MEITHEAL MARA CUIDEACHTA FAOI THEORAINN RÁTHAÍOCHTA

Meitheal Mara - Community Boatyard Cork is a charitable maritime cultural organisation and community enterprise founded in 1993 on the River Lee in Cork city. Operating as a training centre and boatyard, the charity's core mission is to promote and foster maritime culture while advancing social inclusion through hands-on boating projects, employment opportunities and collaborative partnerships, with a particular focus on currachs and other traditional vessels.

The organisation's work spans a vibrant workshop where traditional boat-building skills are taught and preserved, active use of the river and harbour for community sailing and water-sports, a maritime events office that organises festivals and public programmes, and a research and publications arm that documents Ireland's seafaring heritage. Recent initiatives include the Bádóireacht Pathways Programme for young people and community-employment placements that provide accredited training in water-activities and boatyard operations. Meitheal Mara's impact is also celebrated in the 2024 documentary *The Voyage*, which showcases the boatyard's role in nurturing personal growth and strengthening community ties across Cork.