The Sea Stallion of Glendalough

Yesterday at lunchtime I went down to the Eastlink bridge to see the "Sea Stallion of Glendalough" arrive. It's a reconstructed Viking ship that has been sailing for the past 6 and a half weeks from Denmark. At first I was standing at the office block on the Ringsend side of the bridge, there were some mothers with their kids and a guy with a camera and a fancy lens. Nothing was happening for ages and then we heard the noise of the ferries hooters. I went onto the bridge and waited another few minutes until at last the LE Róisín spraying water out its sides came into view, and right behind it the viking boat. It was beautiful as it drifted in along the Liffey. There were loads of other boats around it. Little rowing boats, one of them a currach with 3 old men rowing away! And some boats from rowing clubs I imagine.

Chatting about it with people since I've learnt that there's no cover on the boat, the crew had to sleep in the open, there's no loos so it was just a bucket and the crew apparently learned quickly that "everybody is in the same boat..." so just get on with it.

The Sea Stallion is being moved to Collins Barracks til next year.