Historic Boats
Traditional Gaff Cutter Sally O’Keeffe Wins October League At Kilrush
1st November 2023 Shannon Estuary
Master boat-builder Steve Morris of Kilrush has been busy with new projects these days, what with the re-birth of the Dublin Bay 21s for Hal Sisk and Fionan de Barra of Dun Laoghaire, and the building of a St Ayles…
Seamus O’Connor of Bantry is October Sailor of the Month For Cruising & Services to Cruising
1st November 2023 Sailor of the Month
By October, the last of the remarkably varied international fleet of boats that had attended the Irish Cruising Club’s Conor O’Brien & Saoirse Centenary Rally in Madeira had returned to their often very distant home ports. Thus it was felt…
'Free to a Good Home' - Appeal to Find New Homes for Two Ballyholme Bay Project Yachts
25th October 2023 Historic Boats
Two Ballyholme Bay yachts, which would make a great match-racing pair, need a new home (or homes). They are 22 ft plank-built sloops which were built on the Clyde in approximately 1939 for members of Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast…
Sailor and Poet Danny Sheehy Remembered in Re-Imagining of Medieval Galician Poem
24th October 2023 Historic Boats
A Medieval Galician poem is being re-imagined as a homage to the late Kerry sailor, poet and boatbuilder Dómhnall Mac an tSíthigh. Mac an tSíthigh, also known as Danny Sheehy, died after a naomhóg in which he was one of…
Noel Campbell, Assistant Keeper at the National Museum of Country Life in Turlough Park, Castlebar, is leading the development of a boat gallery to preserve the history and culture of Irish traditional vessels. Turlough Park is about eight miles from…
State Can Ratify UNESCO Convention on Underwater Heritage Protection Under New Bill
14th October 2023 Historic Boats
New archaeological legislation allows Ireland to ratify the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. The Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023 will “repeal” existing legislation relating to Ireland’s archaeological and related heritage.…
Galway Docklands Festival has become an established event on the west coast maritime calendar, after a successful event last weekend. Restoration work on various vessels, knot-making, and walking tours of the Claddagh area were among the themes of the three-day…
Mensun Bound, who was director of exploration when the Discovery was discovered in the Antarctic, returns to the Shackleton Autumn School next month. “The Endurance: conception, construction, destruction and reconstruction” is the title of Bound’s talk on October 22nd. He…
He brought new life afloat and ashore. And there was and is so much in the story of the late Mick Hunt “of Howth and Connacht” that thousands of words could be written about him. Yet we can get a…
Isle of Man Divers Return Iconic Ship's Bell from Wreck Site of S.S. Dundalk
19th September 2023 Historic Boats
Dundalk is where a team of divers from the Isle of Man visited the Co. Louth port town so to bring the bell of the steam ship flagship, S.S. Dundalk back to a grateful town. As EnergyFM reports, divers of Discover…
Afloat.ie regret to record the death at the age of 83 of Mick Hunt of Howth and Connacht, who was best known for his restorations and sailing of traditional craft, but was equally adept at bringing new life to old…
A Celebration of Galway's Marine Industry at the Docklands Festival
18th September 2023 Maritime Festivals
The heart of Galway's maritime heritage comes to life with the much-anticipated Galway Docklands Festival, taking place from September 29th to October 1st, 2023. As Afloat reported earlier, the three-day festival promises an unforgettable experience celebrating Galway's rich marine industry,…
The heart of Galway's maritime heritage will come to life at the end of the month in the three-day Galway Docklands Festival, which will be held from September 29 to October 1. It will be “an unforgettable experience celebrating Galway's…
Full results of the Cong-Galway Race 2023 have been published after a very successful race at the weekend. As Afloat reported earlier, a total of 26 entrants in the dinghy class and six in the cruiser class participated in the…
Wychcraft Dinghy Restoration: A Tale of 1,000 Stainless Steel Screws and a Fascinating History
4th September 2023 Historic Boats
One thousand stainless steel screws and then more. That is what it took to restore Oliver Curran’s Wychcraft dinghy. They’re used to building boats in strange locations on either side of the Strangford Narrows in Co Down, with Billy Brown’s…
Final Dutch Report Into Fatalities Due to Wood Rot on Traditional Craft Due Shortly
4th September 2023 Historic Boats
The Dutch Safety Board says its final report into another fatal marine accident involving wood rot on a traditional craft is due to be issued shortly. The board initiated an investigation last year after a fatal incident on August 31st,…