73-628: Lough Ree Yacht Club is a sailing club based in Ballglass, Coosan, near Athlone , Ireland . Founded in 1770, albeit under the name Athlone Yacht Club, it claims to be one of the oldest yacht clubs in the world, although another Irish yacht club, The Royal Cork Yacht Club (formerly The Cork Water Club) has proven to be the world's first and oldest yacht club. In any event it is probably the oldest club based on an inland lake. The tradition of organised pleasure boating in Athlone goes back to at least 1731, with
146-588: A battle for the High Kingship – only to have Máel Sechnaill, abandoned by his kinsmen of the Northern Uí Néill , submit to Brian without a fight. A bridge was built across the river in the 12th century, approximately 100 metres (330 ft) south of the current structure. In 1129, to protect the bridge, the High King Turloch Mór Ó Conor constructed a fort on the river's west bank, within Athlone. On
219-438: A coeducational school; Our Lady's Bower School, a girls' school; Marist College , a boys' school; Coláiste Chiaráin, the new secondary school resulting from the amalgamation of St. Aloysius' College and St Joseph's College, Summerhill. In June 2010, Taoiseach Brian Cowen announced his support of a proposed European and Chinese training hub in Athlone. In May 2012, the project was granted permission by An Bord Pleanála . It
292-505: A fine brogue in Athlone, almost as fine as in Belfast". "It's a fine brogue, but it's not brogue. It's the English language as it was spoken before all the other countries of the world forgot how to speak it. There are two things a singer can't buy, beg or steal, and that no teacher, coach or conductor can give him. One is his voice, the other is the language that was born in his mouth. When McCormack
365-576: A life-sized male figure, dressed in a typical IRA uniform from the period, and was created by Dublin-based sculptor Desmond Broe . Also on Custume Place is a sculpture, the "Mask of the Shannon", which was erected in 2020 - despite some controversy about the choice of figure used to personify the River Shannon . A figurative statue , representing the "contributions the Marist Brothers have made to
438-604: A member of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club and the Clearwater Optimist Club at the request of the Clearwater Florida Optimist service club following a proposal by Major Clifford McKay to offer low-cost sailing for young people. The Optimist Club ran a soap box derby , but wanted more than a single-day event. Thus they were looking for a low-cost equivalent for sailing. The ultimate design was
511-470: A national sail number using the Olympic abbreviation of their country and a sequential numbers. e.g. RSA for South Africa. The Optimist has a pram hull, originally formed primarily from five pieces of plywood. It was the biggest hull Clark Mills could make from two 4 ft by 8 ft sheets. Just in front of a bulkhead , which partitions the boat nearly in half, is the daggerboard case. Right behind it on
584-517: A number of hotels, including chains such the Radisson Blu and Sheraton hotels, as well as several locally-owned ones. The promenade on the River Shannon is popular among anglers , birdwatchers and swimmers . The lakeshore is accessed from Coosan Point and Hodson Bay. Athlone Castle is open to the public as a museum and there is a tourist office on Church Street. Sean's Bar , located on
657-460: A number of occasions both the fort and bridge were subject to attacks, and towards the end of the 12th century the Anglo-Normans constructed a motte-and-bailey fortification there. This earthen fort was followed by a stone structure built in 1210 by Justiciar John de Gray . The 12-sided donjon , or tower, dates from this time; however, the rest of the original castle was largely destroyed during
730-481: A pharmaceutical company that succeeded Elan in Athlone; Bioclin Laboratories, another pharmaceutical company; Ericsson , a telecommunications business; Tyco Healthcare , a medical equipment supplier; Utah Medical, another medical equipment supplier; Pharmaplaz, another pharmaceutical company; Alienware , a computer hardware business; ICT Eurotel, a contact centre; and Athlone Extrusions, a polymer supplier. Athlone
803-457: A regatta on the River Shannon amongst the 'diversions' promised for a festival week in the town. Athlone is founded on the River Shannon, just south of Lough Ree , the second largest of Ireland's big lakes. Early activities included an annual regatta which was located around the hill in Hillquarter townland. This hill gave the organising committee a viewing position from which they could review
SECTION 10
#1732852215573876-569: A right to elect two MPs to the Irish House of Commons until 1801. After the Acts of Union 1800 , it was represented in the United Kingdom House of Commons by one MP. A commissioners' report dated 1833 stated: "To the prosperity of Athlone the corporation have at no time contributed, nor is it likely that, as at present constituted, they ever will. The strongest feeling of hostility exists between
949-505: A simple pram that could be built from two 4' x 8' sheets of plywood, that was donated to the Optimists. The design was slightly modified and introduced to Europe by Axel Damgaard, and spread outwards across Europe from Scandinavia. The design was standardized in 1960 and became a strict one-design in 1995. The forerunner of the Optimist was the 8' Sabot (dinghy) . The single sail of
