Channel 4 recently broadcast a one hour documentary, "The Real Noah's Ark: Secret History".
A new item appeared recently on BBC Alba on the Spey currach. You can watch it on the BBC News by clicking here. An English translation is provided below
[[{"fid":"169","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Bernard Thomas","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Bernard Thomas"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"Bernard Thomas","title":"Bernard Thomas","style":"width: 350px; height: 477px; margin: 5px; float: right;","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]Bernard Thomas (1923-2014), Vice President of The Coracle Society, was one
The Coracle Society regrets to announce the passing of Bernard Thomas, one of our Vice Presidents.
We extend our deepest sympathies to his family at this difficult time
Dr Irving Finkel PhD is the assistant keeper of Ancient Mesopotamian script, languages and cultures in the Department of the Middle East at the British Museum, where is the curator of the world’s largest collection of cuneiform clay tablets. He is the author of the much acclaimed book "The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood."
On 16th December 2013, one of the greatest coraclemen of his generation died. Raymond’s family have, for over two hundred years, practised the art and skill of making coracles and using them on the river Tywi with consummate skill. This fact was recognised by the granting of an MBE to Raymond by the Queen in 2011 for his services to the coracle heritage and inshore fishing in Wales, which replicates many years earlier that of a BEM to his grandfather for similar services.
It is with great sadness that The Coracle Society announces the passing of Raymond Rees MBE, aged 79. Our thoughts are with his son and daughter-in-law, Malcolm and Julie, and the rest of the Rees family at this time.
Raymond was one of his generation's most well known coraclemakers, playing a key part in preserving coracle heritage in Wales. He was awarded an MBE for services to coracle heritage in 2011.
Having just completed the build and launch of our currach, we attended a heritage skills seminar in Durham and were introduced to Dr. Keith Bartlett, director of the Lindisfarne Gospels Exhibition, which was to be open for three months during the summer of 2013 at Palace Green next to Durham cathedral.
Dave Purvis and Ian Welford were filmed by WoodlandsTV at the 2013 Wild About Wood event talking about how coracles are made, how you get about in them and more. You can view the film below
Can't see this video? Watch on YouTube
Following on from two recent coracle builds by Dave Purvis and Chris Morgan, Barney O’Kane and his colleagues at the Down to Earth Project in Swansea, which caters for pupils with special needs and learning difficulties, decided it would be appropriate if they added two traditional Welsh coracles to their ever growing collection, for use on their many river expeditions during the year.
For the first time, the Coracle Society was invited to organise a coracle build during the annual Islay Festival of the Sea during the weekend of 3rd-4th August 2013.