#TALL SHIPS – It has been more than a fortnight ago since the spectacle of Dublin Tall Ships Race Festival's 'Parade of Sail' took place, and today the last participant, the Swedish Navy's Falken, made a southbound departure of Dublin Bay, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The last large tallship to depart the festival was the Italian Navy's Amerigo Vespucci, leaving the smaller Swedish gaff schooner to remain moored along the Liffey quays until her departure this afternoon. The B-class tallship built in 1947, is based out of Karlskrona and her crew of 13 officers and 29 trainees are currently heading for Porto.

It is ironic that on the same day of Falken's farewell, the Norwegian tallship Christian Radich is currently heading northbound in the Irish Sea as previously reported today. She is to visit the capital, where she called last year to publicise in advance this year's Tall Ships Race Festival.