1022-563: Is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath , Ireland . It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree . It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of 22,869 in the 2022 census . Most of the town lies on the east bank of the river, within the townland of the same name ; however, by the terms of the Local Government Act of 1898 , six townlands on
1095-643: Is also home to a number of privately operated services, including the Flagline bus company, which operates local bus routes as well as service to Tullamore . Bus Éireann continues to operate a local Athlone bus service in and around the town. The local services are as follows: Route A1: Bus Station, Willow Park (Norwood Court) via Golden Island Shopping Centre, Dublin Road and Athlone Institute of Technology; and Route A2: Monksland (River Village); Garrycastle (Moydrum Road) via Galway Road, St. Peter's Avenue, Saint Anne's Terrace,
1168-442: Is an annual event which began in 1999, originally as a weekend celebration of the life and works of John Broderick , but which now features a great variety of speakers and debaters. The tenor John McCormack was born in Athlone and, for many years, an annual festival was held in the town to celebrate his life. Athlone School of Music opened in 2005 and is a grant-aided project aimed at developing music education and services in
1241-461: Is closely, but not exclusively, associated with the Shannon-One-Design (SOD), a single-sail class of open clinker built boat designed for a crew of two. Subsequently, it was considered desirable to bring a third person along, and this has now become the class rule. The SOD was modelled on a traditional 18'-0" lake boat. The SOD was designed by Morgan Giles of Teignmouth . It was introduced to
1314-512: Is not typical of most dinghies is made possible by different cuts of sail. Due to its inherent stability, unstayed rig, robust construction and relatively small sail, the Optimist can be sailed in winds of up to 30 knots. Optimists are manufactured to the same specification by over 20 builders on four continents. There is strong evidence that hulls from different builders are the same speed. Sails and spars of differing qualities enable sailors to upgrade their equipment as they progress. The Optimist
1387-420: Is one of the two most popular sailing dinghies in the world, with over 150,000 boats officially registered with the class and many more built but never registered. It is sailed in over 120 countries and it is one of only two sailboats as an International Class by World Sailing exclusively for sailors under 16. The Optimist was designed in 1947 either by American Clark Mills or a Canadian sailor Gordon Reid
1460-581: Is part of the municipal district of Athlone— Moate . Theatres in Athlone include the Dean Crowe Theatre & Arts Centre and the Little Theatre . RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival takes place annually in Athlone, bringing together nine amateur drama groups from across Ireland. The festival is supported by a number of "fringe" events that include street theatre , art exhibitions , workshops and activities for young people. Athlone Literary Festival
1533-463: Is the regional centre for a large number of state-run and semi-state-run organisations. The Department of Education , State Examinations Commission , Revenue Commissioners , FÁS Midlands Region, Bus Éireann , Iarnród Éireann , IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland all have bases in the town. Athlone is also a major Irish military centre, as the Custume Barracks , which lie on the west bank of
SECTION 20
#17328522155731606-660: Is the slowest dinghy in the world according to the RYA Portsmouth Yardstick scheme, with a Portsmouth number of 1646. Its equivalent rating in the US scheme is a D-PN of 123.6. The Optimist is the biggest youth racing class in the world. As well as the annual world championship the class also has six continental championships, attended by a total of over 850 sailors a year. Many of the top world Optimist sailors have become world-class Laser Radial or 4.7 sailors after they "age-out" but many also excel in double-handers such as
1679-511: The 420 and 29er . At the 2020 Olympics at least 75% of the boat skipper medalists were former Optimist world or continental championship sailors. The first World Championship was held in Great Britain in 1962 and it has grown to over 60 countries participating. The changing pattern of the strongest countries can be seen from the results of the Nations Cup. For the first 20 years, the class
1752-556: The Acts of Union 1800 , Athlone continued as a constituency , sending one MP to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. In the 1970s the Republican Éire Nua programme proposed making Athlone the capital of a federal United Ireland . With the two counties divided by the river, the part of the town that lies east of the Shannon is in the province of Leinster ,
1825-664: The Jacobite strongholds that defended the river-crossings into the Jacobite-held Province of Connacht following the Battle of the Boyne on 1 July 1690. That same year, Colonel Richard Grace 's Jacobite forces in Athlone repelled an attack by 10,000 men led by Commander Douglas. In the following year's campaign, the Siege of Athlone saw a further assault by a larger allied force, during which
