The Kathleen and May in Youghal

The 108 year old wooden schooner, The Kathleen and May, paid a brief visit to Youghal.

Once owned by the Fleming family of Youghal who gave her the name Kathleen & May. This last remaining wooden hull topsail schooner is once more plying her trade as a merchantman. On return from the maritime festival in Brest in France, she collected a consignment of 30.000 bottles of wine for shipment to Dublin. The five-day journey heralds a milestone in the history of this vessel; the last time she carried a cargo was nearly 50 years ago. Is this a return to wind power as an alternative to oil? Many environmentalists believe so.