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Displaying items by tag: Foxford Co Mayo

Around 200 Argentinian military personnel reports RTE, travelled to Co Mayo to visit the town where the founder of the country's Navy was born.

Admiral William Brown hailed from Foxford and today’s (yesterday) trip was the largest to take place by officers from the Navy he led.

The visiting party was joined by members of the Irish Naval Service for the ceremonies.

The event also attracted many Argentinians living in Ireland, keen to meet up with their compatriots.

The Naval officers attended a memorial mass in the local church before continuing a parade through the town.

As Afloat previously reported the ARA Libertad is the sail training vessel of the Argentinian Navy which visited Dublin Port at the weekend. The five-day visit ends tomorrow afternoon. 

More here on the visit to Foxford.

Published in Naval Visits

#ADMIRAL BROWN – In addition to the 155th anniversary commemoration of the death of Admiral William Brown which was held in the Argentinian capital at the weekend, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, a second ceremony was held in Foxford, Co. Mayo, the birthplace of the admiral who founded the navy of the South American country.

In attendance were the Argentine Ambassador, Dr. Maria Bondanza, with Argentine Naval Attache, Group Captain Alejandro Amoros, and Irish Naval Service Commodore, Mark Mellett. For more about this story as reported by MayoToday click HERE.

Commodore Mellett who also hails from Co. Mayo was appointed Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service (FOCNS) following the retirement of Commodore Frank Lynch in December 2010.

The Mayo native will be addressing delegates this Friday at the inaugural IMERC Conference on Maritime Geostrategic Thinking for Ireland at the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) in Ringaskiddy.

IMERC which stands for the Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster will host the conference in the college where guided tours of the facility will also be made available during the one-day conference. The conference is open to the public and free of charge, for more information including conference agenda click HERE.

Published in Navy

Ireland's Sailor of the Year Awards

Created in 1996, the Afloat Sailor of the Year Awards represent all that is praiseworthy, innovative and groundbreaking in the Irish sailing scene.

Since it began 25 years ago, the awards have recognised over 500 monthly award winners in the pages of Ireland's sailing magazine Afloat, and these have been made to both amateur and professional sailors. The first-ever Sailor of the Year was dinghy sailor Mark Lyttle, a race winner at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

And since then it's gone on to read like a who's who of Irish sailing.

The national award is specially designed to salute the achievements of Ireland's sailing's elite. After two decades the awards has developed into a premier awards ceremony for water sports.

The overall national award will be announced each January to the person who, in the judges' opinion, achieved the most notable results in, or made the most significant contribution to, Irish sailing in the previous year.

A review of the first 25 years of the Irish Sailor the Year Awards is here

Irish Sailor of the Year Award FAQs

The Irish Sailor of the Year Awards is a scheme designed by Afloat magazine to represent all that is praiseworthy, innovative and groundbreaking in the Irish sailing scene..

The Irish Sailor of the Year Awards began in 1996.

The awards are administered by Afloat, Ireland's boating magazine.

  • 1996 Mark Lyttle
  • 1997 Tom Roche
  • 1998 Tom Fitzpatrick & David McHugh
  • 1999 Mark Mansfield
  • 2000 David Burrows
  • 2001 Maria Coleman
  • 2002 Eric Lisson
  • 2003 Noel Butler & Stephen Campion
  • 2004 Eamonn Crosbie
  • 2005 Paddy Barry & Jarlath Cunnane
  • 2006 Justin Slattery
  • 2007 Ger O'Rourke
  • 2008 Damian Foxall
  • 2009 Mark Mills
  • 2010 Anthony O'Leary
  • 2011 George Kenefick
  • 2012 Annalise Murphy
  • 2013 David Kenefick
  • 2014 Anthony O'Leary
  • 2015 Liam Shanahan
  • 2016 Annalise Murphy
  • 2017 Conor Fogerty
  • 2018 Robert Dickson & Sean Waddilove
  • 2019 Paul O'Higgins

Yes. The boating public and maritime community can have their say to help guide judges in deciding who should be crowned Ireland's Sailor of the Year by using an Afloat online poll). The judges welcome the traditional huge level of public interest in helping them make their decision but firmly retain their right to make the ultimate decision for the final choice while taking voting trends into account. By voting for your favourite nominee, you are creating additional awareness of their nomination and highlighting their success.

Anthony O'Leary of Crosshaven and Annalise Murphy of Dun Laoghaire are the only contenders to be Afloat.ie "Sailors of the Year" twice – himself in 2010 and 2014, and herself in 2012 and 2016.

In its 25 year history, there have been wins for 15, offshore or IRC achievements, nine dinghy and one designs accomplishments and one for adventure sailing.

Annually, generally in January or February of the following year.

In 2003 Her Royal Highness Princess Anne presented the Awards.

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