Day trips on offer as Jeanie Johnston set to dock in Waterford

SAILING enthusiasts and boat-watchers in the south-east are in for a treat in September when tall ship Jeanie Johnston arrives in Waterford.

A replica of sailing ships from the pre-steam era of the 19th century, the Jeanie Johnston was built in Kerry and is now based in Cork where it is operated by local company Rivercruise Ireland.

The ship has attracted huge interest wherever it has travelled since its construction, and this year has a sailing schedule which includes stops in Tralee, Cork Harbour, Dublin Bay and Waterford. More than 600 people have already enjoyed day sailing trips and three more ventures will be undertaken in Waterford on September 28 and 30 and October 1, 2 and 3.

These will be bookended by sail training programmes from Quilleboeff in France to Waterford between September 25 and 28, and from Waterford to Cork between October 4 and 6. Such programmes are designed to pass on some knowledge about tall ship sailing to trainees, from beginners to more experienced sailors.

While in Waterford, members of the public will also be able to visit the Jeanie Johnston’s onboard museum to find out more about the history of tall ships and about the project.

The original Jeanie Johnston was bought in 1848 by Tralee merchant Nicholas Donovan and made seven trips across the Atlantic carrying more than 2,500 emigrants, all of whom arrived safely in America — unlike other vessels that became known as the infamous “coffin ships”.

For the Waterford visit of the present-day version, some of the day trips are already booked out, but the 37.5-metre long ship will also be available for private functions during its stint in the south-east.

The Jeanie Johnston construction project got under way in 1993 and was completed in 2002. As well as visiting Irish ports this year, the ship took part in the Bristol Harbour Festival in July and will be in Rathmullan in Co Donegal from September 12 to 15 for the Flight of the Earls commemoration.