‘Asgard’ is an old Norse word meaning ‘Home of the Gods’– the land between heaven and earth. This was the origin of the name given to the gaff rigged ketch Asgard. It was designed and built in Norway in 1905 by Colin Archer, who was of Scottish descent, and who incidentally was the architect of the vessel ‘Fram’ for the famous navigator and Artic explorer Nansen.

The ‘Asgard’ had a romantic association too. She was given as a wedding present by Dr. and Mrs. Hamilton Osgood of Boston U.S.A to their daughter Mary on her marriage to Erskine Childers, farther of the late president Childers.

Erskine was an experienced sailor and navigator who sailed extensively the North Sea coasts and consequently wrote the internationally renounced novel ‘The Riddle of the Sands’.

In July 1914 the Asgard set sail for the North Sea with Mary and Erskine Childers and four crew members on board to rendezvous with a tugboat off the Belgian coast, and collected a cargo of guns for the Irish Volunteers, which they landed in Howth in broad daylight. Shortly thereafter saw the start of the First World War. The Irish government purchased the vessel in 1961 because of her historical association.

‘Asgard’ became Ireland’s first official sail training vessel under the guidance of a newly-formed committee, Coiste An ‘Asgard’. In 1974 she was retired and shortly after was given a prominent position in the historical museum of Kilmainham jail.

The Bermuda ketch, ‘Creidne’ replaced the ‘Asgard’ and continued on until 1980 and is now used as a sail training yacht by the Naval Reserve.

Built in Arklow, designed specially for sail training by the late Jack Tyrell and commissioned by the then Taoiseach C.J. Haughey in 1981, the brigantine ‘Asgard II’ carried forward the proud name of her predecessor.

She has since taken part in many international races, visited Australia to participate in their bicentennial celebrations and was part of the pageant which re-enacted the meeting of the two Queens in 16th century Greenwich, that of Queen Elizabeth and the Irish Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley better known as ‘Granuaile’.

Asgard II carries as her figurehead a carving of Granvaile as befits the tradition of the vessel.
This year at the Docklands Maritime Festival, Asgard II took a place alongside the famous replica ships, the ‘Jeanie Johnston’ and the ‘Grand Turk’. She is captained by Colm Newport (pictured above) who heads a permanent crew of 5, a training crew of 20 and operates the sail training programme, by which young people over 16 years can apply for a berth.

This course runs from February to September each year and takes sail around the Irish coast, Britain and France.

Ireland’s floating ambassador, the brigantine ‘Asgard II’ continues on, taking new generations of young sailors on voyages of discovery and adventure.