Jump to : home
Visitor Information

Tide Information
Tide Information

For the lastest tide information in Wales

Surf Report
Surf Report

For the latest reports on surf conditions in Wales

Cruising Events
Cruising Events

For the latest on sailing and cruising events in Wales

Watersports Events
Watersports Events

For the latest information on watersports events

PR Newsletter - Sea Haven
PR Newsletter - Sea Haven

Irish History Sails into Milford Haven Celebrations

The captain of a replica of an historic Irish ship has sailed away from Milford Haven with a special plaque presented to him to commemorate the vessel’s maiden voyage to the West Wales port.

The plaque also commemorated the three-masted barque Dunbrody’s presence at Seafair Haven 2006, a week long celebration of Pembrokeshire’s maritime history involving classic craft ranging from tall ships to row boats.

Terry Rogers Chairman of the JFK Trust was presented with the plaque by Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks Andrew Davies at the event, which took place early in July.

The arrival of Dunbrody was just one element of the week-long Seafair Haven celebration, which involved nearly 100 classic and traditional craft dating from 1898 to the present day from Brittany, UK and Ireland "raiding" Haven communities, interspersed with races and expeditions and many opportunities for land-based visitors to view them at close range.

The event also coincided with Pembrokeshire Fish Week, an established festival encompassing a lively range of family fun events, special fish promotions by the hospitality industry, cookery demonstrations and special pub events such as sea shanty nights.  

Seafair Haven 2006 and the visit of the Dunbrody were arranged through two European Interreg IIIA funded projects, managed by the Welsh European Funding Office, the Maritime Heritage Programme and Celtic Maritime Connections. Both are hosted by Milford Haven Port Authority and are aimed at generating community and economic gains by capitalising on the maritime heritage of the region. Both projects received generous sponsorship from Dragon LNG, South Hook LNG and Semlogistics to support these events.

The 400 or so crew members taking part were split into four classes - Sail and Oar, Old Gaffers, Classic Bermudan and Large Traditional.  All were hosted during the Festival by local people with events and activities varying from Sea Shanty sessions to Welsh Cawl and music nights, designed to build connections between the visitors and communities and broaden the profile of the rich maritime heritage of Pembrokeshire.

Whilst in Milford Haven, the Dunbrody, which was built in 2001 and carries over 10,000 sq ft of sail and is usually moored in New Ross, Co. Wexford hosted civic receptions on board to help promote the Celtic Maritime Connections Project.

The original Dunbrody, built in Quebec for the Graves family of New Ross in 1845, carried thousands of Irish emigrants to the new world between 1845-1870, and her replica will be offering 60 sea-hardy souls a day a taste of what they went through when they made the trans-Atlantic voyage on a sailing around the Pembrokeshire Islands and coast.

The Dunbrody was primarily a cargo vessel and carried timber from Canada, cotton from the southern states of the USA and guano from Peru. The ship was fitted out with bunks and facilities for passengers desperate to escape the harrowing conditions at home.

From 1845 to 1851, between April and September, under the command of William John Williams of St. Davids, she carried passengers on her outward journeys to Canada and the USA. She usually carried 176 people but on one crossing, at the height of the Famine in 1847, she carried 313.