As members of the Clyde Cruising Club Tony and I were invited to join in the 75th celebrations of the Irish Cruising Club. This involved a cruise in company along the south coast of Ireland with various events en route culminating in a meet at Glengarriff, Bantry Bay where the Irish Cruising Club was founded.

Now that we are retired we were able to set out in plenty of time to reach the start of celebrations in  Kinsale on 17th July.  This was just as well!

On 5th July we left Pwllheli for Fishguard motorsailing into a fitful southwesterly.
As I do not like night sailing we usually proceed in short hops and we were hoping to cross to SW Ireland the following day.  However, the weather forecast belied the peaceful sunlit evening and next day the gales, which ravaged the South Coast at this time, caught up with us.  We felt perfectly secure behind the breakwater at Fishguard but laid out a kedge as insurance.  Wherever one anchors in Fishguard the swell comes round the end of the breakwater.  I made the mistake of investigating the focsle where we usually sleep and was very nearly sick with the rolling. For the next 48 hours we rolled but the anchors held which was more than can be said of the mooring a small Irish catamaran had picked up inshore of us. 

By the morning of the 9th we estimated the sea would be reasonable for a crossing.
The anchors were so well embedded it took us two hours to raise them and clean off the incredibly adhesive black mud!  This meant we set out later than intended so motored with full sail to make up time. The Tuskar lighthouse was sighted but vanished as a squall approached. We managed to take in a reef and furl the jib just before the squall hit us.  The wind increased and kept changing direction, continually heading us. 

Visibility was poor and darkness was falling; not good conditions for picking up the buoys on St. Patrick's Bridge .  It was possible to see the gap between the Saltee Islands and after careful navigation to avoid other rocks we picked up the occulting lights of Kilmore Quay standing out surprisingly well against the lights of the town.  There was a nasty moment when I saw a pot buoy rush by less than a metre from our starboard side - one reason I don't like night sailing!  Just before midnight we berthed in Kilmore Quay, fourth out from the pontoon.
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Saturday, 10th July
Next day Kilmore Quay was very busy with yachts departing and arriving on their way to Cork Week as well as the Cruise.  We were delighted when two Starlight 35s arrived.   Jomora and Jig Time were friends from Scotland.   Jig Time lay outside us and when the crew of Jomora came to visit we waylaid them for coffee.  Later that evening we all met aboard Jomora and agreed to spend another day in port.

Sunday, 11th July
Sunday was something of a festival in the town.  A splendid traction engine puffed and thumped at the marina gate raising money for the children of Chernobyl.  We watched sponsored swimmers coming ashore from the Saltee Islands to an enthusiastic reception on the beach.  After showers at Stella Maris Centre, Tony and I walked in the early evening above the west shore to the moving memorial garden to those lost at sea.