1898-612: The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 , the town became an urban district and the board of commissioners was upgraded to an urban district council. The portion of the urban sanitary district which had been in County Roscommon was transferred to County Westmeath. In 2002, the urban district council became a town council. In 2003, the area of jurisdiction of the town was enlarged. In 2014, in common with all town councils in Ireland, it
1971-720: The Rio de Janeiro State University , one of the largest universities in the Brazilian city. AIT also has agreements with the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais , one of the largest Brazilian private universities. The institute also founded agreements with two leading Beijing universities, the Capital University of Economics and Business and the Beijing Union University . The agreements were signed by
2044-570: The St. Peter and St. Pauls , a Franciscan friary and a chapel of the Society of Saint Pius X . However, seven townlands , or sections of the town, lie west of the Shannon: Athlone and Big Meadow, Bellaugh, Bogganfin, Canal and Banks, Doovoge, part of Monksland, and Ranelagh. Although surrounded by County Roscommon in the province of Connacht , they are designated as part of County Westmeath to preserve
2117-684: The Westport / Ballina lines as well as to Athenry , Oranmore and Galway . Connections from Athlone via a train transfer at Athenry railway station extend to Ennis and Limerick , while a transfer at Portarlington connects Limerick Junction and Limerick . There are trains from Portarlington to Mallow , and from Mallow to Cork , Killarney , Farranfore and Tralee . Travel between Athlone and Killdare enables connections to Carlow , Kilkenny and Waterford . For many years state-owned bus operator Bus Éireann provided hourly services to Dublin and Galway from its bus station in Athlone located beside
2190-463: The 1691 Siege of Athlone and subsequently rebuilt and enlarged. In 1607, Athlone was granted a municipal charter by James I. This entitled it to send two MPs to the Irish House of Commons . Throughout the wars that wracked Ireland in the 17th century, Athlone contained the vital, main bridge over the River Shannon into Connacht . During the Irish Confederate Wars (1641–53), the town
2263-479: The Arcadia Retail Park and Athlone Institute of Technology rather than the bus station. Such private bus companies that stop in Athlone include Citylink and a new Aircoach bus route (Galway-Athlone-Dublin) which was established soon after Bus Éireann's decision, to cope with the demand. There are also services to Limerick , Dundalk , Waterford , Cavan , Belfast , Longford and Roscommon . The town
Lough Ree Yacht Club - Misplaced Pages Continue
2336-590: The Batteries, Connaught Street, Northgate Street, Bus Station, Golden Island Shopping Centre , Dublin Road and Athlone Institute of Technology . The Athlone Town service became Ireland's first fully electric bus service in January 2023. The town is located alongside the N6 dual carriageway , which is effectively a section of the M6 motorway connecting Galway to Dublin. The N6 passes along
2409-812: The Chinese Ambassador to Ireland and university representatives. Other agreements exist between the AIT and TVTC , in Saudi Arabia, and a memorandum of understanding exists with the Georgia Institute of Technology . Further agreements exist with the Bharati Vidyapeeth , one of the largest universities in India . There are four major secondary schools in the Athlone area, the Athlone Community College ,
2482-568: The Club in 1922 in response to a growing demand for a one-design competitive and less expensive dinghy. Over a hundred and forty have now been built for the Shannon Lakes . Some of the original fleet still continues to race. Sail numbers started at No. 32. The largest and most significant event run by the club annually is a week-long event commencing on the August Bank Holiday. Other than SOD's,
2555-630: The Gaeltacht, opened with an exhibition of works from the Irish Museum of Modern Art . Burgess Park stands near the centre of the town, on the banks of the River Shannon . Other nearby tourist attractions include the Glendeer Open Farm and the Viking Cruise of the Shannon. Baysports , a boat training and watersports centre with the world's largest floating inflatable water slide, is located on
2628-726: The Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Studies building, built in 2003; the Nursing and Health Science building, built in 2005; the Midlands Innovation and Research Centre, also built in 2005; the Engineering and Informatics building, built in 2010; and the Postgraduate Research Hub, also built in 2010. RTÉ's Midlands studio and office are located at AIT. The Athlone Institute of Technology has memorandum of understanding with
2701-551: The Midlands region. Abbey Road Artists' Studios launched in 2011 in a building constructed in 1841. These artists' studios, which provide a dedicated space for local and visiting artists, consist of four individual studios as well as a multi-purpose space which is used community cultural events, exhibitions, performances and workshops. The Abbey Road artists' studios work closely with the Luan Art Gallery . In 1954, Athlone became
