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Displaying items by tag: renovation

Cork Boat club in Blackrock Village, Cork has celebrated the completion of an 18-month programme of renovation of its clubhouse with a re-opening ceremony attended by club members and their families, as well as local public representatives.

As Afloat.ie reported previously, the works were funded by a 2014 grant of €100,000 from the government’s Sports Capital Programme, Cork City Council and club members.

Cork’s Lord Mayor Cllr. Chris O’Leary and Minister for Agriculture, Food, Marine and Defence Simon Coveney attended along with TDs Ciarán Lynch, Jerry Buttimer and Micheál Martin, Deirdre Clune MEP and Cllr Laura McGonigle and Cllr Des Cahill.

Three construction projects were completed: the ruin of Blackrock Coastguard Station, which dates from the 1840s, is part of the club’s grounds and a prominent landmark in Blackrock Village and was in imminent danger of collapse. Through collaboration with Cork City Council, the club rebuilt and restored the building in a sensitive manner, preserving its historical value. The roof of the large clubhouse designed by renowned Cork architect Frank Murphy was also replaced in its entirety and the club’s gym received a complete renovation with new windows, reconstructed walls and painting. Part of this work involved restoring windows on the eastern perimeter revealing views toward Blackrock Castle.

Minister Coveney officiated at the ceremony. He said:

"The transformation of Cork Boat Club in recent years has been remarkable. The extent of work done is a credit to the club and is a tremendous example of the direct impact that the government’s Sports Capital Programme is having in the community. The club has shown itself to be a leading light in terms of collaboration with local agencies and organizations as shown by their recent partnership with Cork City Council to save the iconic Blackrock Coastguard Station which was in imminent danger of collapse, their agreement this year with Christian Brothers College to augment the rowing programme at one of city’s leading secondary schools and their work with Port of Cork and Cork City Fire Brigade to allow access to the site for emergency search and recovery launching. I commend the club and its members for their work to date and encourage them to continue with their ambitious plans for the club, one of the most successful in the country.”  

Minister Coveney cut a ribbon held between oars painted in the club colours, assisted by club stalwart Tom O’Riordan and the newest member of the Boat Club family, six-month-old Rory Judge Joyce. Rory’s parents, Fran Judge and Eamonn Joyce, both competed for club and country.

Published in Rowing

#NEWS UPDATE - The National Maritime Museum is set to re-open in March following extensive renovation work, according to The Irish Times.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the museum was 'soft' opened to invited groups in October to showcase the developments.

Located in the Mariners’ Church in Dún Laoghaire Harbour, close to the East Pier, exhibits at the museum previously included various marine artefacts and models, as well as a maritime library.

In addition, the new museum will include a section dedicated to marine wildlife, with exhibits on various birds and fish living around the Irish coast.

Hugh O'Rorke is in charge of the marine life section, and is seeking contributions of objects from the public. For more details contact Hugh at [email protected] or 086 372 4676.

Published in News Update

#WATERFRONT PROPERTY - A six-bedroom period house with superb south-facing views over Cork Harbour is now on the market for €550,000.

Whitegate House dates from the late 18th century and comes complete with a stone yard and outbuildings, a basement, around three acres of woodland and its own private pier.

The original property was built before 1780 and embellished over the years, and now presents a pleasant four-bay house with bright and spacious accommodation.

In recent years the house has benefited from substantial structural renovations and is now presented in a comfortable condition throughout.

The property has elegant formal reception rooms comprising a drawing room and sitting room to the front and a fine dining room to the rear.

A comfortable modern kitchen with all mod cons has a door to a rear hallway leading to the basement which features a laundry room, utility room and guest toilet.

Upstairs there are six bedrooms, some with original fireplaces, as well as a toilet and bathroom.

Viewing of Whitegate House is strictly by appointment only with Hegarty Properies. Full details of the property are available HERE.

Published in Waterfront Property

Royal Cork Yacht Club

Royal Cork Yacht Club lays claim to the title of the world's oldest yacht club, founded in 1720. 

It is currently located in Crosshaven, Co. Cork, Ireland and is Cork Harbour’s largest yacht club and the biggest sailing club on the south coast of Ireland.

The club has an international reputation for the staging of sailing events most notable the biennial world famous Cork Week Regatta.

In 2020 RCYC celebrated its tricentenary under its Admiral Colin Morehead.

Royal Cork Yacht Club FAQs

The Royal Cork Yacht Club is the oldest yacht club in the world, and celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2020. It is one of the World’s leading yacht clubs, and is in the forefront of all branches of sailing activity. It is the organiser of the biennial Cork Week, widely regarded as Europe’s premier sailing event. It has hosted many National, European and World Championships. Its members compete at the highest level in all branches of sailing, and the club has a number of World, Olympic, continental and national sailors among its membership.

The Royal Cork Yacht club is in Crosshaven, Co Cork, a village on lower Cork Harbour some 20km south-east of Cork city centre and on the Owenabue river that flows into Cork Harbour.

