Joyful Pilgrimage (3rd, 2025)

This is the story of the 1963 re-enactment of the sea voyage made by St. Columba in the 6th Century (563 A.D.) from Derry, Northern Ireland, to Iona in the Hebrides aboard a traditional Irish curragh.
Canon John Barry, the instigator of it all, tells the story with the dry humour of an Ulsterman, savouring the outlandish original idea and how it was shaped, aided by a growing band of supporters, into a grand adventure of faith and fraternity. Barry writes in a self-deprecating way, claiming expertise in nothing. For him, the heroes are Wallace Cark, the skipper; Richard MacCullagh the curragh designer; Jim Boyd who built the curragh, the other crew members and the curragh itself. But beneath his commentary, his own engaging and passionate influence shines.
This book, is a facsimile edition of the original 1964 book with the addition of a Preface by the author’s son Jonathan Barry. It will interest modern-day pilgrims who wish to learn more about St. Columba and his historic decision to leave Ireland for Scotland, as well as the path he and his followers took. But more than that, for those interested in ancient craft and the sea, the skipper, Wallace Clark, reflects on the decision to build a curragh. He tells us of the design, building, and her sailing performance and reflects on how the vessel might have been improved with hindsight.
Illustrated with drawings and photographs.