Asgard (yacht)
Encyclopedia
The Asgard is a 51 feet (15.5 m) yacht, formerly owned by the English
-born Irish nationalist, and writer Robert Erskine Childers
(DSC) and his wife Molly Childers
. It was bought for £1,000 in 1904 (£84,000 in 2006) from one of Norway
's most famous boat designers, Colin Archer
. The interior was custom built to the specifications of Childers and his wife.
Molly, an invalid from early age, sometimes took the helm of Asgard, strapped onto the deck with harnesses so she could navigate the rough waters of the Irish Sea. Its most famous trip was the Howth gun-running
in 1914. Childers, his wife and a small crew, made the channel crossing with a hold full of rifles from Germany
into Howth
harbour just north of Dublin, to arm the Irish Volunteers
in response to the arming of the Ulster Volunteers by the Larne gun-running in April. There is a plaque on dock wall in Howth as a memorial to this historic boat journey. Shortly after the Easter Rising
, the Asgard was put into long-term dry-dock in Northern Wales, where it was sold in 1928.
In 1961, the Irish Government procured the ageing vessel and returned it to Howth on 30 July 1961 in a re-enactment of the 1914 landing, using some of the original rifles and surviving members of the Irish Volunteers. It was used for sail training
until 1974, when it was dry-docked and installed inside Kilmainham Gaol
in Dublin where it remained as a museum attraction, until 2001.
As of December 2007, the Asgard Restoration Project was under way in Collins Barracks
, Dublin. The focus of the restoration was on preserving the original wooden hull and its metal supports, before replacing pieces with new material. Once completed, the Asgard will be fully rigged for the first time in over forty years. The National Museum of Ireland
in Dublin is creating a permanent "boathouse" for the yacht.
The Asgard is often confused with the "Dulcibella"; the boat in Robert Erskine Childers's classic novel The Riddle of the Sands
. The "Dulcibella" was a totally different vessel.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born Irish nationalist, and writer Robert Erskine Childers
Robert Erskine Childers
Robert Erskine Childers DSC , universally known as Erskine Childers, was the author of the influential novel Riddle of the Sands and an Irish nationalist who smuggled guns to Ireland in his sailing yacht Asgard. He was executed by the authorities of the nascent Irish Free State during the Irish...
(DSC) and his wife Molly Childers
Molly Childers
Mary Alden Osgood Childers MBE was an American-born Irish writer and Irish nationalist. She was the daughter of Dr. Hamilton Osgood and Margaret Cushing Osgood of Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts. Her older sister was Gretchen Osgood Warren and she was married to the writer and Irish...
. It was bought for £1,000 in 1904 (£84,000 in 2006) from one of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's most famous boat designers, Colin Archer
Colin Archer
Colin Archer was a Norwegian naval architect and shipbuilder from Larvik, Norway. His parents emigrated from Scotland to Norway in 1825....
. The interior was custom built to the specifications of Childers and his wife.
Molly, an invalid from early age, sometimes took the helm of Asgard, strapped onto the deck with harnesses so she could navigate the rough waters of the Irish Sea. Its most famous trip was the Howth gun-running
Howth gun-running
The Howth gun running took place in Ireland on 26 July 1914. It was a key step in providing arms to the Irish Volunteers, and played a role in the run-up to the Easter Rising of 1916.- The gun-running plan :...
in 1914. Childers, his wife and a small crew, made the channel crossing with a hold full of rifles from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
into Howth
Howth
Howth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only...
harbour just north of Dublin, to arm the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
in response to the arming of the Ulster Volunteers by the Larne gun-running in April. There is a plaque on dock wall in Howth as a memorial to this historic boat journey. Shortly after the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
, the Asgard was put into long-term dry-dock in Northern Wales, where it was sold in 1928.
In 1961, the Irish Government procured the ageing vessel and returned it to Howth on 30 July 1961 in a re-enactment of the 1914 landing, using some of the original rifles and surviving members of the Irish Volunteers. It was used for sail training
Sail training
From its modern interpretations to its antecedents when maritime nations would send young naval officer candidates to sea , sail training provides an unconventional and effective way of building many useful skills on and off the water....
until 1974, when it was dry-docked and installed inside Kilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison, located in Kilmainham in Dublin, which is now a museum. It has been run since the mid-1980s by the Office of Public Works , an Irish Government agency...
in Dublin where it remained as a museum attraction, until 2001.
As of December 2007, the Asgard Restoration Project was under way in Collins Barracks
Collins Barracks (Dublin)
Collins Barracks is a former military barracks in the Arbour Hill area of Dublin, Ireland. The buildings are now the National Museum of Ireland, Decorative Arts and History...
, Dublin. The focus of the restoration was on preserving the original wooden hull and its metal supports, before replacing pieces with new material. Once completed, the Asgard will be fully rigged for the first time in over forty years. The National Museum of Ireland
National Museum of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland is the national museum in Ireland. It has three branches in Dublin and one in County Mayo, with a strong emphasis on Irish art, culture and natural history.-Archaeology:...
in Dublin is creating a permanent "boathouse" for the yacht.
The Asgard is often confused with the "Dulcibella"; the boat in Robert Erskine Childers's classic novel The Riddle of the Sands
The Riddle of the Sands
The Riddle of the Sands: A Record of Secret Service is a 1903 novel by Erskine Childers. It is an early example of the espionage novel, with a strong underlying theme of militarism...
. The "Dulcibella" was a totally different vessel.