Kilkee Currach Regatta
Starting midday on Saturday Aug 22nd. Conversations on the slipway with Dr Críostóir Mac Carthaigh and club members.
An informal chat and discussion on fishing currachs of West Clare and ongoing efforts of West Clare Currach Club to ensure tradition of local working currachs is kept alive. Including Kilkee Fishing Banks, Restoration of Hartes Canoe and recent trip of 6 Clare currachs to Pasaia International Maritime Festival in Spain.
Then an opportunity to get in a currach and have a row with experienced club members. The currach regatta will involve several races starting and finishing at the pier. Competitive teams will compete.
Schedule for the day:
12pm Conversation on the slipway - Fishing Currach traditions in West Clare
12:30 - 2pm Try "pull" a canoe in Kilkee Bay - opportunity to get out and row a currach
2pm - 6pm Currach Regatta with several races with teams from Galway,Clare, Kerry, Cork.
All weather dependant
Kilkee Regatta is one of the highlight of West Clare Currach Club regattas during the summer months along our coast.
For close on 200yrs 20+ currachs fished out of Kilkee in winter and summer sustaining families during hard times; on an often unforgiving coastline. Fish were salted, barrelled and mostly exported by train and boat to UK and USA.
The West Clare Currach Club is active in ensuring that our local fishing currachs are being used and maintained. With branches in Kilkee, Doonbeg, Kilrush, Querrin, Carrigaholt and Kildysert. Continually maintaining and renovating club boats as well as exploring coastal rowing on Loop Head.
In 2026, we built 2 four hand currachs in Kilrush under the guidance of James Madigan. These were typical of pilot currachs used on Scattery island. Kilkee branch is also refurbishing the Harte canoe which will be launched in the autumn. In May we brought 8 currachs to Pasaia International Maritime Festival in Spain. Next year we will go to Brittany to participare in the Semaine du Golfe festival. We plan to run a currach regatta there with our Breton connections in Plouzane and Plouhinec.
Our work boats and traditions are an intergral part of our lives for the coastal communities along the Clare coast. While the boats may not be used for fishing, as in the past, they now have a new lease of life and are still central to our community living along the Clare coast.