Tall Ship sailing latest: When Sail Training Ireland for Youth Development was formally launched in mid-April to take on the mantle of Coiste an Asgard while making itself a more accessible body which can sign up individual and corporate members, chairman Sheila Tyrrell announced that a process was already under way to appoint a manager who would work from an office in Dublin Port headquarters writes WM Nixon.
The appointment was made within the planned time frame, and today (Thursday May 19th) manager Michael Byrne set up STI's base in the Dublin Port offices. He started his own sailing while still very young on Blessington Lake in the Wicklow Hills, and comes to the job complete with a degree in Outdoor Education.
His initiation period will include spending a familiarisation period at Sail Training International, the recognized world authority, at their offices in Gosport in England. In Ireland, his first tasks will include the planning of structures for membership, fund-raising, and the administration of bursaries for sail training experience which have become possible through grants from Sail Training International, and also from the shipping companies and port authorities which have already shown their enthusiastic support for this initiative. Details at www.irishsailtraining.com.
