‘A.K. ILEN’ National Heritage Council ‘Exploring Our Foundations 2025 Award’
Sailing Into Wellness is proud to announce it has been awarded the prestigious 2025 National Heritage Council ‘Exploring Our Foundations’ Award. This accolade acknowledges the charity’s dedication to maritime preservation and community engagement through the stewardship of the A.K. ILEN, Ireland’s last remaining wooden ocean-going sailing ship.
The ‘Exploring Our Foundations’ award, presented by The Heritage Council, celebrates projects that go beyond simple conservation, bringing history to life for modern audiences. Since taking over the stewardship of the 99-year-old ‘Auxiliary Ketch’, back in 2018, Sailing Into Wellness continues to safeguard her heritage, sharing her with communities across Ireland, and keeping her in excellent sailing condition through ongoing maintenance and from her day-to-day use in the delivery of therapeutic sailing voyages. The award was officially presented at a ceremony at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham by Virginia Teehan and Marian Moloney, from The Heritage Council, with the event co-hosted by Síle Seoige.
The beautiful Auxiliary Ketch, ‘ILEN’, boasts all the aesthetic appeal and exquisite craftsmanship of traditionally-built wooden boats and upholds interest in traditional maritime skills and wooden boat-building techniques, vitally important to keep our maritime heritage alive. She also provides an exceptional learning environment for those who wish to pursue a trade in wooden boat-building or a career within the maritime sector.
“Winning this award is a testament to the importance of maintaining this living jewel of Irish maritime history”, says James Lyons, co-founder and General Manager at Sailing Into Wellness. “The Ilen isn’t just a ship; she is a bridge between our ancestors’ seafaring traditions and our mission to support the mental health and wellbeing of under-served communities across our island. We are deeply grateful to the Heritage Council for recognising the cultural and social value A.K. ILEN delivers across our island.”
Some history.…..
Edward Conor Marshall O’Brien, a pioneer in International sailing, was the first Irish skipper to circumnavigate the globe via the three great capes from 1923-1925, aboard the 42ft ketch ‘Saoirse’. Following this voyage, O’Brien and Tom Moynihan, The Fisheries School -Baltimore, were commissioned to design the 56ft ‘A.K. ILEN’, by the Falkland Islands company.
Built by the shores of the river Ilen, West Cork, and launched in 1926, A.K. ILEN spent 70 years as an inter-island service ship for the Falkland Islands. In 1997, she was repatriated home for an extensive restoration. This 12,000-mile trip was initiated and managed by Gary McMahon, a key member of the ‘Ilen boatbuilding project’ in Limerick, followed by her restoration over a period of ten years, under the craftsmanship of those involved in the Limerick Ilen project, Hegarty’s Boatyard, Oldcourt, Skibbereen, numerous volunteers and advocates of traditional boatbuilding skills. A heart-warming part of her story is that descendants of her original builders, worked on her restoration, using traditional boat-building skills passed down from one generation to the next.
Today……
Under the stewardship of Sailing Into Wellness, A.K. ILEN serves as a unique platform for:
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Heritage Education and Awareness: Hosting workshops and guided ‘story-telling’ tours that demonstrate, promote and share Ireland’s traditional maritime skills ‘hands-on’
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Therapeutic Sailing: Delivering life-changing voyages for individuals facing physical, mental health, and social challenges
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Community Integration: Connecting communities across Ireland with our coastal identity and maritime heritage
Centenary celebrations (1926 – 2026) ……
A.K. ILEN will celebrate her centenary in 2026, a further opportunity to share her Irish heritage.
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