NEWSLETTER mmtmhrnlkmi&i Biannual Newsletter of the Maritime Institute of Ireland. Published September 2015 Free for Members. Non Members €2.00. Editied by Pat Sweeney and Eoghan Ganly September 2015 Please Note: An Electronic copy of this Newsletter is available on the Website: www.mariner.ie [email protected] Mariners Church, Haigh Tce., Dun Laoghaire, L. E. James Joyce Inside this issue: Co. Dublin, Ireland. at the Carlisle Pier in Page 2: President’s Address 01 2143 964 / 01 2800 969 Dun Laoghaire Harbour Richard McCormick The new Offshore Patrol Vessel Page 3: Library News and L.E. JAMES JOYCE P-62 was Museum Report You will note the new Logo at the head of this Newsletter. commissioned into the Naval Page 4: Heritage Ship La Palma. Service on Tuesday afternoon There was concern that the pre­ Presentation of old 1st September alongside the vious logo did not convey, with Carlise pier Dun Laoghaire Co. Standard to Museum. sufficient clarity, the meaning of Dublin in the presence of An Dublin Port Diving Bell the Maritime Institute. Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, the Page 5: The Boyne Currach Padraic O'Brolchain and his Minister for Defence Simon Page 6: George 3rd Earl Granard daughter Mella developed the Coveney TD and invited guests. Page 7: Building model - depiction of the St. Brendan skin A Brass band played in honour L.E. Macha boat which it is said was used to of the ship and the distinguished sail to America. Page 8: Report CE staff and guests. Stephen Hollinshead was asked It is rumoured that L. E. James works at the Museum to develop this concept so that it Joyce may follow the L. E. Page 9: JJ Carroll first Curator could be used throughout the Naoimh and the L. E. Eithne to Ray Traynor Award. publications of the Maritime Insti­ the Mediterranean. Page 10: Mediterranean Mission tute. We are very grateful to both Photo by Eoghan Ganly from the Page 11 Ronnie O’Callaghan Padraic and Mella for the original top of the Dun Laoghaire shop­ Autumn Events concept and to Stephen for its developement. ping centre car park. Page 12 Photographs 1 Presidents Address Autumn 2015 events, a reciprocal wedding arrangement with the A fortuitous convergence of improvements is con­ Royal Marine Hotel is now contributing to the bot­ tributing to a more optimistic scenario as the econ­ tom line. omy slowly recovers. New signage plus the visually The Irish National Dragon Class Championships, attractive DLR Lexicon’s cascading water feature the dedication of the Royal Navy Association have made the National Maritime Museum of Ire­ Dublin Branch’s new Standard and Donal Murray’s land increasingly visible to visitors and locals alike. Adopting a new more representative logo and sub­ Chasing Lighthouses art exhibition sponsored by scribing to a brochure distribution company have the Commissioners of Irish Lights are examples of also helped considerably. Shop improvements have activities that attract more visitors to the Museum. yielded increased sales and the Jules Verne Cafe has attracted new patrons to the Museum. Updating the Memorandum and Articles of Associ­ ation was deferred on legal advice pending the im­ The Museum has hosted a display on the Lusitania disaster and honoured the heroic rescue of Mediter­ plementation of the new Companies Act in June ranean refugees by the Irish Naval Service which 2015. The Board made a submission to the Chari­ has earned the respect of the international commu­ ties Regulatory Authority in July 2015. Contacts nity. The patient work of model maker Gintas with the DLR Tourism Information Centre and Ledeika restoring a sailing vessel, a steam trawler, Failte Ireland are ongoing with Failte Ireland’s Liv­ a RNLI lifeboat as well as completing running re­ pairs to Benny Cullen’s exquisite model of the L.E. ing Bay Initiative appearing to offer some future Macha, all of which are safely ensconced in Reggie maritime heritage potential. Goodbody’s glass cases, serves as a tribute to the Representing the Maritime Institute at the Mer­ skills of all three craftsmen. Bruce Crawford’s skilful restoration of the Boyne Currach from woodworm chant Navy Association of Northern Ireland’s An­ infested hazel and a stiff leather hide, with a provi­ nual Maritime Service and Act of Remembrance in dentially intact seat and paddle is a tribute to his Belfast in May 2015 was a singular honour. Board determination to retain Ireland’s most traditional member Ray Traynor received his well-deserved form of floating maritime heritage. Celebration of Volunteering Award from Councillor Two thirds of the library books are now catalogued Marie Baker, the previous Cathaoirleach, in hon­ by student Kevin Megannety working with the li­ our of his immense contribution to the DLR com­ brary volunteers since last April. The second group munity. The Certificate of Appreciation presented of six UCD Library & Information