Asgard II Sinks

[Donagh]

From Breaking News

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/index.aspx?c=ireland&jp=mhqlqlkfmhid

Asgard II sinks off France
11/09/2008 - 08:16:27

The Irish sail training vessel, the Asgard II, has sunk off the French coast.Tall ship Asgard II sank off the coast of France today.

The vessel, an Irish sail training ship, sent a distress signal shortly after 2am from the Bay of Biscay when it started taking in water.

Five crew members and 20 trainees evacuated in lifeboats and were rescued by the French coastguard.

Among them were 22 Irish, two from the UK and one from Italy.

A spokeswoman for the Irish Department of Defence, which owns the ship, said all are safe and well.

The ship sank shortly before 9am UK and Irish time.

"At around 2am in the Bay of Biscay, the Asgard started taking on water and the captain made a decision to evacuate the ship," she said.

"They were evacuated in two lifeboats and were rescued by the French coastguard.

"Everybody is safe and well and are now currently in Belle Ile in the Bay of Biscay."

The Asgard II, while owned by the Republic of Ireland, is not a naval vessel and is used to train aspiring civilian sailors.

Four of the crew are Irish and one is from the UK, while 18 of the trainees are Irish, one is Italian and another from the UK, according to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.

Four of the trainees are between 16 and 20 while the remainder are aged from their 20s to mid-60s, the Irish Department of Defence said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said officials from the Irish embassy in Paris would be travelling to meet those rescued.

The Irish Defence Forces said the naval ship LE Niamh was on its way to the area.

It is not yet known what caused the ship to get into difficulties.

Designed specially for sail training purposes, the vessel was built in Arklow, Co Wicklow, and commissioned there on March 7 1981.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Were they training them in what to do when a ship sinks - bit drastic if the case! 

[ziggysego]

Is Arklow going to establish their tourism industry around it?

[Donagh]

I have my suspicions...

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

I have my suspicions...

Is that 'Oor Wullie'

[Over the Bar]

I can envisage the English press cartoonists sharpening their pencils for this one... 

[Donagh]

I know a lad that works on it pretty regularly and I know from him they're pretty strict about grounding it for servicing due to the amount of trainees they have on it. 

[Over the Bar]

The stars are moving into alignment!!

In 1916 the Aud was scuttled off the Kerry Coast.

In 2005 Tyrone beat Kerry  19-16

In September 2008 the Asgard sinks  and with it Kerry's hope of 3 in a row will be scuttled by Admiral Harte and Captain Dooher!!

[Main Street]

Asgard the original, is safe and sound (and will never die).

Currently being painstakingly restored to it's former rebel glory.

[Donagh]

Asgard the original, is safe and sound (and will never die).

Currently being painstakingly restored to it's former rebel glory.

Where's it now? Always wondered what had happened it since they took it from Kilmainham. Are they going to put it back in the gaol do you know?

[Main Street]

Looks like it 's being restored at Collins Barracks.

http://www.marinetimes.ie/seascapes.html

[mannix]

lets hope china or the usa dont attack now, we would be shagged with our vessel out of commision and the airplane needing work too.
this is forgetting about no seatbelts on our land based equipment.

[Donagh]

Frigging French should do that little Limerick gangster for littering.

[magickingdom]

very disappointed with that