2774-655: The Netherlands. The account was penned by the victorious commanding officer from the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , general lieutenant Godard van Reede, in letters written to his family in mainland Europe. In the account, the commanding allied officer reported that half of Athlone's defenders retreated westward, towards the rest of their army, leaving almost 2,000 dead within the city walls and more than 100 taken prisoner, including dozens of officers. Following
2847-417: The Optimist is sprit-rigged . Two battens stiffen the leech . It is secured evenly with ties along the luff to the mast and along the foot to the boom , pulled down tightly by a vang/kicker . The light, slim third spar , the sprit, extends through a loop at the peak of the sail; the bottom rests in the eye of a short cable or string which hangs along the front edge of the mast. Raising and lowering
2920-753: The Shannon in the town, is the headquarters of the Western Command of the Irish Army . The Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) is a constituent institute of the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest , (TUS). Athlone forms part of the Midlands Gateway , an in-progress infrastructure initiative, along with Mullingar and Tullamore . The AIT has a campus size of 44 acres, and has new, purpose-built facilities include
2993-451: The centerline of the hull floor are attached a block and a ratchet block. These anchor the sheet and a block on the boom directly above. At the bow resides a thwart to support the mast which passes through a hole in its centre to the mast step mounted on the centre line of the boat. The painter, a rope used for securing a boat like a mooring line, is usually tied around the mast step. Buoyancy bags are installed inboard along each side in
Lough Ree Yacht Club - Misplaced Pages Continue
3066-418: The club is made up of a growing number of barge owners, as well as a large mixed cruiser class and a junior section. Junior sailing was introduced in 1968, and today instructs beginners with a fleet of Optimist , Laser , Mirror and Laser Pico dinghies. Athlone Athlone ( / æ θ ˈ l oʊ n / ; Irish : Baile Átha Luain , meaning 'The town of Luan's ford ' [ˌbʲlʲɑː ˈl̪ˠuənʲ] )
3139-572: The club on the World Wide Web, and one visitor in September 2005 described it as "not quite a yacht club". Although all old yacht clubs could be described thus at some point during their histories, not for their entire duration. Accordingly, Lough Ree Yacht Club is arguably the second oldest yacht club in the world. The eldest, as it happens is also Irish, the Royal Cork Yacht Club. The club
3212-404: The club's facilities to meet the needs of its burgeoning membership. Although the record of pleasure sailing on the waters around Athlone goes back to 1731, organised club sailing did not commence before 1770. And notwithstanding the change in name and premises during subsequent years, Lough Ree Yacht Club is said to be the second or third oldest club in the world. Ultimately this claim relies upon
3285-563: The club's own assertions on its origins. On the other hand, it has never been publicly challenged. Whether the club is second or third oldest in the world depends upon whether an organisation described as the Flotilla of the Neva , St Petersburg , Russia , is a Yacht Club by modern or historical standards. It has been claimed that the Flotilla was established in 1718. However, there is little presence of
3358-486: The county of Westmeath , the barony of Brawny , and the civil parish of St Mary's. Unusually, the barony is coterminous with a single civil parish. In terms of ecclesiastical boundaries, the eastern part of the town is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise and the parish of St Mary's. There are several other churches in the town including a Church of Ireland ( St. Mary's , Anglican ),
3431-502: The east. Located centrally is the Athlone Town Centre , a shopping centre built in 2007, containing 54 shops, cafés and a four-star hotel. The Golden Island Shopping Centre , which opened in 1997, is also located in the town centre. Athlone Regional Sports Centre, developed by the former Town Council in 2002, is located on the outskirts of the town. The facility contains a swimming pool, gym and AstroTurf pitches. Athlone has
3504-564: The first branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland and the town had a large part in the organisation's creation. American crime writer James M. Cain refers to Athlone in his 1937 book, Serenade , in a passage where two characters discuss tenor John McCormack: "--There's the language he was born to. John McCormack comes from Dublin". "He does not. He comes from Athlone". "Didn't he live in Dublin?". "No Matter. They speak
3577-414: The front half of the boat and at the stern to provide buoyancy in the event of capsizing. Two straps, known as "hiking straps", run lengthwise along the floor from the bulkhead to the stern . These and a tiller extension allow a sailor to hang off the side for weight distribution—commonly called "hiking out". This can be crucial to keeping the boat more upright during heavy air, allowing greater speed through