The club was founded as The Water Club of the Harbour of Cork in 1720, in recognition of the growing popularity of private sailing following the Restoration of King Charles II. The monarch had been known to sail a yacht on the Thames for pleasure, and his interest is said to have inspired Murrough O’Brien, the 6th Lord Inchiquin — who attended his court in the 1660s and whose grandson, William O’Brien, the 9th Lord Inchiquin, founded the club with five friends.Originally based on Haulbowline Island in inner Cork Harbour, the club moved to nearby Cobh (then Cove) in 1806, and took on its current name in 1831. In 1966 the club merged with the Royal Munster Yacht Club and moved to its current premises in Crosshaven.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club today encompasses a wide variety of sailing activities, from young kids in their Optimist dinghies sailing right through the winter months to the not-so-young kids racing National 18s and 1720s during the remaining nine months. There is also enthusiastic sailing in Toppers, Lasers, RS Fevas and other dinghies. The larger keelboats race on various courses set in and around the Cork Harbour area for club competitions. They also take part in events such as the Round Ireland Race, Cowes Week and the Fastnet Race. In many far off waters, right across the globe, overseas club members proudly sail under the Royal Cork burger. The club has a significant number of cruising members, many of whom are content to sail our magnificent south and west coasts. Others head north for the Scottish islands and Scandinavia. Some go south to France, Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean. The more adventurous have crossed the Atlantic, explored little known places in the Pacific and Indian Oceans while others have circumnavigated the globe.

As of November 2020, the Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club is Colin Morehead, with Kieran O’Connell as Vice-Admiral. The club has three Rear-Admirals: Annamarie Fegan for Dinghies, Daragh Connolly for Keelboats and Mark Rider for Cruising.

As of November 2020, the Royal Cork Yacht Club has approximately 1,800 members.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club’s burgee is a red pennant with the heraldic badge of Ireland (a stylised harp topped with a crown) at its centre. The club’s ensign has a navy blue field with the Irish tricolour in its top left corner and the heraldic badge centred on its right half.

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club organises and runs sailing events and courses for members and visitors all throughout the year and has very active keelboat and dinghy racing fleets. The club also hosts many National, European and World Championships, as well as its biennial Cork Week regatta — widely regarded as Europe’s premier sailing event.

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club has an active junior section with sailing in Optimists, Toppers and other dinghies.

Charles Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club regularly runs junior sailing courses covering basic skills, certified by Irish Sailing.

 

The Royal Cork hosts both keelboats and dinghies, with the 1720 Sportsboat — the club’s own design — and National 18 among its most popular. Optimists and Toppers are sailed by juniors, and the club regularly sees action in Lasers, RS Fevas, 29ers and other dinghy classes.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club has a small fleet of 1720 Sportsboats available for ordinary members to charter.

The Royal Cork Yacht Club’s Club House office can provide phone, fax, email, internet and mail holding facilities for a small charge. Club merchandise and postcards may be purchased. Showers and toilet facilities are available 24 hours a day, free of charge. Parking is plentiful and free of charge. Diesel and petrol are available on site. Marina berths are generally available for a fee payable in advance; arrangements must be made before arrival.

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club’s Club House has all of the usual facilities, including bars and restaurant, which are open during normal licensing hours. The restaurant provides a full range of meals, and sandwiches, snacks etc, are available on request.

Normal working hours during the sailing season at the Royal Cork Yacht Club are 9am to 9pm daily. For enquiries contact the RCYC office on 021 483 1023 or email [email protected]

Yes, the Royal Cork Yacht Club caters for all types of events rom weddings, anniversaries, christenings and birthday celebrations to corporate meetings, breakfast meetings, luncheons, private dinners and more. For enquiries contact the Royal Cork Yacht Club office on 021 483 1023 or email [email protected]

New members are invited to apply for membership of the Royal Cork Yacht Club by completing the Nomination Form (available from www.royalcork.com/membership) and returning it to The Secretary, Royal Cork Yacht Club, Crosshaven Co Cork. Nominations are first approved by the Executive Committee at its next meeting, and following a period on display for the members, and are reviewed again at the following meeting at which any objections are considered.

No; while ordinary members of the Royal Cork Yacht Club are usually boat owners, there is no requirement to own a boat when submitting an application for membership.

The annual feel for ordinary members (aged 30+) of the Royal Cork Yacht Club is €645. Family membership (two full members and all children aged 29 and under) is €975, while individuals youth (ages 19-29) and cadet (18 and under) memberships are €205. Other rates are available for seniors, associates and more. All fees quoted are as of the 2020 annual subscription rates.

Memberships of the Royal Cork Yacht Club are renewed annually, usually within 60 days of the club’s Annual General Meeting.
For enquiries contact the Royal Cork Yacht Club office on 021 483 1023 or email [email protected]

©Afloat 2020