Wednesday 21 March 2012

Killynether Dinghy

This is the hand-crafted little boat that Bruce created  from hazel coppices at Killynether Wood, a property of the National Trust and a spot I have frequented many times.

Is it a coracle or a curragh? Do tell.

3 comments :

Rex Hunter said...

it's a coracle. A curragh is a much larger seagoing boat

Bruce Crawford said...

To the best of my knowledge, the word "coracle" was never used on this side of the Irish Sea. This type of boat is described as an Irish river curragh or Boyne curragh, the latter name being popular as the Boyne valley was the last place where the boats were used in substantial numbers. Curragh can also be spelled currach.

Conwy said...


The craft is a Boyne Currach and last used in 1949 for salmon netting. The last two decades have seen the currach revived and back on waterways although not for netting.
Conwy Richards
www.coracle-fishing.net