The Ilen School’s fleet of Gandelows, crews and builders gently entered the River Liffey on the morning of April 23rd. Their arrival was not a spontaneous one but one that emerged from a conglomeration of elements, some stretching back a thousand historical years.
The myth that is the Battle of Clontarf draws as much historical speculation as it does erudition, but for the Ilen School and its builders and boatmen it was a celebration of an every present past and the unchanging rhythms of our great rivers.
It was a joyous waterborne day, a day on which the Ilen School renewed old and made new friendships.
Our sincere thanks to Dublin sailor Paddy Barry for his assistance in organising the day’s events, and to Dublin City Manager Owen Keegan, and the crew of the Jeanie Johnston, for their great welcome and hospitality.
Above Photo: Assembled rowers and supporters at Clontarf
