The former Techrete site at Howth Harbour, bought at the peak of the property boom by the crisis-hit Glenkerrin Group, will not return to the market any time soon for fears of only making a fraction of the original cost.

The Irish Times reports that Glenkerrin Group's extensive property portfolio is now under day-to-day management by receivers at Grant Thornton, which is devising an asset management plan with NAMA and estate agents Hooke & MacDonald.

However the 6.5-acre former concrete factory, purchased in 2007 for a total of €62 million, will not be one of those sites put back on the market, as it is expected to only make €10 million today.

Architect Duignan Dooley is currently awaiting planning permission for a development of 250 apartments with a mixture of shopping, offices, leisure and a community centre for the site, adjacent to Howth village. 

But there is no indication of when construction might start on the scheme should it be given the go ahead.

Recognised by the senior offshore sailing organisation, the Irish Cruising Club, with the award of the historic Faulkner Cup, the Quinlan's achievement is further enhanced by the fact that, in their determination to acquire a boat suitable for long distance voyaging, they built their steel-constructed 40ft cutter Pylades themselves, launching in 1997.

They have brought a lively and enquiring eye to the complex project, something which reflects Fergus's qualifications as an architect. As he has drily observed himself, there isn't a lot of work around for architects in Ireland at the moment, so everything clicked with the boat sea-tested and ready to go off on this sail of a lifetime.

Having left Kinvara in June 2009, their longterm plan is a global circumnavigation, returning to Galway Bay in August 2012. Quite what Ireland will be like by then is anybody's guess. But as it is, the crew of Pylades have enough to be getting on with in dealing with the vagaries of the open ocean, and the volatile political situation in some of the areas where ocean voyagers go. For armchair sailors at home, their thoughtful and entertaining reports on their experiences make them worthy "Sailors of the Month".