#Lecture - "How Stands Our Island Nation" is a dissertation by marine journalist and commentator Tom McSweeney of Seascapes fame which is to be held next Tuesday 21 January.

The lecture starting at 8pm is the opening talk of the 2014 winter season organized by the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association (DBOGA). The venue is the Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club in Ringsend, Dublin.

So come early and bring along a friend to the lecture which is open to all to attend. Entry of €5 is in aid of the RNLI.

#Books - Not content with being Afloat's Sailor of the Month for March this year, boat enthusiast Hal Sisk has put much of his efforts in 2012 into his new publishing venture Peggy Bawn Press, which now has a brand new online presence.

Sisk is commendable for his work both in researching Ireland's seafaring history - making it accessible to less academic mariners - and in restoring ancient boats that provide an insight into the past.

His work on the 1880s clipper Peggy Bawn in particular is a fascinating window into a time of rapid change in design, something he's also made the focus of Peggy Bawn Press with a biography of Scottish boat designer George Lennox Watson by Martin Black - which received a rave review from our own WM Nixon this part March.

And just days ago Tom McSweeney had some kind words to say about Sisk's own new and beautifully illustrated publication Dublin Bay: The Cradle of Yacht Racing, a title he says is sure to provoke debate about Dublin Bay's legacy in the sport.

Both books are available for purchase via the Peggy Bawn Press website, while the latest news on publications can be found on the official Peggy Bawn Press blog.