If you accept that West Cork begins at Kinsale, then West Cork has made a clean sweep of Irish Sailing’s All-Ireland Titles for 2017. Before Fionn Lyden of Baltimore put his stamp on the Seniors’ historic silver salver at Mullingar in the second weekend of October, a week earlier as the new month was being ushered in, young Michael O’Suillebhain of Kinsale was successfully dealing with a wide variety of conditions in Schull to clinch the Junior Title.
Crewed by Michael Carroll and racing in the Fastnet Marine & Outdoor Education Centre’s TR3.6 dinghies with the Centre’s own David Harte as PRO, the event logistics were supported by an enthusiastic team of helpers who kept the show on the move through wind, rain and mist - a marvellous community effort, typical of the Schull spirit.
And for those who would argue that West Cork doesn’t really begin until you’re west of the Old Head of Kinsale or even further down the coast, we hear what you’re saying, but would point out that O’Suillebhain is one of the great West Cork family names.
