Before and after shots of the 62-year-old club, which has been rebuilt with enhanced facilities
Baltimore
Sailing Club members have celebrated the launch of their newly refurbished
clubhouse.
Designed
by architect John McCarthy and built by local builder, Michael Joe Leonard, the
new clubhouse’s enhanced include a new shower block and spaces for events,
training, seminars and storage and improved dingy parking.
Re-built
at a cost of €400,000, the club
was supported by Cork County Council and West Cork Development Partnership,
with match funding provided by the club and donations.
Founded
in 1952, Baltimore Sailing Club has more than 600 members, including several
overseas members.
Simon
Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food, the Marine & Defence attended
the official opening on 20 July, along with hundreds of local and national
sailors, visitors and the local community.
Minister Coveney
said: ‘Baltimore is a very special place in West Cork, and the vibrancy
is palpable from the moment one arrives here.
‘There is an obvious high
level of co-operation between the various groups in the village and its
hinterland, culminating in the re-building of this impressive structure,
offering outstanding facilities for locals and visitors.
‘The Government and its
agencies including West Cork Development Partnership, and Cork County Council,
are delighted to lend support to the project, in the knowledge that it is
significantly improving marine infrastructure in Baltimore.
‘The Government has
also supported the building of the new pier and service buildings in Baltimore,
and I feel sure that, in the future, this harbour will see many new
developments for the better in this wonderful part of west Cork.’
Forthcoming events
The inaugural Women on the Water (WOW) event on 12 August 12
in aid of Breakthrough Cancer Research (part of Cork Cancer Research Centre)
will see craft of all shapes and sizes on the water, with onshore fun for all
the family.
The club will also
participate in Bart’s Bash, one of the first clubs in Ireland to register for
this massive world-wide charity event.
The clubhouse will also be used by local organisations such as the
Baltimore Bridge Club, RNLI, local festival groups and defibrillator personnel,
truly embracing all strands of society in the area.
Pictures: The official opening of Baltimore Sailing Club’s newly-refurbished clubhouse. Credit Aeden Coffey.
The last two photos show the club before the rebuild.