Historic ketch to mark its centenary voyage in West Cork this weekend

One hundred years on from its maiden voyage, the ‘AK ILEN’, Ireland’s last ocean-going ketch sailing boat, will be berthed on the North Pier in Baltimore this weekend.

The event is part of National Heritage Week 2026 and will see free tours by the custodians, Kinsale-based Sailing Into Wellness, on Saturday, August 22, from 10.30am to 3.30pm.

The ship was co-designed by Conor O’Brienand master shipwright Tom Moynihan from Baltimore.

Built in the Fisheries School, it sailed its maiden voyage from Baltimore in August 1926. Now, 100 years later, Ilen will return to the shores of the river Ilen to commemorate the significant occasion of the centenary.

Weather permitting, ‘Ilen’ will sail with her sister vessel ‘Saoirse’, and a flotilla of other traditional wooden boats, from Baltimore to Cape Clear on Sunday, August 23, at 12pm.

James Lyons of Sailing Into Wellness, said: “Ilen is far more than a 100-year-old Irish ketch. She remains a vital link between the maritime knowledge and heritage she represents.”