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Saturday 24/04/10 Garrykennedy - Kilgarvan

Length of boat trip: 2 hours 52 minutes

Motto of the day: Open day of the Lough Derg branch of the IWAI

The morning sun is playing with the clouds but they will win today. After six dry days we will get some light showers in the evening. Spring has arrived; we hear a cuckoo in the distance.

A great crested grebe is diving between the boats. We head for Kilgarvan.

There we moor, sheltered behind the shed to 'El-Roi' of Clare and Andy. We are mooring here as guests of the 'Kilgarvan Angling Club'. Boat after boat arrives to the 'Open Day' of the IWAI Lough Derg branch with 16 boats or more. We watch the boat handling course and Willi helps with the ropes and moving the sailing boats.

The limestone Kilgarvan Quay was a collection point for shipping to the malting houses in Banagher. The remnants of a cast-iron crane are still visible on its west side and are useful today for fixing a rope or a dog lead. Some take part in a spontaneous competition in rope throwing.

Before the BBQ we pay tribute to Chris Boyle, one of the branch's founders, and although I hadn't known him I'm deeply moved by the speeches of Joe Tracey and Ged Molloy, Chairman of the Kilgarvan Angling Club; Chris Boyle was also member of this. Then flowers are strewn off 'Christina', Chris Boyle's boat. Jennifer, who is learning German at school for six years, helps us with some explanations.

Then the BBQ starts and Andy is doing a great job. The music of Jo, Jennifer, PJ, Les, Rory, with support by Robert and some more great singers let us stay well past midnight.

Dogs, kids and younger and grey-haired grown-ups had a lot of fun today!

Sunday 25/04/10 Kilgarvan - Terryglass

Length of boat trip: a bit more than 1 hour

Motto of the day: Lazing about and talking

In the morning it's pouring down but around midday it becomes dry. We laze away the day and talk with several boaters about this and that.

In the afternoon boat after boat is leaving and we also leave late to Terryglass.

Here we moor in front of a burned daycruiser. A bad accident has happened today. A young woman, who has witnessed the incident, tells us what has happened. A family, two adults and two children, were out on it in the afternoon near Portumna Castle Harbour when a fire broke out in the forward cabin. One of the children has played with flares. The family has to jump overboard and they were not wearing lifejackets. Young people playing frisbee at Terryglass became aware of the smoke and her sister headed on a jetski to the boat. The mother holding the youngest child and the other were rescued. Also a lakeboat was involved in the rescue. The family is well, only the older child has some burn injuries on his arm. But the experience is a nightmare. The family has just bought the boat and it was their first day out. The boat looks horrible, black inside, a window is smashed to smithereens and the canopy has melted holes in it.

A lot of people are at the slipway where a trailer has to be pulled with help of a tractor. There seems to be something like a gap or step, where he got stuck. The evening is dry with some sunny spells.