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Matt shapes a new Greenheart worm shoe. It is a generous 50ft in length, and has a long scarf joint with lips (perpendicular cuts at each end of the joint) – it will soon be bronze bolted to Ilen’s original 1925 elm keel. This will afford the good ship a further level of protection in … Continue reading 01-07-15: Greenheart – Ilen gets a new shoe

First published in the Limerick Leader on the 07/06/15 by Anne Sheridan. With the wind in their sails, a crew of boat builders in Limerick are now piecing together one of the crucial parts of a ship’s infrastructure on a famous sailing vessel. The vessel is being patiently restored in Hegarty’s boatyard in Old Court, … Continue reading 12-06-15: Historic sailing vessel AK Ilen will return to waters

This week Fachtna O’Sullivan commences the task of caulking with Oakum the plank seams of the Ilen. This process will take many weeks over the summer and will require the discerning hand and eye of experienced shipwrights.  

The process of rebuilding the good ship Ilen, for an operational and voyaging life at sea, reached an inevitable juncture this week. A juncture that sees new personalities about her decks – with conversation equal to their respective skills, they merge with those who with much joy have brought her to where she is today. … Continue reading 10-06-15: An Inevitable Juncture

Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival – The Ilen School Gandelow crew are back in Limerick and celebrating after taking the big rowing prizes at the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival 2015. Rowing races at the West Cork festival on Sunday included a Pilot Race Event under sail and oar; an action packed race to land a pilot on … Continue reading 04-06-15: Ilen School Win Top Prize at Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival

JP McManus, Paul O’Connell and AP McCoy push out a Gandelow boat to signal the commencement of the Clean-up. The Ilen School was delighted to be part of Team Limerick clean-up, sponsored by JP McManus Benevolent Fund, launched at Clancy’s Strand Limerick on Good Friday the 3rd April 2015. There was up to 10,000 people … Continue reading 04-06-15: Ilen School participated in Team Limerick Clean-up.

Steadily and purposefully she is realising the wonderful dream of her original designers – stronger than ever and with greater detailing she will take and return the many from epic and wandering odysseys.  

Excerpt from Limerick Leader Feb 23rd 2015. Article by Anne Sheridan A RARE celebration for Limerick’s growing fleet of boat builders has been witnessed, as the ‘whiskey plank’ was nailed into the hull of the historic AK Ilen. The famous vessel was sailed to the Falklands Islands by Conor O’Brien, an Oxford-educated Limerickman and the … Continue reading 23-02-15: Limerick’s historic sailing vessel, AK Ilen, will reclaim high seas

The good ship Ilen’s whiskey plank was jointly nailed home by Minister For The Marine, Simon Coveney, Mrs Kate Jarvey, Gerry Boland of JP McManus Charitable Foundation, Rear Admiral Mark Mellett, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and Gary MacMahon, director of Ilen School. Minister Simon Coveney praised the educational model of … Continue reading 18-02-15: Uniting Ireland’s Coastal Communities

Extract from West Cork Times, February 17, 2015 SAILORS, shipwrights, well wishers and the plain curious gathered in the Great Corn Store at Hegarty’s Boatyard, at Old Court between Skibbereen and Baltimore, recently to witness a major milestone in Irish shipbuilding. They were there to witness Minister for the Marine, Simon Coveney hammer home the … Continue reading 17-02-15: Minister guest of honour at “whiskey plank” ceremony