Just thinking back over the years and looking at my time as a member of An Slua Muri No. 5 Company based at Sarsfield Barricks Limerick. In 1960 I had Rowing Boat called a Gondola (Flat bottomed rowing boat used on the Shannon) that I used to go Duck Shooting and days out down the Shannon to Trevio and Bunratty Castle, due to the Flat bottom, it could slide across the mud when the tide dropped. As the Shannon River is tidal, with a rise and fall by some 4.5 to 5M, quite a lot of mud banks. I had noted that a group of lads had a Whaler moored off St. Michaels Boat Club and on Sunday’s they used to go sailing and rowing on the Shannon River. So, I decided to join them, joined at Sarsfield Barricks 1960. So, after signing on I met an old school class mate, Gerry Kennedy who was Leading Seaman in the Slua, later to become a PO and then an Officer, after the normal basic training, Marching and Rifle Drill I found that this was great activity and on Sundays my knowledge of the Shannon River was put to good use, I had a Seagull Outboard engine, so we used this and Gondola to land on the various Island.