Cruinniu na mBad
Mayo Sailing Club
July 3, 2008
Members of Mayo Sailing Club took part in the Cruinniu na mB�d as part of Fleadh Ceol Connacht
on Tuesday, July 1st in Westport. Members of the Karen community from Burma, now living in
Castlebar, were at Quayside to greet the boats.
The cruinniu, or meeting of the boats, was the idea of Fleadh organizer Justin Sammon
who wanted to extend the notion of Irish culture beyond music and dance. The sea is
also an intrinsic part of Irish heritage, he said, particularly here around Clew Bay.
The Karen, many of whom wore their traditional tunics for the occasion, presented Damien Cashin,
Commodore of Mayo Sailing Club. with a book on Traditional Boats of Ireland. They also
performed a traditional dance and songs. Cashin said that he and the other members of the sailing club were humbled by the event.
“Meeting the Karen community here makes you realize how fortunate we are here in Ireland,”
he said. “The Karen have fled persecution from Burma’s military junta. Some of those we met
on the quayside told us about the joy of being able to travel freely again after years of living in
refugee camps.”
“Sometimes sailors like to think that they are hardy people but it was an amazing experience
to be met by people who have come through real hardship in life.”
Also present at the Cruinniu was Jarlath Cunnane, skipper of Northabout, the boat which
traveled 7,800 km around the Arctic’s Northwest Passage. Other boats attending were
Why Not?, Magic Number and Coco.
Designs ]