Currach helping asylum seekers to connect with Ireland

By John Tynan

Migrants and asylum seekers from as far away as Sri Lanka, South Africa and Pakistan are ‘connecting’ with Ireland through the iconic currach.

It comes as part of Cork community boatyard Meitheal Mara’s effort to ‘Make a Connection’, Ireland’s theme as part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage.

Migrants have been attending the Meitheal Mara workshop to learn about building and rowing currachs.

Tomorrow, the public will get an opportunity to check on the group’s progress with their boat as the Meitheal Mara boatyard at Crosses Green, near St Finbarr’s Cathedral, hosts an Open Day as part of National Heritage Week.

From 2.30pm to 4.30pm, several currach styles will be on show, illustrating how they were adapted by different coastal communities to suit their own needs. Visitors can see the development and innovation that took place in currach building, from the original coracle to boats, such as the Donegal Dunfanaghy and more recently the Kerry Naomhóg.

Currachs are a symbol of Ireland and Clare Hayden, manager of Meitheal Mara’s Bádóireacht programme, is delighted to see how it is proving a vessel helping to bring asylum seekers closer to their adopted country.

“We, in Meitheal Mara, are delighted to see the diversity of our teams in the workshop and the diversity of crews on the water. Getting people to work together with their hands in crafting a currach or in steering a boat really encourages them to interact and to engage with people that they may never otherwise meet.

“The success of these programmes is evident in the laughter that can be heard up and down the river during our rowing sessions and in the huge smiles to be seen in the workshop. We are extremely grateful to the Heritage Council for providing funding assistance to enable these programmes.”

As part of the open day, Martin O’Donoghue of Cork currach club Naomhóga Chorcaí will give a talk, entitled ‘The Irish Currach – Heritage, Innovation and Evolution’, at 3pm.

O’Donoghue has undertaken currach voyages all over Ireland, as well as in Spain, France, the Netherlands and the UK. He will look at the current currach revival, particularly in urban centres, and will discuss efforts to create a network of currach builders and enthusiasts.

Meitheal Mara will also be busy on the water during Heritage Week, with 25 young people that have graduated from its Bádóireacht rowing programmes taking part in a four-day rowing development camp on the River Lee.

It will include exploration of the Glashaboy River and conclude with a regatta, with the migrants determined to make a splash and show the locals how it’s done.