3650-400: The inhabitants and its members." The municipal corporation was abolished under the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 . It was disfranchised by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 . Athlone was later granted town commissioners under the Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act 1854. Following the Public Health (Ireland) Act 1878 , Athlone was designated as an urban sanitary district. Under
3723-480: The integrity of the town. These townlands lie in St Peter's civil parish in the barony of Athlone South . In terms of ecclesiastical boundaries, the townlands west of the Shannon are part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin and the parish of Saints Peter and Paul. Athlone is a common stop for pleasure craft along the River Shannon. Lough Ree , the largest lake on the Shannon, is a short distance upstream from Athlone, and many boat companies are based out of
SECTION 50
#17328522155733796-410: The invading troops of King William and Queen Mary eventually overran the entire city. The defenders were forced to flee further west, toward the River Suck , at such speed that eyewitness accounts record that they "flung their cannons into the morass" as they fled. The most recently discovered account of the Siege of Athlone, written after the attack, on 5 July 1691, was found in 2004 in an archive in
3869-406: The northern side of the town, crossing the River Shannon into County Roscommon . A number of national secondary roads connect Athlone with other towns and regions, namely the N55 to Ballymahon and Cavan , the N61 to Roscommon and the N62 to Birr , Roscrea , and Southern Ireland. Athlone was granted a municipal charter by James I in 1607. This created a parliamentary borough with
3942-457: The original building built in the early twentieth century is now a "building-within-a-building", in that it now functions as the office housed entirely within the clubhouse proper. Jetty space was expanded with the addition of floating jetties with full facilities (power and water), and a new 2-level boathouse was constructed a year later. In 2012, the club completed the acquisition of 3 acres of adjacent lands, which will enable further expansion of
4015-422: The outskirts of the town at Hodson Bay. Examples of public art and sculpture in Athlone include the IRA Memorial which was erected near the corner of Church Street and Custume Place in the early 1950s. It is dedicated to the Athlone Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) that participated in the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) and Irish Civil War (1922–1923). The limestone statue consists of
4088-410: The previous years. By this time most its members sailed out of a small, sheltered bay at Ballyglass, on Lough Ree itself; Ballyglass is recorded as the venue of the Annual Regatta as early as 1836. The club members have since, the early twentieth century, owned their own premises. In July 2006, new, larger premises were officially opened, as the second substantial expansion of the clubhouse premises. Yet
4161-441: The progress of the yachts. Other events appear to have involved a rendezvous at some agreed place and a cruise in company in the manner of a naval flotilla but racing eventually developed. From these incidental activities an organisation in the form of a club was established. Originally it was known as Athlone Yacht Club and was renamed Lough Ree Yacht Club in 1895, probably due to the financial difficulties which had been run into over
4234-599: The railway station, but in July 2021 these routes, 20 and X20 Expressway, were cancelled indefinitely. The company cited "continuing losses [..] resulting from the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic " as the reason. Bus Éireann services between Dublin and Belfast, Cork and Limerick were also cut following a "viability review" of 18 routes in September 2020. It was noted that from July 2021 onwards, bus journeys between Athlone and Galway, Ballinasloe , Moate , Dublin city or Dublin airport would be operated by private companies only, with passengers being dropped off or picked up at
4307-442: The sprit and adjusting the boom vang and outhaul allow for adaptation of sail trim to a range of wind conditions. The spars may be made from aluminium or wood, but are invariably aluminium in modern boats. A monograph-style "IO" insignia (after IODA - the International Optimist Dinghy Association) on the sail is a registered trade-mark and may only be used under licence from the International Optimist Association. Optimists also have
4380-427: The town of Athlone", was unveiled on St. Mary's Square in 2012. The Old Rail Trail greenway runs for 42 kilometres from Athlone to Mullingar , along the disused Athlone-Mullingar Railway . It will eventually form part of the Dublin–Galway Greenway . A new cycle and pedestrian bridge over the River Shannon was built beside the Luan Gallery and opened in August 2023. Athlone's major employers include Alkermes,
4453-463: The town. For craft to pass through Athlone, it is necessary to use a lock in the river, which is beside the weir and downstream of the current road bridge. The lock, weir, and bridge were all constructed by the Shannon navigation commissioners in the 1840s. Before then, boats used a canal, about a mile and a half long, to the west of the river. The canal was built by Thomas Omer for the Commissioners of Inland Navigation. Work started in 1757 and involved
