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I was lucky to be born into a loving home on the banks of the River Shannon in Limerick City. From a young age, my father (also Pat) would bring myself and my siblings on the water rowing, sailing and fishing. At first it was in a traditional West Kerry boat called a Currach (tarred canvas over timber frames). Then on a 22' plywood sailboat he built himself in the garage beside our house. At the age of twelve I made my first boat, a 14' punt for above the tidal waters. Next I built a 23' angling cot. The River Shannon was a mighty play-ground for a young boy to have behind his house. At the age of fourteen the Asgard, a 51-foot sail-training gaff-rigged yacht, sailed into Limerick. My Father was asked to help pilot her down the Shannon. He brought me with him. A memory I will never forget, the power she had as she tacked down the Shannon on a out-going tide. Two years later after leaving school, before starting an apprenticeship as a cabinet-maker, myself and my brother Jim sailed from Waterford to France and back on her. The river had moved into the back-seat after my first proper sea passage, another memory I will never forget. During my younger years I followed the OSTAR, Golden Globe Race and other sea going adventures while my father regaled us with stories of many great Irish explorers and adventurers including 'Brendan the Navigator', the first person to cross from Europe to America. (Christopher Columbus actually sent for his log before sailing to America nearly 1000 years later.) I also learned of Tom Crean, the Arctic Explorer. My father also took us to visit the grave of Edward Conor Marshall O'Brien. Born in Limerick on 3 November 1880, O'Brien's boat 'Saoirse' was the first small boat (42-foot) to sail around the world, rounding all capes. A journey that he documented in his book 'Across Three Oceans'. O’Briens voyage began and ended at the Port of Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland, where he lived. In 1976 I raced from Plymouth to Tenerife. 1988 I completed the round Ireland race, and also the dinghy and cruser racing. I had a few sailing boats. A 23' timber yacht named "OUTLAW", an Elizabethan 29 and a yachting monthly half tonner I made in Ferrocement. I enjoyed them all. In 1990 I moved to Ballyferriter in Co. Kerry to go to sea as a fisherman. A fantastic job, one of the last of the hunter gatherers. Over the winters I saw the power of the North Atlantic. In 1992 I went to Iceland and purchased a 126' fishing boat, named 'Bylgja', passing through the Arctic Circle whilst rounding Iceland's North Westerly Cape Horn on our way home. Another good memory as the Northern lights gave us a show that night. Thirty years later I still live in Ballyferriter with my wife Rita and two of my four children, Catherine & Deirdre. Tony & Helen are settled close to us, I am luck to have a healthy caring and supportive family. About My Father In 1986 at the age of 60, my father sailed solo across the Atlantic to Newport, Rhode Island in a twenty eight foot yacht 'Iniscealtra'. The following year, in 1987, at the age of 61 he sailed from Newport back to Limerick. Two years later, 1989, at the age of 62, on his first attempt to sail around the world, he was rescued 1,200 miles west of Capetown by a Norwegian freight ship, having suffered storm damage, and suffered the loss of his Iniscealtra. The following year, 1990, at the age of 63, in a thirty two foot yacht 'Loon' he set off on a second attempt, which was abandoned in Brazil after storm damage. Pat had the boat shipped back to Ireland the following year and attempted to sail around the world for a third time at the age of 67 in 1993. Three years and three days later at the age of seventy, on the 23rd July of 1996, Pat successfully sailed back to Limerick, the first Irishman to complete a solo circumnavigation of the globe having lived and fulfilled his life-long dream. After he returned, we sailed together around the SW of Ireland and this was one of the few times he would open up about the hard side of being alone at sea for long periods. My father had (and still has) a huge influence on me. You can view my father's site here
