420 Connaught Championship
held at Lough Derg Yacht Club
October 18th 19th 2008
This weekend fifteen 420s competed in the Connaught Championship at Lough Derg Yacht Club. Principal Race Officer Donal Gleeson, with assistance from his daughter Sarah set exciting and dynamic races for the competitors. Four races were completed on Saturday in fresh South Westerly winds Force 4-5. However the deteriorating weather conditions on Sunday of Southerly winds Force 6, gusting 7, meant that racing had to be cancelled. The competitors had two top coaches supporting them: Tom Mapplebeck and Ger Owens (who, with Phil Lawton represented Ireland in the 470s at the Beijing Olympics this year). Lucille Bradford, President of the 420 association, and Adair Leech with help from parents, provided on shore support for sailors. Following the prize giving ceremony Ms Bradford thanked the Commodore Jack Bayly for extending a warm (literally, Jack had lit the fire upstairs to welcome guests to the club) and friendly welcome to the visiting sailors. Ms Bradford also thanked Lough Derg Yacht Club for the use of the ‘amazing facilities’.
Results:
Gold Fleet
1st Helm Tim O’Laoire Crew Brian Kelleher
2nd Helm Rob Lehane Crew Iarlaith Kennedy
3rd Helm Jane Butler Crew Jenny Andreasson RStGYC
Silver Fleet
1st Helm Oisin O’Driscoll Crew Conor Schull SC
2nd Helm Eoghan Cudmore Crew Sean Murphy KYC
3rd Helm Emma Geary Crew Niamh Connolly RCYC
Eleanor Hooker
Rear Commodore Lough Derg Yacht Club
emhooker@eircom.net
Mobile telephone 0877 53 52 07
International Dragon Freshwater Regatta
held at LDYC 10th-12th October 2008
On October 10th 12th ten Dragons raced on Lough Derg at Dromineer for their annual Freshwater Regatta. The smooth running of the event reflects the attention to all detail given by event manager Niamh McCutcheon and the team of volunteers enlisted to help her over the weekend. Principal Race Officer Geoff O’Donoghue managed races from the committee boat Kilshanny, and was assisted by Hilda Byrne, Paul O’Donoghue and Susie Coote. As the winds dropped off on Friday and Saturday only five of the six races set could be completed and there was no racing on Sunday due to the light air. On board his cruiser Topaz Burke Corbett, helped by Patrick Blaney and Johnathan Foley, logged the finishing results. David Coote, Caroline Smithwick and Donal Gleeson were mark layers for the regatta and Guy Atkinson and Owen Mc Nally manned the safety boats. Andrew O’Hanlon and Garry Treacy took spectators out to watch racing on board Arcadi. Reggie Goodbody and Andrew O’Hanlon managed the craning of the Dragons in and out of the water before and after the regatta. A large team shore crew, that included Deirdre Rausome, Rosemary Carty, Hjordis Goodbody, Joy Coote, Anne Atkinson, Margaret Kennedy, Camilla Blaney and Catriona Mc Nally, ensured that all the catering requirements were well provided for.
RESULTS
- 1st Phantom Helmed by Peter Bowering, crewed by David and Hilary Williams Royal St. George and Stephen O’Driscoll LDYC won the Ariagne trophy and The Jack Craig Memorial Bell.
- 2nd Jaguar Helmed by Martin Byrne Royal St. George, crewed by Con Murphy LDYC and Paul Maguire. Royal St.George
- 3rd Tatsu Helmed by Cameron Good, crewed by Simon Furney and Henry Kingston all from Kinsale Yacht Club
Eleanor Hooker
Rear Commodore Lough Derg Yacht Club
Lough Derg Yacht Club
Laying Up Supper
15th Nov 2008 @ 8:00pm
Supper and Prize Giving
Supper will be served immediately after the AGM followed by prize giving. Please book and pay for your tickets now to avoid disappointment, as numbers are limited. Final date for booking is Nov 7th assuming not already booked out.
Seating is unreserved on the evening, however if you want to book a table for your party please Deirdre by Nov 7th. Remember, others may be accommodated at your table as well.
Please fill in booking form below and return it ASAP to:
Deirdre O'Driscoll
9 Kilbane
Castletroy
Limerick
061-330129 or 087-8167159
Name:
Address:
Phone No.: Email:
Number in Party: @ €30 per ticket. Amount enclosed: €
Vegetarian: (Specify number in party requiring vegetarian option)
** Please make cheques payable to Lough Derg Yacht Club
Dromineer Literary Festival 2008
The 5th annual Dromineer Literary Festival, which place at Lough
Derg Yacht Club over the weekend of 2nd - 5th October, was a
resounding success.
As an extension to this year’s festival to celebrate Poetry Ireland’s
30th birthday on October 2nd, and as part of the All Ireland
Poetry Day, Tony Curtis, Eleanor Hooker and Paddy Moran read
from their own work. Paddy Moran read from his new poems on
the theme of life in rural Ireland. Eleanor Hooker made her debut
public reading, with some quirky references to human nature and
the natural world. Tony Curtis completed the readings, and in his
own inimitable voice performed his poetry to a rapt and enchanted
audience.
Dr. Martin Mansergh TD, Minister for State with a special
responsibility for the Arts, officially launched the festival on Friday
night October 3rd. In his speech Dr. Mansergh applauded the
hard work of the festival committee, noting that the Festival had
“grown from strength to strength in the four years since its
establishment.” He stressed the importance of the Arts in Ireland,
and his great hope that in these difficult economic times, the arts
would not suffer reduced funding.
The festival exhibition, entitled Frontiers, by Photojournalist and
artist Fergal Shanahan was also officially launched on Friday
night and over the weekend brought a steady stream of visitors to
view the images.
Mary Arrigan, Tony Curtis and John Maher, judges for the
children’s and adult poetry and short story competitions, also
hosted workshops throughout the weekend.
At the Meet the Authors event on Saturday night, novelist James
Ryan and author Brendan Lynch read from their books South of
the Border and There Might Be a Drop of Rain Yet, followed by a
lively and entertaining questions and answers session between the
authors and the audience.
Irish Scholar and Librarian, Diarmuid Breathnach explored the
complex issue of writing memoir in his talk Irish Life Stories:
Profusion and Opportunity, on Sunday afternoon on board the
passenger vessel The Spirit of Killaloe. Breathnach’s account was
nothing short of breathtaking in its range and scope.
To conclude the festival the Nenagh Players performed a
dramatised reading of These Rough Notes; the final writings of
members of Scott’s tragic last expedition to the South Pole. The
presentation was a tour de force; many in the audience were visibly
moved by the actors’ performance. Ronan Dodd played Robert
Scott, Niamh Hogan Kathleen Scott, Peter Thornton played
Edward Wilson and Stephen Toohey Birdie Bowers. To lift the
atmosphere following the play and to close the festival, other
members of the Nenagh Players recited pieces that showpieced the
extraordinary and diverse talent within the Nenagh Players.
Pat Kelly
Chairman Dromineer Literary Festival
patrickjm.kelly@fwi.ie
