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- the Cruiskeen of Maurice Davin, Founder member of the GAA (1842 - 1927) Deerpark, the home of Maurice Davin, athlete of world renown and oarsman extraordinary, lies to the west of Carrick-on-Suir on the road to Clonmel. Today Deerpark is occupied by Pat Walsh and family, direct descendants of Maurice. The house, facing south, is a well-appointed two-storey farmhouse built by the Davin brothers in the late nineteenth century. To the west lies an extended cow-shed running north-south with opes facing west.   Here in the beams of the shed lay a longboat of 38ft in length for some one hundred and thirty odd years. Here it still lies today. The boat, a four oar sculling skiff of light clinker construction and copper fastened, is in a good state of preservation, so writes Michael Kennedy, historian, shipwright and boatbuilder of Dunmore East. He goes on, "The boat is a unique example of mid to late 19th century lapstroke construction. The moulded treatment of the steamed frames has not been documented before. The level of craft skill in the artefact is extremely high, … and is a craft of unique rarity …" .   Sven Habermann, at the invitation of the Walsh family, visited the site on the 18th August 2005 and conducted an initial visual inspection. He had this to say, "The boat … is most likely of larch planking, oak keel, ash oar pivots and cedar oars. All planking is riveted with copper nails and peened over under a copper washer. In total, seven rows of planking on each side make up the hull. The bilge plank is 4ins/100mm wide, all others are 2ins/50mm wide and 3.8in/9mm thick. The boat has beaded frames every foot throughout, with an additional pair of short frames at the four oak pivots." He then goes on to make an assessment of damage to and a proposal for the conservation of what has now become known as the 'Davin Boat' otherwise the 'Cruiskeen'. To fund this process, Shay Hurley of the Workmen's Boat Club, Clonmel, who is driving this proposal, has made submissions to a number of funding bodies, both local and national, with a view to raising funds for the various stages of the proposal, which are:   1. Removal & transportation to yard 2. Assessment and conservation programme 3. Drawing of lines 4. Building an exhibition frame or construct 5. Display and background panels 6. Materials Cost 7. Building a replica   To date, funding towards the conservation phase has been realized with BNS, Leader and the Workman's Boat Club going 50% of costs to a maximum of €9,000. This is a huge commitment on the part of the W.B.C. which is a voluntary organization made up of 65-75 family members. The Club is determined to see this project/process through in all its phases over time and would welcome support; contact details below.   Tel: 087 9568576 / 052 23590 / e-mail: shayhurley@oceanfree.net   Contents Reviews Front Cover