Anyone recognise any of these young boatbuilders?

Do you know anyone is this photo from a boat building class run by the VEC in Mulllingar’s Columb Barracks in 1973?

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the VEC ran a boat building night class every year in a large shed that was previously used to store hay for the barracks' horses.

Twenty eight men from all walks of life would come together each week and learn boat building skills.

By the end of the course they had built fourteen fishing boats under the tutelage of instructor, Peadar Caffrey.

Gerry Reddin, sixth from left, was a student in Mullingar Vocational School at the time and is the youngest person in the photo. It is Gerry who came in to us with the photo and shared his memories of that time.

“The gig was a student would come in and light fires and clean the place but in fact I ended up working with a particular guy in three different years,” Gerry told the Westmeath Examiner.

“When a guy would drop out I'd fall into his place,” he recalls.

The men in the class learned a lot from the instructor Peadar, who Gerry describes as “pretty much a genius”.

Gerry went on to build boats as a pastime and served his time as a carpenter before going on

He says that the skills acquired in the boatbuilding class stood to him and the other students, many of whom would have had little prior experience working with their hands.

There was also a strong social side to the classes top, Gerry remembers.

“There was one huge big hay shed and the 14 boats would be in a line down the shed. It was a magnificent shed and a magnificent venue.

“It's a pity they don't do it anymore because it brought together 28 men that normally wouldn't have met.”

If you recognise anyone in the photo, contact the Westmeath Examiner on 0449346700 or email news@westmeathexaminer.ie.