Sea voyage for Ballymun teen

SOCIAL support agency Crosscare teamed up with Sail Training Ireland earlier this month to help launch a cross channel sailing initiative that took youths from disadvantaged Northside areas across the Irish Sea.

As part of the joint sailing venture known as the ‘three cities initiative’, dozens of young people aged 18-25 departed from Belfast City harbour before embarking on a seven day round trip that included stops in Scotland, the Isle of Man, Liverpool and Dublin. 

Ballymun native Noel Proudfoot was one of the lucky candidates selected to take part in the challenge and after his first week at sea, the 18-year-old said it was a ‘life-changing experience’ for him.

“I’ve never been out at sea or anything like that, never mind a tall ship, so that was a like a change but it was just unreal,” Proudfoot told Northside People.

“It was ten times better than I expected and the views were unreal. We had seven days of lovely weather and it was great the way the whole thing came about.

“When we got there we had no idea what we were doing and then when you were actually out at sea, it was actually you who was making the boat move, it was mad.

“It was much better than waking up and looking at other houses in a housing estate and you’re just waking up and you’re looking out at the ocean. I’d advise anyone to do it.”

Although the event was largely supported and funded by city councils in Dublin, Belfast and Liverpool, Sail Training Ireland also played a significant role in the practical side of the expedition.

Organisation manager Michael Byrne said that the charity has been up and running since 2011 and that changing the mind-set of young people is a big goal for the organisation.

“I suppose the most important thing with us is this isn’t really about learning to sail necessarily, it’s more about learning to work together,” Byrne told Northside People.

“It can change people’s perspective.

“Some people come down and they’re really unsure and they haven’t had too many opportunities in life, and you can make a very small spark of a change in their mind-set and in the way they look at the world, and how they interact with the world.

“They can look back on it 20 years later and say ‘wow that was probably a fork in the road for me.”

Sail Training Ireland run dozens of voyages every year for teenagers and adolescents 15 years or older.

To get in contact visit www.sailtrainingireland.com or call 01-8559597.

REPORT: Jack O’Toole