Laid up the boats
Do they dream of the silken sea
The rage of storms.
The men that sail in them
Or in their fraternity?
Do they dream of their heroes
The great tall ships moored to their quay
Straining at their hawsers
Longing to be free
Aha they might say in their dreams
The sea, the sea
A poem entitled “Renville” by the late Mavis Buckley set the tone at a moving memorial service for mariners hosted by Galway Bay Sailing Club (GBSC) earlier this week.
A large and diverse fleet of vessels, the Irish Coast Guard Shannon-based helicopter, the RNLI and over 200 people on the shore participated in Monday’s event, which aimed to pay tribute to mariners who had passed on, or were lost at sea.
Among those remembered was late submarine commander Bill King, formerly of Oranmore Castle, who circumnavigated the world in his yacht Galway Blazer.
Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton fires the Galway Bay Sailing Club cannon at the memorial service for mariners Photo: via Twitter
The sextant which he used was presented by his daughter Leonie King to Rev Anthony Previté, who conducted the prayer ceremony along with local parish priest Fr Diarmuid Hogan.
Up to 30 boats arrived into Renville harbour to take a salute by Minister of State and Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton when she fired the GBSC cannon.
As the Irish Coastguard Sikorsky S-92 helicopter hovered overhead, flowers were scattered on the water below by five yachts to remember sailors, fishermen, RNLI volunteers, and Irish Coastguard members lost at sea.
The list on a special programme included the late Caitriona Lucas of Doolin Coast Guard, and the Rescue 116 search and rescue helicopter crew, Capt Dara Fitzpatrick, Capt Mark Duffy, winch crew Ciarán Smith and Paul Ormsby.
(From left) Galway Bay Sailing Club (GBSC) Commodore Johnny Shorten, Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton, GBSC's Pierce Purcell and John Killeen at the memorial service for mariners Photo: via Twitter
Organiser Pierce Purcell said that the 10-12-year-old junior sailors “showed their very competent skills in front of over 200 people on the shore, with a nice force four wind and five-metre tide lapping the shore”.
Ten past Commodores of GBSC and representatives of the Civil Defence, Inland Fisheries Ireland, the Irish Coastguard, RNLI and Oranmore Maree Coastal Search Unit attended, Purcell said.
He paid particular tribute the role played by Oranmore Maree Coastal Search Unit, in providing everything from parking support to food for over 100 people in the clubhouse.
Representatives of Galway Sub Aqua Club, City Sailing Club., the Galway Hooker Sailing Club, Badoirí an Cladaigh and Oranmore Garda station were also involved.
Purcell read “Renville” by the late Mavis Buckley, while Aonghus Concannon read “Crossing the Bay” by Alfred Lord Tennyson and Henry Van Dyke’s poem “Standing on the Shore”.
“We have had a great reaction, we saw members we hadn’t seen in 30 years, and it was a highly successful event to remember past members and the camaraderie of the sea,” Purcell said.
