Displaying items by tag: LUAS Red Line

8th March 2012

Lecture: The East India Company in Kinsale

#LECTURE - This month's lecture organised by the Maritime Institute of Ireland (M.I.I.) is about 'The East India Company in Kinsale', presented by Paddy O'Sullivan.

The lecture will be held next Thursday (15th March) starting at 8pm and as usual takes place in the Stella Maris Seafarers Club on Beresford Place, close to Busaras and behind the Customs House.

O'Sullivan is an engineer, diver, author, and lecturer has uncovered a vast amount of information about the activities of the East India Company in Munster, regarding ship-building, trading, iron smelting, and cannon casting.

All are welcome to attend the evening where a bar and refreshments are available. A voluntary contribution is at the door. The organisers would be pleased for anyone to kindly forward details about the lecture programme, held monthly (third Thursday) at the city-centre venue.

Public transport: The nearest DART stations are Connolly Station and at Tara Street in addition to the LUAS (Red) line stop at Busáras. Car parking is located in the Irish Life Mall (ILAC) on Lower Abbey Street. For information of the lecture programme call 086 150 3766 and by visiting www.mariner.ie/lectures-spring-2012

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Lecture: Building Dun Laoghaire Harbour

#LECTURE – This month's lecture organised by the Maritime Institute of Ireland (M.I.I.) is about 'Building Dun Laoghaire Harbour' and is to be presented by Colin Scudds.

The lecture next Thursday (16th February) starts at 8pm and as usual takes place in the Stella Maris Seafarers Club on Beresford Place, close to Busaras and behind the Customs House.

For further information and of the lecture programme, contact 086 150 3766 and visit www.mariner.ie/lectures

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About Conor O'Brien, Irish Circumnavigator

In 1923-25, Conor O'Brien became the first amateur skipper to circle the world south of the Great Capes. O'Brien's boat Saoirse was reputedly the first small boat (42-foot, 13 metres long) to sail around the world since Joshua Slocum completed his voyage in the 'Spray' during 1895 to 1898. It is a journey that O' Brien documented in his book Across Three Oceans. O'Brien's voyage began and ended at the Port of Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland, where he lived.

Saoirse, under O'Brien's command and with three crew, was the first yacht to circumnavigate the world by way of the three great capes: Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin; and was the first boat flying the Irish tri-colour to enter many of the world's ports and harbours. He ran down his easting in the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties between the years 1923 to 1925.

Up until O'Brien's circumnavigation, this route was the preserve of square-rigged grain ships taking part in the grain race from Australia to England via Cape Horn (also known as the clipper route).

At a Glance - Conor O'Brien's Circumnavigation

In June 1923, Limerick man Conor O’Brien set off on his yacht, the Saoirse — named after the then newly created Irish Free State — on the two-year voyage from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that was to make him the first Irish amateur to sail around the world.

June 1923 - Saoirse’s arrival in Madeira after her maiden passage out from Dublin Bay

2nd December 1924 - Saoirse crossed the longitude of Cape Horn

June 20th 1925 - O’Brien’s return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour