Displaying items by tag: Ciara Peelo

24th July 2020

Olympic Flag Bearer Ciara Peelo Rewinds The Clock To Beijing 2008

Ciara Peelo carries the tricolour for the Irish Olympic team at the Beijing 2008 opening ceremony

Today is the day athletes from around the world would have been celebrating the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the opening ceremony, writes Gail McAllister.

In many ways it marks the culmination of lifelong dreams, for 2020 the dream is postponed for a year.

So let’s reflect and rewind the clock to this day in 2008, when Olympic Laser Radial sailor Ciara Peelo from Malahide stepped out into the Bird’s Nest, Beijing’s National Stadium, as the flag bearer for the entire Irish Olympic team.

470 sailors Ger Owens and Phil Lawton walked alongside Star sailors Peter O’Leary and Steve Milne, giving Ciara encouragement to “keep on waving that flag” as the thousands of spectators and millions of viewers across the world roared their support.

Today is the day to reminisce with Ciara on her memories of the day.

“Sheer total happiness,” Ciara said. “There was such a happy and enthusiastic atmosphere in the team as we walked into the stadium and the noise was brilliant as we entered the arena of 91,000 spectators, and athletes of all shapes and sizes from the four corners of the world.”

Just look at the smile on Ciara's face; it sums up pride, achievement and happiness…

How did it feel to be chosen to carry the flag?

I got called to a meeting at the Olympic Federation offices in Howth and I thought I was meeting the performance director, James O’Callaghan. They asked if I was willing to take the flag at the opening ceremony. It was a huge honour and surprise to be asked, so of course, the answer was yes.

Sonia O’Sullivan carried the flag and she was my idol growing up, so to have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of my sporting hero was incredible.

Do you reflect back on the Beijing Olympics?

Yes and no. I went to the Olympics to perform in sailing and I came home feeling like I had not achieved my personal goals. The opportunity only comes around once in every four years and if you don’t achieve in that one event you will naturally be disappointed and are left with a feeling of unfinished business.

I now look back and reflect more positively on the experience. I remember the incredible journey up to and during the event and the milestones along the way.

Have you learnt anything from that emotion?

Yes. Acceptance. I approach and do things very differently now. The journey is as important as the final event. It is hard to see this when you are in the thick of competition. I learnt it was important for me to be happy with what I am doing in life as a whole and I make decisions based on happiness and contentment.

You now work as a teacher. Do you share your outlook and learnings?

I work on teaching the person and teaching the subject becomes part of that. Making sure that the person is learning what they need to learn in a way that works for them is important.

As you know, there is now a High Performance Centre in Dun Laoghaire. Do you look at the facilities that are available now for Olympic campaigners and compare to what you had available?

Everything has progressed and improved on a continuous basis. Post-Beijing a coach was brought in for the Radials and the squad was set up. There has been so much progression across the whole programme from where we were 12 years ago. As you would expect.

James, as performance director, is always looking to do the next thing to be successful. He knew Irish sailing needed squads, coaches and the right set up working with the team and he made it happen. We can all see that the performance speaks for itself.

What additional professional support did you have in 2008?

We had Sports Med Ireland, sports psychology and a nutritionist in the 2008 cycle. These were important and they are now integrated in the programme from Academy level. The athletes get more face time now with support team professionals which is a great step forward but clearly places a demand on resource.

Any advice for young athletes out there?

Choose your goal, your passion. If you want it, then go out and do it. You will feel a better person.

In conversation with Gail McAllister

Published in Olympic

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Ciara Peelo To Coach At Laser Training Weekend This Month

#Laser - Irish Laser Radial Olympian Ciara Peelo will be head coach for the Irish Laser Class Association’s upcoming training weekend on 24-25 March.

The Beijing 2008 flag-bearer will offer her guidance especially to lighter and female Laser sailors over the weekend, which is hopeful for a big turnout spurred on by the ‘Annalise Effect’.

