A late 19th-century tall ship formerly owned by Sir Arthur Ernest Guinness has docked in Galway over the weekend during its circumnavigation of the island, writes Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent
The 50-metre Belem passed smaller traditional vessels en route to Kinvara, Co Galway for this weekend's Cruinniú na mBád (gathering of the boats) as it entered Galway's dock gates on the high tide.
The three-masted barque was built in 1896 in Nantes, France, as a merchant sailing ship, and transported cocoa beans from Brazil to France for a number of years.
In 1914, it was bought by the Duke of Westminster and converted into a luxury yacht, before passing into the hands of Sir Arthur Ernest Guinness, then vice-chairman of the family brewing firm, an engineer and a keen sailor. He renamed it as the Fantome II, sailed it at regattas in Cowes, England, and undertook a world cruise on it from 1923 to 1924.
The barque passed into Italian ownership after the second World War, and was used to train orphans of Italian sailors. It returned to the French flag in 1979 when it was bought by French financial company Groupe Caisse d'Épargne.
It is still used for sail training, taking up to 1,200 students annually, and participates in major tall ship events.
Irish wine importers have already visited the vessel in Dublin, as there are plans to export wine on it from the south of France to Ireland next year. This year's Cruinniú na mBád event in Kinvara was marked by a race from the Claddagh yesterday, dedicated to a former gleoiteog skipper, Mikey Lynskey.
Mr Lynskey, who was the son of a king of the Claddagh, "demanded a trim sail and, as skipper, was never shy about being vocal on board", the festival organisers said. "We remember his smiling face, his quick wit, and his frank and honest opinion," they said.
Turf boats from Sruthan in south Connemara sail into Parkmore pier this afternoon and racing, including a climín or seaweed raft contest and a naomhóg race involving traditional rowing currachs, from 3.30pm.
A team of novice sailors selected for a TG4 film will participate in the gleoiteog mór race at 4pm today.
The Kinvara festival continues tomorrow with racing from 3.30pm and a parade of sail from 5pm. The barque Belem leaves Galway tomorrow.