Presidential review for Bantry event

This Saturday, July 21st, President Michael D Higgins will be in Bantry to officially launch the Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship 2012.

President Higgins will review a full Presidential guard of honour and also be present for the opening parade of nations from the 16 countries involved in the Atlantic Challenge, who will be supported by young sports people from clubs throughout the Bantry area.

The parade of nations gets underway at 1.30 pm, with the 16 international crews wearing their country colours, supported by no fewer than 350 children from the local sports clubs.

Please note that there will be traffic restrictions in the area from noon until 4pm, but organisers have urged the public to attend the events.

The biennial contest of seamanship that is the Atlantic Challenge World Championship is back in Bantry for the first time since 1996, and will run through to July 29th.

It’s a spectacular event, in which replicas of the famous Bantry Bay Longboat, the French naval vessel washed ashore during the failed French invasion of Ireland in 1796, are raced under sail and oar.