Curragh Rowing Championship + Cultural Parade + Air/Sea Rescue Demo ... Kilbaha, Co Clare, July 2008.
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Curragh Race from Bunratty, Co. Clare to Steamboat Quay, Limerick ... held on 30-Aug-2008.
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A Currach or Curach is a type of Irish boat with a wooden frame, over which animal skins or hides were once stretched - nowadays canvas is more usual. The construction and design of the currach is unique to the west coasts of Ireland and Scotland, with variations in size and shape by region.
Historically, the currach was used both as a sea-fishing vessel and also as transport along rivers and coastal waterways. The currach was first mentioned in writing at around the time of Julius Caesar, who reported seeing sailed ocean-going currachs roving the North Atlantic. Later, in the sixth century, it is possible that Saint Brendan made the first transatlantic voyage to The Americas in a currach (a recreation of this alleged voyage was successfully completed by Tim Severin, in 1978 to show that it would have been possible, by sailing a leather currach from Ireland to Newfoundland). Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currach