This special edition of the IWDG e-zine is dedicated to one of our newest members, Celtic Mist. Below is a brief biography charting her voyage from birth to date as documented though the eyes of fellow IWDG members.

CELTIC MIST OFFERED TO IWDG March 2011

In March 2011, the family of the late Charles J. Haughey made a very generous offer to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, in the form of a steel hulled 56ft yacht with six berths in four Cabins called Celtic Mist. This gift was in recognition of Mr. Haughey’s lifelong love for the sea and respect for the work of the IWDG. On the 7 th June 1991 Charles J. Haughey officially declared Irish Waters a Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary.

After much consideration and a range of commissioned surveys, IWDG Director Fiacc O ‘Brolchain and a team of volunteers thoroughly inspected the yacht which was lying in the Isle of Wight in England and recommended that the IWDG accept the offer. Skipper Fiacc O ‘Brolchain travelled over to the Isle of Wight with his crew and sailed Celtic Mist back to Ireland. On arrival in Waterford, the vessel joined the Tall Ships Race 2011 from Waterford to Greenock.

Celtic Mist is a fantastic resource for all IWDG members. IWDG intend to use Celtic Mist to train and teach IWDG members how to survey and record whales and dolphins, including using acoustic survey techniques. It will also be used for dedicated research projects and professional training and development.

TALL SHIPS RACE July 2011

After a weekend of celebrations and festivities in Waterford at the Festival, Celtic Mist had been thoroughly cleaned, refueled and provisioned for its voyage to Scotland as the only Irish entry for 2011. Skipper Fiacc O’Brolchain and first mate Garry Davis were onboard the vessel with their crew of Siobhan Ardener, Conor Ryan, Keith Cleere and Eithne Griffin. The Tall Ships Parade left Waterford Harbour at Sunrise on the morning of Sunday 3 rd July and made their way down the Waterford estuary before raising the Sails past Hook lighthouse in County Wexford. Light winds created a serene scene as all the Tall Ships stood tall on the horizon at sunset.

IWDG Members report their experience onboard

Racing in the Tall Ships 2011 by Siobhan Ardener Having received an email from the IWDG offering members the opportunity to join a team on-board RV Celtic Mist for the hugely amended Tall Ships Race, I wasted no time in prepping myself with basic sailor terms and techniques. Not having previous experience in sailing or information on the practices, it was a challenge which I was both excited about and determined to take on. Celtic Mist arrived from the UK to Dunmore East Harbour a few days prior to the teams arrival. Waterford city, at the time was thriving on the theme of the moment, with live music, shopping stalls, theme parks and scenic tours all attracting thousands of eager minded people, there to enjoy the spectacle that was the Tall Ships.

Arriving to the boat on Thursday, I was introduced to the crew and we spent the weekend prepping for Sunday, when the Race began. All relevant supplies were gathered and collected as well as final adjustments and preparations made to the Ship itself. When all the team had arrived, a number of safety guidelines and general information about sailing was given by first mate Garry Davis, who was hugely valuable to have onboard. Along with preparing the ship, numbers of families were given the opportunity to board the Ship and take a look around the boat itself. On Sunday morning, the morning of departure, the scene was eerie cool with a dense covering of fog waiting to be burned off by the Sun. Slowly moving down river out towards the coast salutations were given by the many thousands of people standing in huge groups at varying points along the coastline.. The weather was perfect; the sea resembled a “glass” like appearance, the scene was set for the next four day race to Greenock.

Sailing across the Irish Sea was an incredibly challenging ordeal but one that