor and Galway native Bill King died on Friday, 21 September, 2012, aged 102.