Canoes re Currachs
Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 9:42 pm
Hi
Here is a report on the Kilrush Regatta and Bicycle Race held in Sept 1893. Of interest are the canoe races which were really currachs but called canoes in West Clare. Check out more on this site http://www.westclarecurrachs.com/index.html
As shown by the report there was three men and four man currach races. From Kilrush around Loop Head and all the way north to Kinvara on Galway Bay the currach was the traditional fishing boat for the area. Having a hostile coastline and very few safe harbours to cater for timber/iron boats currachs could be launched from beaches and rocky shoreline. The pilots at Kilbaha Carrigaholt Querrin and Scattery used them to get to ships needing pilots. Very often it was the women who rowed the men out to the ships and they would race each other to make sure their man got on board first. That was very much the case on Scattery Island. In recent years a project was set up Kilkee (funded by Leader) where six working currachs were built using a template from a fifty year old currach still in use. The currach was built by the last of the great trad. currach builders John 'Cully' Marrinan of Corbally (Coosheen) Kilkee Co Clare.
The tradition of holding currach races as been revived in the area. Thanks in no small way to the group who built the currachs and are keeping a great craft alive and into the future. Check into the west clare currachs website and you will get the full story there
moc66
Here is a report on the Kilrush Regatta and Bicycle Race held in Sept 1893. Of interest are the canoe races which were really currachs but called canoes in West Clare. Check out more on this site http://www.westclarecurrachs.com/index.html
As shown by the report there was three men and four man currach races. From Kilrush around Loop Head and all the way north to Kinvara on Galway Bay the currach was the traditional fishing boat for the area. Having a hostile coastline and very few safe harbours to cater for timber/iron boats currachs could be launched from beaches and rocky shoreline. The pilots at Kilbaha Carrigaholt Querrin and Scattery used them to get to ships needing pilots. Very often it was the women who rowed the men out to the ships and they would race each other to make sure their man got on board first. That was very much the case on Scattery Island. In recent years a project was set up Kilkee (funded by Leader) where six working currachs were built using a template from a fifty year old currach still in use. The currach was built by the last of the great trad. currach builders John 'Cully' Marrinan of Corbally (Coosheen) Kilkee Co Clare.
The tradition of holding currach races as been revived in the area. Thanks in no small way to the group who built the currachs and are keeping a great craft alive and into the future. Check into the west clare currachs website and you will get the full story there
moc66