Foyle flotilla

Today’s adventure: Julie’s son Ronnie took me, his aunt Moira, his grandmother, and his grandmother’s sister up Lough Foyle from Derry to the mouth of the Foyle, where it opens into the North Channel leading to the Atlantic ocean.

Here are the clipper ships in an S formation going under the new bridge.

And here’s the Derry clipper.

Some of the boats in the flotilla.

The view from the hatch--a hole in the cabin you can stick your head out of.

As we neared Greencastle, the crew begin working on the sails. The reason Derry sponsors a boat is to encourage foreign investment and trade. What do you think the answer is when the prospective clients ask: Why is your city called Derry-Londonderry-Doire? If they answer honestly (we are trying to appease Catholics, Protestants, and those who promote the Irish language)--well, it isn’t exactly a great calling card.

Ronnie commented to me that Lough Foyle is the only place where north is south and south is north. Meaning that County Derry (in Northern Ireland) is on the south shore and County Donegal (in the republic) is on the north shore. I said Irish people have a great sense of humour. He said: But not a great sense of direction.
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