Monday, July 24, 2006

The Royal Cork YC

My folks - who are retired - just landed in Manchester, England this morning for the start of a five week sojurn through Ireland by motorcycle. No, my mother will not be piloting her own "hog" - they'll ride tandem and she will, ideally, hang on for dear life. They're both avid sailors who regularly partake in ancillary pursuits...including travel via means other than the wind and water, motorcycles and, the larger point of the Ireland trip, fly fishing.

I've never been to Ireland but when I do go I'll be certain to stop in Crosshaven (on the southern coast nestled on the hillside at the mouth of the Owenabue River overlooking the wooded headland of Currabinny) and pay a visit to the world's oldest yacht club - The Royal Cork. Posesssed of a history so illustrious that they've published their own book (written by the eminent historian Dr. Alicia St Leger) - the RCYC was established in 1720 by William O'Brien, the 9th Lord Inchiquin, a great-grandson to the 1st Earl of Inchiquin, who was a courtier of King Charles II.

The Cork Harbour One D's - designed by William Fife Jr. - took to the water in June of 1896 and since then have provided outstanding sailing enjoyment for the better part of the last 100 years. Of the ten boats built originally, five or six are still in service today.

2 comments:

Ant said...

Its a fantastic place and a great yacht club, wwe were there for the Enterprise Worlds in 2004... tell your folks to try the seafood-chowder, on the terrace with a pint of irish-brew.. it is FANTASTIC... also get them too stand and stare at the big map in the bar... theres some bizzare place names round that part of the world... Oh and the water is beautiful and the people are fantastic... up the hill a bit is a bar and the people have honey-like voices that drip emotion... they can be a little intimidating but the songs and the passion and the friendlinesss is beautiful.. tell them to say hi from Ant to crosshaven... miss you..

Tillerman said...

Geeze Ant - some random bar in Ireland is going to remember you two years later? That must have been quite a night!