Studies Masters students completed their digital imaging and to Board member and Standard Bearer John archival cataloguing Capstone Project in August. Moore in recognition of his long and loyal service The relationship with UCD continues to flourish with to the Royal Navy Association’s Dublin Branch the first ever ‘Women & the Sea Symposium’ being must also be acknowledged. held in September. The DLR maritime heritage grant project is yielding fascinating digitisid mate­ Looking to the future, the appointment of Rear Ad­ rial, embedding the Maritime Museum in the local miral Mark Mellet DSM as Chief of Staff Defence community whilst simultaneously promoting Ire­ Forces Ireland and the publication of the White land’s rich maritime heritage. Paper on Defence 2015 - 2017, raising the Maintenance and painting continue apace thanks to prospect of three new navy ships, heralds a new the sterling efforts of our Community Employment era in Irish naval affairs. The award of a €7,500 staff, who also man the reception desk alongside grant by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council volunteers and work behind the scenes in the ad­ for the 1916 Commemorations, aptly coincides ministration office. The diverse blend of interests with the Institute’s seventy-fifth year, during and skills of our CE staff and volunteers are vital to which Dr. John de Courcy Ireland’s unique the Museum and observing the latter engaging visi­ contribution to maritime heritage will be hon­ tors and breathing life into stories associated with oured in the tenth anniversary year of his our unique artifacts augers well for the future. A death. Tributes to past struggles and endeav­ constant priority is seeking means to increase rev­ ours are appropriate as we head inexorably enues to fund the activities of the Maritime Institute. towards 2016 with optimism and hope for the As well as funds raised through admissions, the future of the Museum and the Maritime Insti­ shop and by the indefatigable. Fundraising Com­ tute of Ireland. mittee organising musicals, exhibitions and social Richard McCormick - President 2 Library & Archive News Autumn 2015 Museum Report The shelves in the Library are now full of an interest­ In our last report we mentioned our plan to com­ ing and varied collection of maritime books which are memorate the sinking of SS Lusitania with a spe­ being catalogued with the invaluable assistance of cial graphic display. This was on show for about 8 student Kevin Megannety. Having sorted them into weeks and looked well. We also displayed two ex­ subjects they are now being individually checked and amples of the famous Lusitania medals. Recently relevant details are being recorded on an electronic this display which was set up below the altar was database. This process helps to establish any dupli­ replaced by a similar display showing the recent cation and identify different editions. work of L.E. Eithne in the Mediterranean. Special The recorded details include Title, Author, Publisher, stands built by John Hewett were used and these Notes and ISBN number where applicable. At this are designed so that they can be easily fitted with stage fairly broad subject headings are being used new material. In October there will be an anniver­ with relevant notes being added to the database to sary of the installation of the Kish lighthouse and facilitate searching for specific items. These subjects we hope to prepare another temporary exhibition can be further refined into sub-groups when the rela­ to highlight this. tive size of the current groupings are established. While not assigning individual numbers to each Meanwhile we have been given an excellent book, the database will record the shelf location. model of L.E. Macha which is now on permanent Almost 3,000 of the estimated 5,000 titles have been display. This was built and presented by Benny entered with a significant portion of the balance com­ Cullen. Our model restorer Gintas (Paul) contin­ prising magazines and directories which will be eas­ ues his excellent work. The fully restored steam ier to catalogue. When these are all completed the trawler is now on display in a new case by Reggie Library will be in a better position to provide research Goodbody. This has been followed by the restora­ access. However a number of research enquiries tion of a lifeboat model also with a new case. This continue to be dealt with, including some from novel­ model now looks considerably better than it did ists, researchers, historians and film teams, ranging when new. from types of boats used on Rathlin Island to the role of the Irish Mercantile Marine in the Second World War and many other topics. The UCD Library and Information Studies Masters students have just completed their digital imaging and archival cataloguing project and the work station has recently been relocated to an office in the former boiler room.