On the Town: Six young men from the O'Devaney Gardens area in Dublin's inner city found their sea-legs on the Lord Rank earlier this week.
"Brilliant," said Daniel St Ledger (17) as he disembarked after a day's sailing on the 70-foot training ketch. "The best part was working with the staff and being told different stuff."
His friends, Gary Swan (17), Philip Partridge (16) and Gerard Jordan (14), all agreed.
"It was good working with everyone," said Jordan. Gerard Munroe (13) and Christopher Breen (16) were equally impressed.
"It was something some of them had never experienced before," said Garreth Tierney, project leader of the City of Dublin Youth Service in Stoneybatter.
Any young people or youth centres wanting to sail on the Lord Rank are invited to apply to the newly launched Irish Ocean Youth Club, which aims to provide challenge and adventure for young people. The club also hopes to bring about behavioural change where necessary. It has a voluntary "ethos" and reports to the charitable trusts Ocean Youth Trust Northern Ireland and the Ocean Youth Trust.
Investment banker Enda Padraig O'Coineen is the club's founding chairman.
"It has been demonstrated that this form of activity can broaden minds, open new horizons and assist in reconciliation," he said.
Gerry Brennan, the club's chief executive, said: "While the club's charitable activities are primarily to support young people, it seeks to involve people of all ages and all backgrounds in a local, regional and global network. Its formation is also a unique Irish North-South partnership."
Sue Parker, of the Irish Sailing Association, came along to the launch, which took place alongside the Lord Rank on a larger ship, the Grand Turk, a tall ship, which was moored at North Wall Quay. Marie O'Neill, a social worker from Belfast, was also on board to enjoy the occasion and explain how Ocean Youth Trust Northern Ireland has helped young people to date.
"There's an increase in self-esteem. Their teamwork and sense of responsibility is enhanced," she said.
She gave application forms to the boys from Stoneybatter as they left.
"Yes," she said, answering their questions. "If you are interested, you can come back."
They all took a form and left for home, sailors in the making.
For more information about the Irish Ocean Youth Club, e-mail info@ioyc.com or visit its website at www.ioyc.com