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Displaying items by tag: Mariners Church Dun Laoghaire

The Maritime Institute of Ireland (M.I.I.) hosts a Spring lecture series in Dublin city-centre. The next lecture is 'The Kowloon Bridge & Her Sisters' by Paddy Barry and is on this Thursday, 24 March starting at 8pm in the Stella Maris Seafarers' Club, Beresford Place.
The 89,438 tonnes dry-bulk carrier was left to founder at Staggs' Rocks (photo) off the scenic west Cork-coastline in 1986 which resulted in the pollution of those waters. Built in the 1970's by Swan Hunter, Haverton Hill, she measuered 294.13 x 44.19 x 25.01 metres and is the believed to be one of the largest wrecks in Europe. Her sisters were the Furness Bridge (photo) and Derbyshire.

The Stella Maris Seafarers' Club, Beresford Place, is located beside Busaras and faces opposite the rear of the Customs House. Nearby is the Irish Life Center (ILAC) which is convenient for car-parking and buses, the 'Red' Luas (Busaras stop) and DART stops at Connolly /Tara St. stations. All are welcome, bar and refreshments and a voluntary contribution is appreciated.

For further information about lectures and updates on the M.I.I's maritime museum located in the Mariners Church, Dun Laoghaire log on to www.mariner.ie. The museum which is due to reopen this year are looking for volunteers to help, for further details click here.

Published in Boating Fixtures
Page 2 of 2

About Commander Bill King, Solo Circumnavigator

William Donald Aelian King was the last surviving submarine commander in the Second World War - in charge of the British Navy's T-class Telemachus that sank a Japanese sub in the Strait of Malacca, between Malaysia and Sumatra, in 1944.

Decorated many times for his service by the end of the war, King became a trailblazing solo sailor.

At the age of 58, he was the oldest participant in The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race sailing Galway Blazer II, a junk-rigged schooner he designed himself.

After a number of abortive attempts, including an incident with "a large sea creature", he finally completed his solo circumnavigation of the globe in 1973.

Beyond his aquatic escapades, King settled with his wife Anita (who died in 1984, aged 70) at Oranmore Castle outside Galway after the war, where he later developed a pioneering organic farm and garden to help tackle his wife's asthma.

The round-the-world sailor and Galway native Bill King died on Friday, 21 September, 2012, aged 102.