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Bhí an t-ádh orm gur rugadh mé i dteach grámhar ar bhruach na Abhainn na Sionainne i gCathair Luimnigh. Ó aois óg, thabharfadh m’athair (Pat freisin) mé féin agus mo dheartháireacha ar an uisce ag rámhaíocht, ag seoltóireacht agus ag iascaireacht. Ar dtús bhí sé i mbád traidisiúnta in Iarthar Chiarraí ar a dtugtar Currach (canbhás tarra thar fhrámaí adhmaid). Ansin ar bhád seoil sraithadhmaid 22 ’thóg sé é féin sa gharáiste in aice lenár dteach. Ag dhá bhliain déag d’aois rinne mé mo chéad bhád, punt 14 ’os cionn na n-uiscí taoide. Ansin thóg mé cóta slatiascaireachta 23 '. Bhí Abhainn na Sionainne ina pháirc imeartha láidir do bhuachaill óg a bheith taobh thiar dá theach. Ag ceithre bliana déag d’aois bhí an Asgard , gaff-rigged oiliúna seolta 51 troigh luamh, sheol sé isteach i Luimneach. Iarradh ar m’Athair cuidiú léi a phíolótú síos an tSionainn. Thug sé liom é. Cuimhne nach ndéanfaidh mé dearmad go deo air, an chumhacht a bhí aici agus í ag dul síos an tSionainn ar thaoide ag dul as oifig. Dhá bhliain ina dhiaidh sin tar éis dom an scoil a fhágáil, sular thosaigh mé ar phrintíseacht mar dhéantóir comh-aireachta, mé féin agus mo dheartháir Jim sheol sí ó Phort Láirge go dtí an Fhrainc agus ar ais uirthi. Bhí an abhainn tar éis bogadh isteach sa chúl-suíochán tar éis mo chéad phasáiste farraige ceart, cuimhne eile nach ndéanfaidh mé dearmad air go deo. Le linn mo bhlianta níos óige lean mé an OSTAR, Rás an Golden Globe agus eachtraí farraige eile agus thug m’athair scéalta dúinn faoi go leor taiscéalaithe agus eachtránaithe iontacha Éireannacha lena n-áirítear 'Brendan the Navigator' , an chéad duine a thrasnaigh ón Eoraip go Meiriceá. (Sheol Christopher Columbus a logáil isteach sular sheol sé go Meiriceá beagnach 1000 bliain ina dhiaidh sin.) D’fhoghlaim mé freisin faoi Tom Crean , an Artach Explorer. Thug m’athair cuairt orainn freisin ar uaigh Edward Conor Marshall O ‘Brien. Rugadh i Luimneach an 3 Samhain 1880, ba é bád O’Brien‘ Saoirse ’an chéad bhád beag (42-chos) a sheol ar fud an domhain, ag slánú gach capes. Turas a dhoiciméadú sé ina leabhar 'Trasna Trí Aigéan' . Thosaigh agus chríochnaigh turas O’Briens ag an Port Foynes, Contae Luimnigh, Éire, áit a raibh cónaí air. I 1976 rinne mé rásaíocht ó Plymouth go Tenerife. 1988 Chríochnaigh mé rás babhta na hÉireann, agus rásaíocht dingí agus crúba freisin. Bhí cúpla bád seoltóireachta agam. Luamh adhmaid 23 'darb ainm " OUTLAW ", Eilís Eilís agus leath tonnadóir míosúil luamh a rinne mé i Ferrocement. Bhain mé taitneamh astu go léir. I 1990 bhog mé go Baile an Fheirtéaraigh i gContae Chiarraí chun dul chun farraige mar iascaire. Post iontach, ceann de na bailitheoirí sealgaireachta deireanacha. Thar na geimhreadh chonaic mé cumhacht an Atlantaigh Thuaidh. I 1992 chuaigh mé go dtí an Íoslainn agus cheannaigh mé bád iascaireachta 126 ', darb ainm' Bylgja ', ag dul tríd an gCiorcal Artach agus mé ag timpeallú Rinn Horn Thiar Thuaidh na hÍoslainne ar ár mbealach abhaile. Cuimhne mhaith eile mar a thug soilse an Tuaiscirt seó dúinn an oíche sin. Tríocha bliain ina dhiaidh sin táim i mo chónaí i mBaile an Fheirtéaraigh le mo bhean chéile Rita agus beirt de mo cheathrar leanaí, Catherine & Deirdre. Tony & Tá Helen socraithe gar dúinn, tá an t-ádh orm teaghlach sláintiúil comhbhách agus tacúil a bheith agam. Maidir le m'Athair I 1986 ag aois 60, sheol m’athair aonair thar an Atlantach go Baile Uí Fhiacháin, Rhode Island i luamh ocht gcos is fiche ‘ Iniscealtra ’. An bhliain dar gcionn, i 1987, ag aois 61 sheol sé ó Bhaile Uí Fhiacháin ar ais go Luimneach. Dhá bhliain ina dhiaidh sin, 1989, ag 62 bliana d’aois, ar a chéad iarracht seol ar fud an domhain, rinne long lasta ón Iorua é a tharrtháil 1,200 míle siar ó Capetown, tar éis dó damáiste stoirme a fhulaingt, agus chaill sé a Iniscealtra. An bhliain dar gcionn, 1990, ag 63 bliana d’aois, i luamh tríocha a dó troigh ‘ Loon ’ chuaigh sé ar an dara iarracht, a tréigeadh sa Bhrasaíl tar éis damáiste stoirme. Seoladh Pat an bád ar ais go hÉirinn an bhliain dar gcionn agus rinne sé iarracht seol ar fud an domhain den tríú huair ag 67 bliana d’aois i 1993. Trí bliana agus trí lá ina dhiaidh sin ag seachtó bliain d’aois, an 23 Iúil 1996, Pat d’éirigh leis filleadh ar ais go Luimneach, an chéad Éireannach a chuir timpeall ar an saol aonair tar éis dó a aisling ar feadh an tsaoil a chónaí agus a chomhlíonadh. Tar éis dó filleadh, sheolamar le chéile timpeall ar Iardheisceart na hÉireann agus ba é seo ceann den bheagán uaireanta a d’osclódh sé faoin taobh crua de bheith ina aonar ar an bhfarraige ar feadh tréimhsí fada. Bhí (agus tá fós) tionchar mór ag m’athair orm. Is féidir leat féachaint ar shuíomh m’athar anseo