On Saturday June 20th, under a bright and blue Kinsale sky, the harbour felt a little wider. Sailability Kinsale had just launched two new RIBs and a fleet of kayaks from the slipway at Kinsale Yacht Club.

For Kinsale Yacht Club Commodore Anthony O’Neill, it was a morning to hold on to.

“Some mornings on the water stay with you. This was one of them,” he said.

The goal of Sailability Kinsale is a simple one: to get more people afloat, whatever their ability. Time on the water is good for body and mind. It lifts the spirits and brings people together, something the group puts within reach of those who might otherwise never get the chance.

The launch drew a strong turnout to the club. Some very special guests included Senator Noel O’Donovan and Councillor Marie O’Sullivan, who deputised for the Mayor of the County of Cork Council. Cork Sports Partnership CEO Kristine Meenaghan also attended, as did Frank O’Brien and Trish MacLernan of the Kinsale Regatta Committee. Club members, volunteers and families filled the slip alongside them.

Months of fundraising and the steady generosity of supporters made the new fleet possible. Sailability at Kinsale Yacht Club is deeply grateful to every one of them: Cork Sports Partnership, the Kinsale Regatta Committee, The Ireland Funds, Provest, Irish Sailing, GF Marine, Kinsale Yacht Club and the donors who chose to stay anonymous.

At the heart of it all are the volunteers. Bernadette Walsh, Donal Hickey  and their team turn up week after week, joined by the families and members who give their time. Watching them ready the new kayaks and run the RIBs out for the first time, you could see exactly what all that work had been for.

Senator O’Donovan praised the initiative afterwards. “I spent a really enjoyable morning with Cllr. Marie O’Sullivan and Kinsale Sailability. A brilliant reminder of how sport, community, and inclusion can come together to create something special. Special thanks to Donal, Bernadette and the team of volunteers for the incredible gift that you give to so many. Thanks also to Kinsale Yacht Club, Cork Sports Partnership and Cork County Council for their support of this initiative. The smiles on everyone’s faces is a memory I won’t forget.”