This article is from page 31 of the 2007-07-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 31 JPG
KINVARA is gearing itself up for the highlight of it’s busy tourist sea- son as the Crinniu na mBad prepares to take over next week. The festival, which runs this year from August 9 to 12, attracts thousands of boat lov- ers from across Ireland as well as a number of European countries.
The Crinnia celebrated Kinvara’s long and proud boating history. In years gone by the village was a trad- ing centre where food stuff, turf and other goods could be traded with the people of the Aran Islands.
Each summer a fleet of Galway Hookers and Currachs would ferry
supplies back and forth from the Is- lands to the mainland at Kinvara.
“At this stage the Crinniu has grown into one of Ireland’s biggest and most important festivals. It had become part of our heritage,” said organiser Michael Brogan.
“Itis very important to continue it to make sure that the tradition does not die out. It gives the people who own these boats something to have their boats ready for. This year we should have boats from the UK and France and we are hoping to get some trad1- tional boats from Spain, Norway and Denmark over for next year.”
Michael made history himself last year as he was part of a crew who
conquered both the icy North West and North East passages aboard the yacht the Northabout.
The first race of this year’s Crin- niu will see a fleet of boats sail from the docks in Galway city and down the coast to Kinvara on Friday after- noon. Formally known as the Cladd- agh Cup, this race has been renamed the Mikey Lynskey Memorial Cup to mark his tragic passing earlier this year.
In it’s 29 year history, the Crinniu has developed a reputation for it’s commemorative posters. This years posters features one of Galways old boatman, Pat Jennings, who is now 90 years old and still involved in
keeping the boating tradition alive.
An exhibition of photography fea- turing the last three decades of the Crinniu also takes place at the Gal- way museum throughout the festi- val.
The first Crinnid na mBad took place in 1979 and has been growing steadily ever since. The original con- cept for the festival came from local man Tony Moylan, who organised the Crinniu as a means of maintain- ing Kinvara’s connection with it’s baiting heritage.
This years festival is once again sponsored by Irish owned company Cityjet. For more check out www. kinvara.com/cnb.