On the crest of a wave

THE currach is as identifiable with the green shores of Ireland as the harp, the shamrock and the IMF bailout.

The traditional Irish boat is no longer needed for work survival, but Danny O’Flaherty has committed the past 20 years to reviving the boat. He formed Coiste Lar Na gCurrachai (Central Currach Committee) in 1994 to promote currach racing, and the Celtic Nations Heritage Foundation to host the annual World Cup currach regatta in his adopted home of Louisiana.

Like many Irish-Americans, he longs for the country of his birth. Leaving his home in Ardmore, Co Galway in 1967, his journey took him to London, then Chicago and then all over the Unites States as a member of The Irish Minstrels, a traditional Irish folk group with whom he recorded two albums. He settled in New Orleans in 1984.