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Bedouin's pride of place in Hamlets, Kinsale

July 7th, 2016 7:15 AM

By Southern Star Team

Mary Hegarty, wife of Dick Hegarty, who originally raced the 1930s ‘Bedouin', now restored as a bar feature in Hamlets of Kinsale. (Photo: John Allen)

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Restored to its former glory, the beautiful Dragon sailing boat, ‘Bedouin’, is back home in Kinsale.

By BRIAN MOORE

 

RESTORED to its former glory, the beautiful Dragon sailing boat, ‘Bedouin’, is back home in Kinsale.

Now a very popular 30-seater table at Kinsale restaurant Hamlets, the lovingly restored one-time Olympic class sailing boat was originally owned by local Kinsale solicitor Dick Hegarty, who raced it for many years.

The Dragon-class boats were  very popular with sailors across the globe. Indeed, the Dragon was a favourite with royalty after King Constantine of Greece won gold at the 1960 Olympic games in Rome.

‘The Bedouin was rescued from the Kinsale Boat Yard by local boat enthusiast and restorer Dan O’Hare,’ Blue Haven events manager Naomi Cullen told The Southern Star. The boat is now part of the Blue Haven’s Hamlets’ restaurant interior.

‘After years of neglect, Dan set about resetting the hull and regaining the correct shape and form. Hamlets purchased the Bedouin a few years ago and with help of local talent we restored it to its former glory. It now has pride of place here,’ she added. 

Dick Hegarty who since passed away, was represented at the unveiling by his wife Mary who, in true maritime tradition, ‘launched’  Bedouin on its new career with a bottle of champagne.

‘We were delighted to have Mary here to help us unveil and launch the glass-topped and underlit table which is proving very popular with groups. We are often asked specifically for the boat table when people are booking and we are delighted that such a special boat now has a home here with us,’ Naomi said.

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