A Currach or Curach is a type of boat with a wooden frame, over which is stretched animal skins or hides. It is sometimes anglicised as "Curragh". 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. It is referred to as a naomhóg in counties Cork and Kerry and as a "canoe" in West Clare. It is related to the Welsh coracle, but can in fact cover far larger craft than the Welsh version. The traditional all wooden rowing boat found on the west coast of Connacht is also called a Currach or Currach Adhmaid "wooden Currach" Its style of construction is very similar to the canvas covered Currach. A larger version of this is known as a Bád Iomartha. A boat is a craft or vessel designed to float on, and provide transport over, water. ... Modern leather-working tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Cork Code: C (CK proposed) Area: 7,457 km² Population (2006) 480,909 (including City of Cork); 361,766 (without Cork City) Website: www. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Tralee Code: KY Area: 4,746 km² Population (2006) 139,616 Website: www. ... County Clare (Contae an Chláir in Irish) is in the Irish province of Munster. ... Coracle: Ku-Dru or Kowa of Tibet—Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago A coracle is a primitive type of boat. ...

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). A river is a large natural waterway. ... Gāius JÅ«lius Caesar (IPA: ;[1]), July 12 or July 13, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC) was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Saint Brendan, (484 (?) – 577 (?)) called the Navigator, is one of the early Irish monastic saints whose legends have overshadowed their history. ... The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of the Earths surface. ... World map showing the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere historically considered to consist of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... Tim Severin was born in India in 1940. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Newfoundland —   (stress on final syllable; for mispronunciations, see Newfoundland travel guide from Wikitravel)— (French: , Irish: ) is a large island off the east coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ...

"The curach or boat of leather and wicker may seem to moderns a very unsafe vehicle, to trust to tempestuous seas, yet our forefathers fearlessly committed themselves in these slight vehicles to the mercy of the most violent weather. They were once much in use in the Western Isles of Scotland, and are still found in Wales. The framework [in Gaelic] is called crannghail, a word now used in Uist to signify a frail boat." (Reference: Dwelly’s (Scottish) Gaelic Dictionary: Curach)

Currach is also used in the Gaelic languages to denote a marshy place, such as Currie (a suburb of Edinburgh) and "The Curraghs", an area of the Isle of Man, best known for its wildlife park. The Western Isles are an archipelago in Scotland. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd in... The Uists are the central group of islands in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. ... Currie is a suburb of the Scottish capital Edinburgh. ... Edinburgh (pronounced ; Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic) is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. ...

Irish Currachs

Types of currachs

• The Achill Island Currach
• The Aran Island Currach
• The Belderrig ( Mayo ) Currach
• The Dinfanahy/Sheephaven Currach
• The Innishkea island Currach
• The Kilkee ( West Clare ) Canoe
• The Kerry/Cork Naomhóg
• The Rosses paddling Currach
• The Tory Island Currach
• The Boyne Coracle

Location of Achill Island. ...

Currach Builders

Currently there are few full-time currach builders. Of notable exception are Meitheal Mara, who build currachs and train in currach building in Cork. They also organise currach-racing. As of January 2005 there is a community based initiative ongoing in West Clare called, surprisingly West Clare Currachs. They plan to build and then train racing crews in the summer of 2005. There is also an unknown number of currach-builders in the other counties on the western seaboard who build occasionally.

Scottish currachs

The traditional Scottish currach is nearly extinct, but there are occasional recreations. It is known to have been in use on the River Spey, in the north east, and also in the Hebrides. The River Spey is a river in Scotland that runs 107 miles (172 km) to the Moray Firth at Spey Bay, making it the second longest river in Scotland. ... The Hebrides The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, and in geological terms are composed of the oldest rocks in the British Isles. ...

St Columba

St Columba is said to have used a currach. Saint Columba (7 December 521 - 9 June 597) is sometimes referred to as Columba of Iona, or, in Old Irish, as Saint Colm Cille or Columcille (meaning Dove of the church). He was the outstanding figure among the Gaelic missionary monks who reintroduced Christianity to Scotland during the Dark Ages. ...