Find out more about how to take part on the Irish Laser class website HERE.

Published in Laser

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National Yacht Club Facilities

Facilities include a slipway directly accessing Dun Laoghaire Harbour, over eighty club moorings, platform parking, pontoons, fuelling, watering and crane-lifting ensure that the NYC is excellently equipped to cater for all the needs of the contemporary sailor. Berths with diesel, water, power and overnight facilities are available to cruising yachtsmen with shopping facilities being a short walk away. The club is active throughout the year with full dining and bar facilities and winter activities include bridge, snooker, quiz nights, wine tasting and special events.

National Yacht Club History

Although there are references to an active “club” prior to 1870, history records that the present clubhouse was erected in 1870 at a cost of £4,000 to a design by William Sterling and the Kingstown Royal Harbour Boat Club was registered with Lloyds in the same year. By 1872 the name had been changed to the Kingston Harbour Boat Club and this change was registered at Lloyds.

In 1881. the premises were purchased by a Captain Peacocke and others who formed a proprietary club called the Kingstown Harbour Yacht Club again registered at Lloyds. Some six years later in 1877 the building again changed hands being bought by a Mr Charles Barrington. and between 1877 and 1901 the club was very active and operated for a while as the “Absolute Club” although this change of name was never registered.

In 1901, the lease was purchased by three trustees who registered it as the Edward Yacht Club. In 1930 at a time when the Edward Yacht Club was relatively inactive, a committee including The Earl of Granard approached the trustees with a proposition to form the National Yacht Club. The Earl of Granard had been Commodore of the North Shannon Y.C. and was a senator in the W.T.Cosgrave government. An agreement was reached, the National Yacht Club was registered at Lloyds. The club burgee was created, red cross of Saint George with blue and white quarters being sky cloud, sea and surf. The Earl of Granard became the first Commodore.

In July of 1950, a warrant was issued to the National Yacht Club by the Government under the Merchant Shipping Act authorising members to hoist a club ensign in lieu of the National Flag. The new ensign to include a representation of the harp. This privilege is unique and specific to members of the National Yacht Club. Sterling’s design for the exterior of the club was a hybrid French Chateau and eighteenth century Garden Pavilion and today as a Class A restricted building it continues to provide elegant dining and bar facilities.

An early drawing of the building shows viewing balconies on the roof and the waterfront façade. Subsequent additions of platforms and a new slip to the seaward side and most recently the construction of new changing rooms, offices and boathouse provide state of the art facilities, capable of coping with major international and world championship events. The club provides a wide range of sailing facilities, from Junior training to family cruising, dinghy sailing to offshore racing and caters for most major classes of dinghies, one design keelboats, sports boats and cruiser racers. It provides training facilities within the ISA Youth Sailing Scheme and National Power Boat Schemes.

Past Commodores

1931 – 42 Earl of Granard 1942 – 45 T.J. Hamilton 1945 – 47 P.M. Purcell 1947 – 50 J.J. O’Leary 1950 – 55 A.A. Murphy 1955 – 60 J.J. O’Leary 1960 – 64 F. Lemass 1964 – 69 J.C. McConnell 1969 – 72 P.J. Johnston 1972 – 74 L. Boyd 1974 – 76 F.C. Winkelmann 1976 – 79 P.A. Browne 1979 – 83 W.A. Maguire 1983 – 87 F.J. Cooney 1987 – 88 J.J. Byrne 1988 – 91 M.F. Muldoon 1991 – 94 B.D. Barry 1994 – 97 M.P.B. Horgan 1997 – 00 B. MacNeaney 2000 – 02 I.E. Kiernan 2002 – 05 C.N.I. Moore 2005 – 08 C.J. Murphy 2008 – 11 P.D. Ryan 2011 – P. Barrington 2011-2014 Larry Power 2014-2017 Ronan Beirne 2017 – 2019

At A Glance - National Yacht Club 2024 Events