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1997 was a unique year for Christianity in Ireland as it was
the 1400th anniversary of the death of St Colmcille,
also known as St. Columba. The inspirational Irish monk and
sailor established the now famous monastery which is situated
on Iona on the West coast of Scotland in the year 563AD. He
is credited with being responsible for the spread of Christianity
to Scotland and England. Later missionaries from the little
island of Iona helped to bring the message of Christianity to
further parts of Europe.
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CCHMG celebrated this extraordinary life by commissioning the
construction of 'Colmcille', a "skin covered curragh"
built in Kerry in the winter of 1996 and similar to that used
in the 6th Century. Curraghs are the oldest working boats in
Ireland and have probably been in use since late Mesolithic
times (8000 years ago). These craft were used by Irish seafaring
monks to reach settlements lying out on desolate islands off
the south-western Irish coast. They also made extended journeys
across the North Channel to Scotland, the Irish Sea to Wales
and England and further to mainland Europe, especially Brittany
where Irish and Welsh monks established monasteries.
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Curraghs are still used today for lobster fishing off the
south and west coasts of Ireland. They are extremely seaworthy
craft which are capable of tackling large swells offshore and
breakers when beaching.Furthermore, they are extremely light
for their size, can be carried onshore above the high water
mark and do not need to rely on harbours for shelter.
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The Colmcille curragh is designed on the shape of a
traditional Kerry naomhog and was constructed using three types
of wood - Canadian oak, African teak and Irish deal. At 36 feet
9 inches in length and 8 feet in beam, Colmcille is a true ocean-going
curragh, which can be powered by 12 oars or two gaff rigged
sails. A large oar at the stern is used for steering. The hull
was built with a double gunwale which was set down first. Short
stanchions were then inserted between the upper and lower gunwales
and thwarts with knees strengthened the structure. This resulted
in a girder structure that made up for the strength lost by
the absence of a keel. The hull was then shaped by slotting
steamed oak ribs into the lease of the up-turned gunwales and
fastening long laths from bow to stern. Finally, three layers
of canvas were stretched over the wooden frame and waterproofed
with 24 gallons of tar.
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The cross-community element of the CCMHG work has been greatly
enhanced through the existence of the Colmcille ....
currently the world's largest skin covered curragh. The
curragh is based on the north of Ireland and is used by schools
and community groups to provide meeting ground where people
can share experiences and explore aspects of our common heritage.
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The cross-community crew consists of men, women and
young people of different nationalities and religious backgrounds.
During the Colncille's journeys, the crew visited harbours and
met school children and community groups. The sea routes travelled
by the Colmcille to date have linked up the coastal communities
of Islay and Kintyre, Donegal, Antrim and Kerry and most recently
those of Cornwall and Brittany. It is hoped that the planned
voyage Colmcille 2001 - Towards Galicia, will extend
these links further into France and Spain.
The CCMHG believe that as members, by exploring the life and
legacy of St.Colmcille, we will discover much that is of relevance
for us today. Through the voyages of the Colmcille and the use
of this curragh in the years to come, we hope to continue to
build bridges between our communities and help promote a culture
of peace.
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