Celtic Mist drops anchor in Kilrush

Celtic Mist, the yacht sailed by the late Charles J Haughey, will finally arrive in Kilrush on Saturday.
The steel yacht, which spent much of its sea-faring days in Dingle and on Mr Haughey’s Blasket island of Inishvickillane, was offered by the Haughey family as a gift to the Kilrush-based Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.
The 52ft motor sailor ketch, which has four cabins and six berths, had been on sale on the Isle of Wight since last year but the late Mr Haughey’s son, Conor invited the IWDG to take it over for its research in Irish waters.
After completing the leg from Waterford to Greenock, Scotland in the Tall Ships Race, Celtic Mist will sail for Kilrush.
Shannon Development is supporting the IWDG by providing a berth for Celtic Mist at Kilrush Creek Marina, as the company sees it as an important asset for West Clare.
Shannon Development’s regional development manager for Clare, Finbarr Brougham said, “We are delighted that IWDG secured Celtic Mist for Kilrush Creek Marina as it will provide a significant focal point of interest in the marina and should attract a number of visitors to the yacht with the consequent knock-on effect to the town of Kilrush.”
The yacht will be used for research and surveying for whales, dolphins and other marine wildlife in Ireland. It will also be used for training people to carry out marine surveys, including the use of acoustic monitoring with towed hydrophones.
IWDG co-ordinator, Dr Simon Berrow said, “The marine wildlife around Ireland is superb, with whales, dolphins, seals, seabirds and basking sharks abundant at different locations and times of year. However, we still know relatively little about what occurs where and why. Celtic Mist will provide a fantastic platform from which to survey Irish waters and help us learn more about this fantastic resource.”
The expected time of arrival on Saturday of Celtic Mist is between 3pm and 4pm but it is advisable to check www.iwdg.ie for confirmation.
As the cost of running a yacht like the Celtic Mist will be a major drain on scarce resources, the IWDG are looking for support to help them fund its operation. Anyone interested can get further information by contacting IWDG at www.iwdg.ie or calling 023 8838761 or 086 8545450.