Boat building continues in Querrin

SEOL Sionna, the West Clare group behind a boat-building project, is holding the first of a series of workshops in Querrin on Saturday, September 25, at 10am.
This follows the recent open day in Ned Griffin’s shed in Querrin when the people behind the project were quite taken by the level of interest and goodwill evidenced by a big attendance.
Meantime, the group has held interviews for the limited number of places on the boat-building course due to start soon. Beginning in October, training will take place three days a week, with open days on Saturday.   
Seol Sionna’s ambitious training project will result in a 25ft wooden sailing boat evoking the small-to-medium class Shannon hooker that once sailed the estuary.
Over the process, extensive boat-building, boat handling skills and local knowledge inherent in Seol Sionna membership will be utilised.
In preparation for sailing, people will be able to avail of a yachtmaster shore-based navigation course under the guidance of Brendan Travers.
The sailing boat will be built in Ned Griffin’s premises overlooking the Shannon where the promoters hope to see it sail in about a year from now. Additionally, they look forward to the time when many similar boats will follow.
West Clare Learning Network (WCLN) members are collaborating with Seol Sionna in a move to establish recognition for a Level 3 or 4 certificate to be awarded by the Further Education and Training Awards Council of Ireland for some participants.
The network, like others around the county, was established as an initiative of Clare Vocational Education Committee a few years back. Personnel from the committee’s Adult and Community Education Service are
among the mainstream collaborators and were represented at the open day by Mike Ryan, Clare co-ordinator, Back to Education Initiative, and Kala Moloney and Amanda O’Connor, Clare Adult Basic Education tutors based in Kilrush Adult and Community Education Centre.
Seol Sionna members also have the support of two of the country’s outstanding figures of the boating world, Críostóir Mac Cárthaigh and Steve Morrris who delivered informative addresses to the 150 or so who turned up for the open day.
Críostóir is archivist-collector at the UCD Delargy Centre for Irish Folklore and Linguistics. He has spent time in that part of West Clare as his mother, nee O’Shea, hailed from Tullaher. Among other things, he is editor of the distinguished boating book, Traditional Boats of Ireland, published two years ago.
Shipwright Steve, originally from New Zealand, has been acquainted with the Querrin area since 1986.
It was emphasised at the open day that the boat project would have significance not just for Querrin but the whole of the estuary where commercial as well as recreational boating were once a major part of life.