It has emerged there was much more to the diplomatic voyage of Limerick’s 56ft trading ketch Ilen to Galway at the weekend with the Mayor of Limerick. Councillor Michael Collins, on board.
Officially, it was to launch the Ilen Marine School’s project of providing a tangible first link at Galway between Ireland’s many historic walled ports.
But as the initial stage of the passage was down the long estuary of the River Shannon, the Mayor had the opportunity to reassert his ancient rights as Admiral of the Estuary by the traditional method of ceremonially throwing a silver dart into the mighty waterway’s darkening depths. However, If that dart really was silver, on behalf of Limerick’s rate-payers we presume and hope it came with strings attached……