Displaying items by tag: Stella Maris Seafarers Ckub Dublin

12th April 2012

Maritime Institute to Host Tributes to Titanic

#TITANIC 100 – In this centenary week of the sinking of RMS Titanic a talk and musical tribute will be held in memory of the disaster this evening (8 pm) in the newly opened maritime museum in Dun Laoghaire as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Deep-sea diver Rory Golden became the first Irishman to see the wreck of the Titanic and he will present an illustrated lecture. The musical tribute will be led by uillinn piper Eamon Galdubh – where similar music will be aired to that played in the 2nd and 3rd class compartments on the Titanic.

In addition the Maritime Institute of Ireland (M.I.I.) which runs the museum will run its final lecture for the season next week. The lecture 'Titanic -Locked in History' which will be held next Thursday (19th April) at 8pm in the Stella Maris Seafarers Club in Dublin city-centre and is to be presented by Michael O'Flaherty.

For information on both the Titanic Tribute evening (tickets cost €10) call 087 900 7466 and by also viewing the website which includes details about next week's admission free lecture visit: www.mariner.ie

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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