Displaying items by tag: Royal St George Yacht Club

14th July 2009

Royal St. George Yacht Club

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History

The Kingstown Boat Club, from which the Royal St. George Yacht Club evolved, was founded in 1838 by a small group of boating enthusiasts who had decided that ‘the (River) Liffey was every year becoming fouler and less agreeable for aquatic pursuits’.

They applied to the Commissioner for Public Works, and were granted a piece of ground near Dun Laoghaire Harbour on which to build a clubhouse – the first privately owned building to stand on publicly owned space. Initially, the members’ main interest was in rowing, but membership grew rapidly, and amongst them were many well-known yachtsmen of the day.

One of these was the Marquis Conyngham, who used his influence with Queen Victoria to have the privileges of a Royal Yacht Club conferred in 1845. The Club flag was to be 'the Red Ensign with a crown in the centre of the Jack' and the Burgee was red with a white cross with a crown at the centre. This, of course, is the St. George’s Cross, and is quite possibly the reason why, in 1847, the Club became The Royal St. George’s Yacht Club, although this has never been established. It subsequently became the Royal St George Yacht Club; it is referred to by all who know it, as simply ‘the George’.

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The Clubhouse

The clubhouse was designed by Mulvany, a follower of Gandon, designer of the Custom House in Dublin, and he produced a beautiful miniature Palladian villa in the neo-classical style.

The builder was Masterson, who built many other beautiful houses in the neighbourhood, including Sorrento Terrace, Dalkey. Work was completed in 1843, but, incredibly, such was the growth in membership, that the clubhouse was already too small. Permission was granted by the Harbour Commissioners in 1845 for an extension of the original façade, which involved clever duplication of the existing Ionic portico with the erection of a linking colonnade between. The symmetry and classical grace of the clubhouse was thus preserved in the new building.

The George has a long tradition of racing and cruising, and members have, from the start, made their mark in home and international waters. In 1851, the Marquis Conyngham, Commodore, competed in his 218 ton yacht Constance in the Royal Yacht Squadron Regatta. An American yacht called America won the race! In 1893 William Jameson, of the eponymous distilling family, was asked by Edward, Prince of Wales, to be sailing master on his new yacht Britannia. He won 33 out of 43 starts in her first season.

In 1963 a major restoration project was undertaken to repair and update the Club’s facilities, and this attracted a large number of new members who were ultimately to pave the way for the later developments, including a much-envied multi-purpose club room, a state-of-the-art forecourt extension for dinghies and keelboats, and a fully-equipped dock.

2008 saw the culmination of five years of planning and building when the new sailing wing was opened for use. Consisting of a new junior room, racing office, committee room and administration office this area is joined to the older builing with a lovely light-filled atrium. Stylish and functional changing facilities for the ladies and upgraded male changerooms have increased the club’s capacity to accommodate larger numbers of sailors for world-class events. A refurbishment of the Clubroom further complimented this full-service sailing section and has elevated the Club’s status resulting in it being chosen to host the 2012 ISAF Youth World Championships.

(Details and image courtesy of the Royal St. George Yacht Club)

Royal St. George Yacht Club, Harbour Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, tel: +353 1 280 1811, fax: +353 1 280 9359

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National Yacht Club Facilities

Facilities include a slipway directly accessing Dun Laoghaire Harbour, over eighty club moorings, platform parking, pontoons, fuelling, watering and crane-lifting ensure that the NYC is excellently equipped to cater for all the needs of the contemporary sailor. Berths with diesel, water, power and overnight facilities are available to cruising yachtsmen with shopping facilities being a short walk away. The club is active throughout the year with full dining and bar facilities and winter activities include bridge, snooker, quiz nights, wine tasting and special events.

National Yacht Club History

Although there are references to an active “club” prior to 1870, history records that the present clubhouse was erected in 1870 at a cost of £4,000 to a design by William Sterling and the Kingstown Royal Harbour Boat Club was registered with Lloyds in the same year. By 1872 the name had been changed to the Kingston Harbour Boat Club and this change was registered at Lloyds.

In 1881. the premises were purchased by a Captain Peacocke and others who formed a proprietary club called the Kingstown Harbour Yacht Club again registered at Lloyds. Some six years later in 1877 the building again changed hands being bought by a Mr Charles Barrington. and between 1877 and 1901 the club was very active and operated for a while as the “Absolute Club” although this change of name was never registered.

In 1901, the lease was purchased by three trustees who registered it as the Edward Yacht Club. In 1930 at a time when the Edward Yacht Club was relatively inactive, a committee including The Earl of Granard approached the trustees with a proposition to form the National Yacht Club. The Earl of Granard had been Commodore of the North Shannon Y.C. and was a senator in the W.T.Cosgrave government. An agreement was reached, the National Yacht Club was registered at Lloyds. The club burgee was created, red cross of Saint George with blue and white quarters being sky cloud, sea and surf. The Earl of Granard became the first Commodore.

In July of 1950, a warrant was issued to the National Yacht Club by the Government under the Merchant Shipping Act authorising members to hoist a club ensign in lieu of the National Flag. The new ensign to include a representation of the harp. This privilege is unique and specific to members of the National Yacht Club. Sterling’s design for the exterior of the club was a hybrid French Chateau and eighteenth century Garden Pavilion and today as a Class A restricted building it continues to provide elegant dining and bar facilities.

An early drawing of the building shows viewing balconies on the roof and the waterfront façade. Subsequent additions of platforms and a new slip to the seaward side and most recently the construction of new changing rooms, offices and boathouse provide state of the art facilities, capable of coping with major international and world championship events. The club provides a wide range of sailing facilities, from Junior training to family cruising, dinghy sailing to offshore racing and caters for most major classes of dinghies, one design keelboats, sports boats and cruiser racers. It provides training facilities within the ISA Youth Sailing Scheme and National Power Boat Schemes.

Past Commodores

1931 – 42 Earl of Granard 1942 – 45 T.J. Hamilton 1945 – 47 P.M. Purcell 1947 – 50 J.J. O’Leary 1950 – 55 A.A. Murphy 1955 – 60 J.J. O’Leary 1960 – 64 F. Lemass 1964 – 69 J.C. McConnell 1969 – 72 P.J. Johnston 1972 – 74 L. Boyd 1974 – 76 F.C. Winkelmann 1976 – 79 P.A. Browne 1979 – 83 W.A. Maguire 1983 – 87 F.J. Cooney 1987 – 88 J.J. Byrne 1988 – 91 M.F. Muldoon 1991 – 94 B.D. Barry 1994 – 97 M.P.B. Horgan 1997 – 00 B. MacNeaney 2000 – 02 I.E. Kiernan 2002 – 05 C.N.I. Moore 2005 – 08 C.J. Murphy 2008 – 11 P.D. Ryan 2011 – P. Barrington 2011-2014 Larry Power 2014-2017 Ronan Beirne 2017 – 2019

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