Stone Age vessel sails into new millennium

By KEITH PERRY

It is no threat to the America's Cup racing teams, but in terms of historic pedigree this boat is in a class of its own.

Three Irishmen revived a 9000-year-old boatbuilding tradition in creating the Irish currach, which will take part in the Year 2000 dawn celebration at Okahu Bay, in Auckland.

Padraig de Hora and Mick Downes spent a month building the millennium currach at Mr Downes' Waiheke Island home. It will be named An tOileanach (the Islander).

Currachs are based on ancient craft dating back to the Middle Stone Age, which evolved in central Eurasia from coracles - round or basket-like vessels woven from willow branches and covered with animal skins.

Irish monks used currachs to sail to Europe, Scandinavia, Iceland and Newfoundland 800 years before Columbus.

The sturdy craft are still used on the west coast of Ireland for fishing, and in regattas, where fishermen pit their rowing skills against one another.

Mr de Hora, a carpenter and boatbuilder from Dingle, is considered one of the best currach builders in Ireland.

Currach Project leader Lorcan Slattery, who has been racing the craft for 10 years, said they wanted to build one in New Zealand to join Auckland's 2000 celebration. This will feature a ceremonial dawn welcome of 12 traditional craft by a flotilla of more than 2000 vessels.

"We built the Irish currach to coincide with the largest maritime event in the world - the America's Cup race, " said Mr Slattery, who is from County Kerry.

"With the help of the Auckland Irish Society, the National Maritime Museum and the America's Cup Village, we hope to explore the similarities and diversities of our Irish maritime culture with those of Maori.

"Maori have some similarities with the Irish, and we have our own version of a hangi. And the Celtic warriors also had full body tattoos like those found on Maori warriors. We hope to also compare our ancient boatbuilding traditions with those of Maori explorers, and anticipate a lot of interest from Maori and Pacific Island people in our boat."

The boatbuilders plan to give demonstrations of rowing and sailing the currach as well as exhibitions throughout New Zealand. They will also take part in an interisland race in the Hauraki Gulf next month against other rowing crews from the Pacific Rim in traditional craft.

The currach was blessed and launched at a special ceremony on Monday at the National Maritime Museum.