| Three
years later sail returned to the canal
when the Irish national sail training
vessel "Asgard II" graced the
town with her presence, accompanied by
a variety of sailing vessels including
a Galway hooker and the Ocean Youth Club
Ketch "Lord Rank" which sailed
with a trainee crew from the Newry and
Mourne area. The "Lord Rank"
made two further visits in August 1997
and in April 2003. In 1999 "Asgard
II" also returned to Newry accompanied
this time by the restored sail-fishing
vessel "Vervine Blossom" which
at one stage in her career had been registered
in Newry. After a four day stay in the
town "Asgard II" departed with
a cross community, cross border complement
of trainees from Newry, Dundalk and Derry.
NEWRY SHIP CANAL FROM S.T.V. "ASGARD
II" (19th March 1999)
To celebrate the 150th
anniversary of this historic waterway
Newry and Mourne Millennium Company chartered
the theatre ship "Fitzcarraldo"
for a 5 day visit to the town. This delighted
not only shipping enthusiasts but also
the general public as thousands turned
to view the floating theatre company's
premier of "Moby Dick."
Two months later, almost
thirty traditional and modern sailing
craft sailed into the "Basin"
for an overnight stay as part of a "Folk
Boat Week" hosted by Dundalk and
Carlingford Sailing Club. Since the visit
of the folk boats Carlingford Marina Club
has
organised several visits to Newry and
such events have become a regular feature
of life on the canal. The rejuvenation
of Newry Rowing Club has meant that the
old waterway
has also become a focus for rowing competitions
and training by several Irish clubs. Even
Santa has got in the act and since 2001
has forsaken his trusty reindeer preferring
instead to arrive in Newry by boat via
the Newry Ship Canal!
The present Albert Basin
is a setting the old Newry sailors would
scarcely have recognised. Gone are the
old coal yards relocated in 1998. In their
place now stands a bold state of the art
commercial development, "The Quays",
boasting a supermarket, multi-screen cinema
complex and several retail outlets. The
"Quays" and its logo of a sailing
vessel reflect not only Newry's ever-
changing mercantile spirit but also its
proud maritime tradition.
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