Traditional, wooden boat-building in Ireland once took place all along our beautiful coastline, with skills and traditions being passed down from one generation to the next. These talented shipwrights created exquisite, hand-crafted, wooden sailing vessels with passion and integrity, where the design of each boat was carefully planned and guided by the local sea and weather conditions, based on what they would experience in their sailing life.

One of Ireland’s such-like maritime jewels is the A.K. Ilen, a 56ft ocean sailing Auxiliary Ketch co-designed by the renowned, Irish circumnavigator, Conor O’Brien, and master shipwright Tom Moynihan, and built under Tom’s supervision by The Fisheries School in Baltimore, West Cork in 1926.

Originally commissioned by The Falkland Islands company, ILEN successfully plied her trade for 70 years as an inter-island cargo ship, carrying people, goods and livestock, in the often harsh sailing environment, between the Falkland islands.

In 1997, having reached the end of her service years, she was spotted on a televised documentary lying on a pier-side. Ignited by his passion for Irish Heritage and the renowned amateur Three Great Capes circumnavigator, Conor O’Brien, Limerick-man, Gary MacMahon  assumed the challenge and negotiated her repatriation back to Ireland, aided by many stalwart supporters.

In October 1997, after securing funding from The Hunt museum, ILEN was transported back from the Falkland Islands aboard the MV Angeliki. In 1998, MacMahon and skipper Paddy Barry with six other able crew sailed Ilen from Dublin to Baltimore, to Hegarty’s Boatyard, Oldcourt, Skibbereen, where she would undergo her 10-year renovation, on the banks of the same river Ilen she originated from.

Another poignant part to her story, is that some of her skillfull shipwrights on this occasion would be direct descendants of her original builders, not only keeping the tradition of wooden boat-building alive but shining a light on the importance of passing on this dying craft from one generation to the next. The Ilen Marine School in Limerick, collaborated and worked closely with the shipwrights at Hegarty’s Boatyard, to execute her renovation.

Under the careful tutelage and shipwright skills of brothers Liam and Paddy Hegarty, Paddy’s sons Liam & John, Fachtna O’Sullivan, Teddy O’Neill, and many other traditional boatbuilders from The Ilen Marine School, A.K. Ilen was restored to her former glory. Taking 10 years to complete, 40,000 man hours, thanks to a fund of €1.3 million, this project led to a renewed revival in wooden boat-building.

The restoration and building of smaller traditional, wooden boats continues, and the importance of ensuring the survival of traditional boat building yards remains very much front and centre.

If you would like to support the community work and ongoing maintenance of this iconic vessel or would like to learn more about the work Sailing Into Wellness do, please Get In Touch by sending an email to hello@sailingintowellness.ie

Ilen’s story continues in Part 2 – Please read on!

‘A.K. ILEN’