Big Dream Little Boat

by Kevin O’Sullivan

 

 

 

 

Many of you know that KO’C has been working on a book about my circumnavigation of the Island of Ireland by kayak. Thankfully Liffey Press were in the final stages of publishing same and are presently tidying up loose ends before going to print for a May launch.

It is his best attempt to ‘put you on board’ after navigating his way along the 1750 km of his circumnavigation of Ireland, He invites us to take to the pages and join him on his coastal odyssey. He has done the trip and awaiting final copy from printers.

Profits from this publication are going to the RNLI Irish Lifeboats and Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association in deference to fellow adventurer and friend Adrian Harkin of Inish Adventures, who is suffering from this terrible condition.

https://www.donegallive.ie/news/inishowen/1521357/charity-fundraiser-adrian-harkin-dies-after-battle-with-motor-neurone-disease.html

Join me on Tues May7th @ 7pm in Skerries Sailing Club for the launch of my book ‘Big Dream Little Boat’ recounting my Circumnavigation of the Island of Ireland by Kayak. KO’S

I got to Kevin’s book launch on Thurs 7 May and got FIVE books signed by Kevin. One for Me, Tony, Joe, Brendan and Kieran and sent them all by Post ASAP and they are an inch thick. Best to get them away to them all so they could have a peek.

Thursday June 13th at 6pm I’ll be talking about my book “Big Dream Little Boat” in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, 21 Middle Street Galway H91 H9PD County Galway!! All welcome.

I went down on Train to Galway and arrived around lunchtime and visited some sites but got to bookshop for 18:00 and maybe had a proper chat with Kevin and the lads. A few of us silver surfers old timers were there Tony, Brendan, Kieran, Joe and the elusive Eamon. Kevin recognised me as having at both launches and was impressed with my dedication. It was a SOFT day.

Big Dream, Little Boat by Kevin O’Sullivan is a compelling account of one man’s journey by kayak around the island of Ireland. Battling time, tide and the weather, Big Dream, Little Boat is a compelling account of one man’s journey by kayak around the island of Ireland. Kevin O’Sullivan, an Aer Lingus pilot based in Skerries in north County Dublin, had set himself a mission – to circumnavigate the entire Irish coast – and to get home safely. The only problem was finding a way to do it. With a demanding job and family commitments he decides to break the journey into manageable three- and four-day chunks, leaving his kayak at stages along the way and resuming the adventure when the opportunity arose.

Travelling mainly in the summer months, his expedition takes three years. Along the way he reflects on the fascinating marine life, colourful Irish history, stunning scenery, and in particular on the remarkable people he met on his journey.

He also recounts the many trials he faced, not least of which was his biggest difficulty – chronic seasickness! Despite an attempt to paddle only in good weather, Kevin still encountered some challenging conditions. Unexpected winds and great swells left him digging deep, using all his skills and experience of years of kayaking to survive. In the great Irish tradition of taking care of travellers on the road, he was supported by oftentimes complete strangers who put him up in their homes, fed him and encouraged him along the way. On a journey of soul-searching and deep contemplation, the kindness of strangers helped to renew his faith in humanity.

Kevin O’Sullivan is a recently retired Aer Lingus captain, having previously worked there as an aircraft engineer for ten years. Kevin and his wife Angela live with two adult children in Skerries, County Dublin. This is his first book.

Publisher The Liffey Press

Dark Shadows

by Kieran Touhy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Went down to Galway to Liam Ferrie ExDec Meet Up on Thurs 4 July and a surprise party was organised for Liam’s 80th Birthday on 4th July. It was a big day full of nostalgia and it was 50 years for me ExDec and a good milestone.

Kieran is organised a tour of his exhibition of his famine sculptures in the Workhouse in Portumna in 4th July at 16.00 on a SOFT Day.

After your Portumna Workhouse tour, you are invited to visit Kieran Tuohy’s Dark Shadows exhibition located in the Girls’ Schoolroom. Each piece, carved in the medium of bog oak immortalizes the stories of our famine ancestors. From ‘The Line for Soup’ to the ‘Gates of the Poorhouse’, the story of the workhouse and the history of the famine emanates from each face, hand, and bone.

Abandoning the normal bogwood sculpturing techniques of bringing out the natural forms in the wood into apparent objects, Kieran unearths his own images from the wood. He is unique in that he creates his own shapes and uses many subtly different textures to achieve the finish he wants, using the natural flaws in the wood to great effect.