School sailing programme wraps up on Lough Derg

The shores of Lough Derg were a hive of activity this past spring as Lough Derg Yacht Club (LDYC) in Dromineer wrapped up another hugely successful run of its school sailing programme.

The well-established initiative saw the club welcome groups of up to 30 children at a time from April right through to June, offering them a chance to swap the classroom for the fresh air of the lough.

The programme, which has become a firm favourite with national and secondary schools both locally and from further afield, gives youngsters a unique opportunity to develop new skills and grow in confidence in a fun and supportive environment.

At the helm was the experienced and enthusiastic Noreen Sheridan, a familiar face in the local community whose passion for sailing is infectious.

“There's nothing quite like seeing a child's confidence grow as they learn to handle a boat for the first time,” said Ms Sheridan. “It's about more than just learning to sail; it's about teamwork, resilience, and appreciating the incredible amenity we have right here on our doorstep. It was another fantastic term, and the children were brilliant.”

She was ably supported by a team of seasoned hands including Liam Maloney, Adam Walsh, Páraic Slattery and Christen O'Malley. They are all highly respected figures in the Lough Derg sailing community, and their wealth of knowledge once again ensured the children were in the safest and most capable of hands.

The club’s fleet of Pico dinghies was used for the school programme. These small, robust boats are the perfect training vessel for young, aspiring sailors, providing a stable and easy-to-handle platform for them to learn the ropes safely.

The club is already looking ahead and planning for its next intake in September. Schools interested in getting on the list or finding out more information are encouraged to get in touch by emailing schoolsailing@ldyc.ie.