Parade of Sail gives festival a fitting finale

Dublin Bay looked like the setting for a remake of the popular BBC series from the 1970s, The Onedin Line, yesterday as it hosted the ceremony to mark the closing spectacle of the Tall Ships Festival.

Many of the boats departed the port under full sail in a magnificent display of maritime vessels which attracted thousands of visitors along the shore.

Gardaí reported traffic congestion in many parts of the city as spectators availed of glorious sunshine to take up vantage points stretching around the bay from Howth to Bray to witness the 40-strong fleet mark the end of the 2012 Tall Ships Race.