Celebration of a more gracious age ends with an emotional send-off

Thousands of Dubliners lined the quays yesterday to bid farewell to the Tall Ships at the end of a four-day visit which was remarkable for the enthusiasm it generated among the public.

From late morning until late afternoon, when the last of the ships was escorted by tugs through the East Link bridge and out into Dublin Bay, office workers, mothers and children on the last week of their school holidays walked up and down the quays examining the ships and chatting with their crews. In some cases they were invited on board.

There was a carnival atmosphere as the departures began at lunchtime. Many of the Class A ships (the larger vessels with three and four masts) were given emotional send-offs, their crews rising (literally) to the occasion.

Typical among them was the Gloria, from Colombia. Several hundred people thronged City Quay, where the Gloria was berthed, as her officers, crew members and cadets lined the deck.

As the last visitor was piped off and the gangway was raised a small swarm of green-shirted sailors scampered up the rigging and inched their way out along each of the masts to stand precariously on ropes. Then, as the beautiful vessel was towed gently into the Liffey, each of the sailors produced white tissues, which they threw to the wind.

There was a spontaneous burst of applause from the quayside and many onlookers produced handkerchiefs and waved back.

As the Gloria glided towards the East Link bridge, the mast-borne sailors sang, and the remaining ships sounded their horns in farewell.

And so it went, one ship after the next until, after four days of simple family fun and celebration of a more gracious age at sea, the Tall Ships were gone.

All of a sudden, Dublin's quays seemed empty and very quiet.