SECTION 60
#17328522155734526-481: The water. The vast majority of hulls today are made of fiberglass , although a few wooden hulls are still made. The rudder and daggerboard are made from fibreglass though plywood may be used for training and with wooden hulls. While younger, lighter sailors begin in Optimists, competitive sailors usually weigh between 35 and 55 kg (or between 80 lbs. and 125 lbs.). Optimists can be sailed by children from age 8 to 15. This wide range of weights which
4599-412: The west bank of the Shannon, formerly in County Roscommon, were incorporated into the town, and consequently, into the county of Westmeath. Around 100 km west of Dublin , Athlone is near the geographical centre of Ireland . Athlone Castle , situated on the western bank of the River Shannon, is the geographical and historical centre of Athlone. Throughout its early history, the ford of Athlone
4672-404: The west bank of the river, was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest pub in Ireland. The Luan Gallery was opened in 2012. It is the first purpose-built, modern visual art gallery in the Midlands. It was designed by Keith Williams , who also designed the Athlone Civic Centre. The gallery, which was officially opened by Jimmy Deenihan , the Minister for Arts, Heritage and
4745-502: The work of over 300 men. Omer built a single lock, 120' X 19' with a rise of 4.5', but there was also a guard lock, further upstream, with a single set of gates to protect the canal against floods. There were also two lay-bys, or harbours, one above the lock and another at the upstream end. The old canal is no longer navigable. Athlone railway station opened on 3 October 1859, with Irish Rail services travelling eastwards to Portarlington , Kildare and Dublin Heuston and westwards to
4818-406: Was 2RN, a wordplay on the song "Come back to Erin". The station subsequently became known as "Radio Athlone" and could clearly be heard throughout Europe, and as far away as Moscow. This changed as bandwidth allocations were accorded at the Helsinki Declaration. The station originally operated at a power of 60 kW, which during the 1950s, was increased to 100 kW. For an antenna, a T-antenna
4891-444: Was abolished. The urban district council was based at the old civic offices, which had been crudely extended over time and were demolished to make way for the new Athlone Civic Centre, which was completed in 2004. In County Roscommon, Athlone is a six-seat local electoral area (LEA) to Roscommon County Council which forms its own municipal district. In County Westmeath, Athlone is a five-seat LEA to Westmeath County Council which
4964-402: Was and is still used, which spins between two 100-metre tall guyed masts with square cross-sections and which are insulated against ground. Many old radio sets in Europe had the "Athlone" dial position marked near the end of their tuning scales. Optimist (dinghy) The Optimist is a small, single-handed sailing dinghy intended for use by young people up to the age of 15. The Optimist
5037-428: Was dominated by sailors from the Scandinavian countries, with 13 world champions. In the 1990s Argentina was by far the dominant country but, following standardisation of the boat and improved coaching standards internationally, many countries have excelled as shown in the results below. Recently S.E. Asian countries and the United States have produced strong teams. The Optimist World Championships include Team Racing which
5110-402: Was held by Irish Confederate troops until it was taken in late 1650 by Charles Coote , who attacked the town from the west, having crossed into Connacht at Sligo . Forty years later, during the pan-European War of the Grand Alliance (1688–97), the town was again of key strategic importance. In the Irish phase of the conflict (the Williamite War in Ireland of 1688–1691), Athlone was one of
5183-533: Was planned to comprise a total of nine exhibition halls, nine smaller independent exhibition buildings, one temporary exhibition space, several offices, administrative services, some living quarters, hotels, shops, restaurants, pubs, a school and railway station. It was never built. Between 1931 and 1975 the main radio transmission centre for Irish radio was located at Moydrum, Athlone ( 53°25′14″N 7°52′52″W / 53.42056°N 7.88111°W / 53.42056; -7.88111 ). The original call sign
5256-458: Was singing Handel he was singing English, and he sings it as no American and no Englishman will ever sing English". The Irish poet Aubrey Thomas de Vere wrote a poem The Ballad of Athlone which is an account of an incident in the 1691 siege. Athlone is a retail destination within the Midlands region of Ireland. The town centre extends from Church Street in the west to Seán Costello Street in
5329-542: Was strategically important, as south of Athlone the Shannon is impassable until Clonmacnoise , where the Esker Riada meets the Shannon, while to the north the Shannon flows into Lough Ree . In 1001 Brian Bóru sailed his army up river from Kincora and through Lough Derg to attend a gathering in Athlone. The following year, Brian met the High King of Ireland Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill at Athlone, intending to engage him in
#572427