Seascapes Friday 20th May 2016

features "Atlantic" film maker Richie O'Donnell on the fortunes of fishing communities in Galway; Norway and Newfoundland; we salute sailor Finn Lynch on his qualification for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 ; Laura Hannon visits Dennis Murray at Tourin House on An Abhainn Mor and much more...

Hello there and welcome aboard Seascapes  your maritime programme , this week we congratulate Finn Lynch who is the latest member of the Irish sailing team bound for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro following the World Championships in Mexico this week......Laura Hannon visits Tourin House  near Cappoquin on the banks of An Abhainn Mor  for Seascapes where she meets with  Dennis Murray  and hears about the great rowing tradition on the Munster Blackwater..............

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First this week on Seascapes  to an award winning  documentary film maker from Tipperary – Richie O Donnell who has produced a  fine piece of work  which follows the fortunes of three small fishing communities in Galway ; Norway and Newfoundland as they struggle to maintain their way of life in the face of mounting economic and ecological challenges , a few weeks ago Richie O Donnell  came into studio and we discussed how “Atlantic “ took shape......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here on Seascapes we’re talking with documentary film maker Richie O Donnell  about his latest release  “Atlantic “ which also looks at the issue of super trawlers which appear in Irish waters off the West Coast  with devastating effect....

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see “Atlantic “ in The Abbey Tavern in Howth next Thursday evening , tickets are available from the venue –Admission is €7 euro ., the screening is being hosted by Friends of Howth Maritime Museum ...many thanks to Pat Murphy for alerting Seascapes to this screening , the narration on “Atlantic” is by distinguished actor Brendan Gleeson.....as Richie O Donnell mentioned there are details on  the website

 

Congratulations to a young man whom we’ve been following  for over a decade here on Seascapes .........At the Laser class World Championships in Mexico  on Wednesday night  20 year old Finn Lynch from Carlow became the youngest ever Irish sailing helmsman to qualify for the Olympic Games.

          The World Championships was the third and final trial in the selection series for three contenders including London 2012 veteran James  Espey along with up and coming Baltimore sailor Fionn Lyden.   James Espey led by 6 points going into the final trial but finished 24 places behind Finn. Fionn Lyden narrowed the gap on James by finishing 11 places ahead of him at the Worlds but still finished the trial third.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“This is a particularly welcome result for Finn who has been on a promising trajectory since he first won silver for Ireland at Topper Worlds seven years ago,” commented James O’Callaghan, ISA Performance Director.  "Winning the place for Rio is massive and the experience should serve to propel his career even further"

 

  The result moves Lynch overnight from ISA Development sailor to full senior Providence Team Ireland status.

Sailing for the National Yacht Club, Finn Lynch emerged from the four day preliminary round of the world championship as the only Irish sailor to reach the Gold fleet for the top 56 competitors in the 112-strong event.  That result helped secure an advantage over Espey and Lyden who sailed the finals in the separate Silver  fleet,  overall they finished 67th and 78th respectively.  Lynch placed 54th in the Gold and overall. ........you can read about this remarkable young man’s progress  on the Seascapes webpage .........

Competing in the Men’s single-handed event, Lynch will now join newcomers Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey  along with London 2012 veteran  Annalise Murphy  and Ryan Seaton with Matt McGovern  to be nominated by the board of the Irish Sailing Association to the Olympic Council of Ireland for inclusion in the Irish team at Rio 2016...

 

The overnight success that is Finn Lynch...

 

2008 - Aged 12 Selected for Irish Sailing Association Topper Squad

2009 - Topper World Championship Silver Medal

2011 - Selected  ISA  Academy 

2012 - ISAF Youth World Championships Silver Medal

2012 - Under 17 Radial  European Champion

2013- Under 21 Radial World Champion 

2013 - Men's Radial World's - Bronze Medal 

2014 - Under 19 Laser World Champion

2015 - Under 21 Laser World Championships 4th 

2016 -Wins Irish Nomination Trials for Rio....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next here on Seascapes to  An Abhainn Mor , a few weeks ago Laura Hannon headed  for Cappoquin and Tourin House on the river to meet up with Dennis Murray....Laura Hannon who met up with Dennis Murray along the banks of An Abhainn Mor for Seascapes .......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The film “Badoiri “ is being screened on RTE One Television on Monday night .....Using still images and ?lm footage taken over thirty years ago photographer Joe St Leger tells the story of  capturing images of the last of the hooker boatmen of Connemara.

For centuries Galway hookers sailed the waters of Galway Bay transporting people, goods and animals and connecting remote coastal communities with the Aran Islands, Galway city and market towns like Kinvara. Celebrated every year in the annual Cruinniu na mBad...... Transport and ?shing once provided work for hundreds of these boats and their crews but by the 1960s their working days were coming to an end and many old boats were abandoned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the 1980’s attempts were made to revive interest in the craft starting with the annual Crinniú na mBád or Gathering of the Boats in Kinvara and to preserve for future generations the skills needed to build and to sail them.......

This ?lm “ Badoiri “ by Joe St Leger uses photographs taken during the revival to document what remained of the Galway hookers and of the people  aboard .....the film  can be seen this Monday night 23^rd May @ 7.30pm on RTE One Television not to be missed...........

 This weekend also on television you can see Kenneth Branagh as “Shackleton “  marking the centenary of the loss of The Endurance on More 4 on this Sunday night  @ 9.00pm .....

Next Friday night prior to the opening of the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival ....John Kearon will give an illustrated talk on the restoration of the “ASGARD “.....conserving Erskine Childers historic yacht...we have all the details on the Seascapes webpage

You can read the full programme for the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival by clicking on this link...

https://static.rasset.ie/documents/radio1/programme.wooden-boat-fest-20162-rev2.pdf

  

      “On the sound  desk this week Niall O’ Sullivan .....next week here on Seascapes  we have copies  of the story of The James Caird  by Harding McGregor Dunnett   in our Seascapes competition courtesy of The Collins Press......and details of  an installation  launched recently by  Athy Heritage Museum inspired by The James Caird ....  ;  we talk to Kevin O’ Driscoll about the National Maritime Colllege of Ireland  ....Marine Industry  Awards which this year will take place in Galway at Sea Fest next month................... writer and broadcaster  Hugh Oram  on the Whytes of Waterford – one of the great  ship builders  in our maritime history  and heritage  and a new John P Holland Centre has opened  in his birthplace of Liscannor in Co Clare ..... we mark the centenary of the Battle of  Jutland we preview the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival which takes place next weekend and we have news of Ocean to City –An Ras Mor – The Cork Harbour Festival  ..........all that and much here on Seascapes , until next Friday night , tight lines and fair sailing. “