Pirating in Baltimore, Ireland

The village of Baltimore in County Cork Ireland has a long history of piracy. The ruling clan, the O’Driscolls were pirates and even fought a battle with Waterford over their seizing of merchant vessels.

Take a ferry to Cape Clear Island and you’ll see why. There are plenty of inlets and small harbors that can easily hide a ship.

Karma showed its hand when in 1631 a band of Algerian pirates raided the town, seized 107 inhabitants and sold them into slavery.

To celebrate its piratical history, every June Baltimore has a pirate festival.(This year it was Friday, June 17-Sunday,June 19.) It is not the grandiose spectacle that we in America have come to expect with pirate shows, gun battles and in some cases tall ships. This festival is on a much more intimate scale because it is worked on by a small group of locals dedicated to the betterment of their village. There’s little money, but lots of enthusiasm.

The festival feature music on the square (when it’s not raining) and a host of children’s activities such as walk the plank, goalie shoot out and a dads vs children tug of war.

This year the festival ran a best pirate dummy contest where businesses, residences and boats dresses a dummy as a pirate. There were also a best dress (human) pirate.

This year on Friday night there was a pirate buffet that saw the local and visitors alike dressed like pirates while enjoying pork, various salads, seafood, brown bread and wine. For entertainment there was a group singing sea shanties and a local dance troupe preformed belly dancing.

Dun na Sead Castle, home of the O’Driscolls, is open during the festival and it’s worth a visit. There is an interesting exhibit on O’Drisicoll piracy and piracy in general on the second floor.