Whale’s 64-foot skeleton to be encased in glass

A ‘SLEEPING beauty’ style case of reinforced glass is to be constructed for the giant skeleton of a Fin whale, turning it into a permanent tourism attraction in a west Cork village.

The skeleton of the 64-foot leviathan, which beached at Burn Strand in Courtmacsherry Bay in January 2009, has already been cleaned and reconstructed by a team of local volunteers in time to mount it on a lorry for display during the launch of the Kilbrittain festival next Sunday.

However, as festival organiser Finbar O’Mahony reveals, villagers have even more ambitious plans for the 10ft high skeleton: “We’re now considering making the whale a permanent exhibit in Kilbrittain. It will be displayed in a case of reinforced glass.

“The case will be constructed in a diamond shape to match the shape of the whale. It’s only fitting that we put a proper casing around it to protect it,” he said.

Locals are planning to fundraise and will also apply for grant aid to pay for the initiative, which it is believed, will eventually become a major tourist attraction for the area.

If everything goes to plan, it’s hoped to have the permanent exhibit in place for next year’s festival.

A colourful information board will provide details about the 50-ton mammal and the extensive volunteer work which went into salvaging and displaying its skeleton, said Mr O’Mahony, who also hopes to put the skeleton on temporary display in his garden centre, The West Cork Secret.

“We’ll be seeking funding for a permanent exhibit and we’ll be fund-raising for this project as well. We haven’t costed it yet and we know it won’t be cheap but that’s not deterring us.

“This is not just an exhibition for Kilbrittain, it will be an attraction for the entire west Cork region.

“However, it will also put Kilbrittain on the tourist map — we’re a little off the main tourist route so hopefully this will become a major attract which will draw people here to Kilbrittain.”

Mr O’Mahony was a member of the 20-strong team of volunteers who, shortly after the whale died on the beach in January 2009, helped remove the whale from the beach with a fleet of diggers, load-alls and dumpers.

The team then used butcher knives to remove the flesh from the skeleton.

Once all the meat had been removed and sent for rendering, the skeleton was then submerged in the sea for further cleaning. The final shreds of meat and blubber were later removed with power hoses.

The skeleton of the Kilbrittain Fin Whale will be unveiled at the launch of the Kilbrittain festival on Sunday next at 8pm.