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Seafaring faces from the past
14.04.11
INISHOWEN mariners of
times gone by have been remembered in an important
new book and exhibition to be launched later this
month in Greencastle.
'Inishowen Mariners - Faces from the Past' has been
created by author David Snook in collaboration with
Gemma Havlin and Seamus Bovaird of the Maritime
Museum in Greencastle.
It features some 200 British central and royal naval
records including photographs of the seaman and
gives glimpses of their working lives over a 20-year
period.
The exhibition and book give an overview of the
experiences of Inishowen seamen during the Great War
and examine the creation of the seamen’s record
systems. It also looks at the role local men played
in the defence of Antwerp in October 1914 by the
Royal Naval Division and explores the importance of
Lough Swilly as a naval base.
There is also a look at the seaborne trade into and
out of Derry. |
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Some of the faces from the past
featured in the new book and exhibition to be
launched at the Maritime Museum in Greencastle on
April 29, 2011. |
Inishowen Maritime
Museum chairman, Seamus Bovaird said David Snook's
research had uncovered a lot of information that was
new to the museum but that the full story could
never be known.
"We will never know the full story of those
Inishowen people who went to sea and survived, let
alone those who never returned but we can increase
our knowledge by continuous research and by the help
of families and friends of past seafarers who bring
information to the museum so that their stories may
be preserved," he said.
"We hope that this project will encourage people to
remember past friends and relatives who served at
sea and encourage them to help preserve their
history."
Museum manager, Gemma Havlin, added: "We are
delighted with the results of this project and the
hard work that David has but into its research and
development. We would like to welcome everyone from
around Inishowen to come to the launch of this
exhibition as it includes information on mariners
from all over the peninsula.
"We would especially appreciate any information or
records that can be made available to us to help us
in enhancing this important part of maritime history
of Inishowen,” she added.
The book and exhibition will be launched at the
Inishowen Maritime Museum, Greencastle on Friday,
April 29 at 7.30pm. The project is supported by
Inishowen Development Partnership (IDP) and will be
officially opened by IDP chairman, John McCarter.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
*Note: This will be the start of the May Day bank
holiday weekend. The museum will be open all weekend
with David Snook in attendance to talk to relatives
and friends of those featured in the
book/exhibition. May Day weekend will also see the
launch of a series of maritime safety workshops by
local units of the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI.
There will be rocket launches and helicopter rescue
exercises and all events are open to the public. |
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