"On a day, at the end of two years from his arrival on Iona, Columba goes to the beach, where his craft of wicker and cowhide lies moored, waiting the use of any member of the community of Hy whose occasions may call him away from the island. He is accompanied by two friends and former fellow-students, Comgal and Cainnech, and followed by a little escort of faithful attendants. Taking his seat in his currach, he and his party are rowed across the sound to the mainland." (Wylie)

This would have been ideal for traversing the large number of sounds, lochs, marshs etc that he would have had to cross, although currachs had a reputation for not being seaworthy. At the time, it would have been more suitable and safer to travel by water than land. Iona village viewed from a short distance offshore. ... Iona village viewed from a short distance offshore. ...

Currachs in the River Spey

In the Statistical Account of 1795 we read of 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

"[a] man, sitting in what was called a Currach, made of hide, in the shape, and about the size of a small brewing-kettle, broader above than below, with ribs or hoops of wood in the inside, and a cross-stick for the man to sit on. . . . These currachs were so light, that the men carried them on their backs home from Speymouth."

The Spey currach would thus seem to be similar to the Welsh coracle in design, due to being used on a fast flowing river, rather than the open sea. But twenty years earlier, we read of bigger ones, in Shaw's History of the Province of Moray (1775): A kettle is a kitchenware piece. ... Spey Bay is a small settlement in Moray, Scotland. ... Coracle: Ku-Dru or Kowa of Tibet—Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago A coracle is a primitive type of boat. ... Moray (Moireibh in Gaelic), one of the 32 unitary council regions (or areas) of Scotland, lies in the north-east of the country and borders on the regions of Aberdeenshire and Highland. ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

"Let me add, as now become a Rarity, the Courach. . . . It is in shape oval, near three feet broad, and four long."

A more detailed description can be found in 1780 Scottish court records: 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

"The currach contained only one man in working it, whereas the floats require two men and oars; and the man in the currach paddled with a shovel, one end of the rope being fixed to the raft, and the other tied to the man’s knee in the currach, which he let loose when there was any danger, the currach going before the raft."

Spey currachs were used in the timber trade there, which is thought to be the direct ancestor of that in the north west USA, and west Canada. in 1822, Ainslie's Pilgrimage etc says: 1822 (MDCCCXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

"The river taking a sudden bend, broadened and deepened into a wheel, on the breast of which a salmon cobble, or currach swam.

"Hence curracher, a man who sat in a currach and guided floating timbers down the Spey."

These may well have survived into twentieth century; there is certainly a reference to a "currick" in the Banffshire Journal in 1926. 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

See also

• Coracle
• Birlinn
• St Brendan

Coracle: Ku-Dru or Kowa of Tibet—Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago A coracle is a primitive type of boat. ... Birlinns (occasionally spelt berlins) comprised a class of small galleys with 12 to 18 oars, used especially in the Western Isles of Scotland in the Middle Ages. ... Saint Brendan, (484 (?) – 577 (?)) called the Navigator, is one of the early Irish monastic saints whose legends have overshadowed their history. ...

References

• Ainslie, H. Pilgrimage etc (1822)
• Banffshire Journal (18th May, 1926)
• Dwelly, Edward Faclair Gàidhlig agus Beurla
• Shaw, L History of the Province of Moray (1775)
• Session Papers, Grant v. Duke of Gordon (22 April 1780)
• Statistical Account of Scotland (1795)
• Wylie, Rev. J.A. History of the Scottish Nation, Vol. 2 (1886)

1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Edward Dwelly was a Scottish Gaelic lexicographer. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ...

External links

• An Meitheal Mara - voluntary organisation of currach builders and racers

• Keeping Tradition Afloat: Currach Racing in Philadelphia
• Philadelphia Regatta - Women's Racing
• Philadelphia Regatta - Men's Racing