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You are > Home > Mayo men driving Marine research on the Celtic Explorer
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Wednesday, April 09, 2003
Mayo men driving Marine research on the Celtic Explorer
Ireland's new research vessel the RV Celtic Explorer will be commissioned on Friday, April 11th at Galway docks. The Celtic Explorer will provide Irish scientists with the key to unlock the nation’s biggest resource; the ocean says Ballina native, Dr. Peter Heffernan, CEO of the Marine Institute, the organisation which manages the vessel on behalf of the state.
Dr. Heffernan was appointed as Chief Executive of the Marine Institute in 1993 and since then it has grown from a staff of one to 140 and is still growing. In that time the Marine Institute has delivered two custom built research vessels - the Celtic Voyager, a coastal research vessel came on line in 1997 - and the Celtic Explorer, a deep-sea research vessel, which made its maiden voyage from Norway to Galway last December. The Marine Institute moved its headquarters from Dublin to Galway last year and work will commence on the Institute's new headquarters in Oranmore this summer. This move has put Galway and the West of Ireland on the map as a centre of excellence in marine research.
Driving marine research in a different guise is Mayo man Ted Sweeney, Second Engineer on the Celtic Explorer. Ted Sweeney from Belmullet comes from a strong maritime background. His father, also Ted Sweeney was a lighthouse keeper at Blacksod in Co. Mayo and two of his brothers are also involved in the marine, one as a fisheries officer and the other in with the air/sea rescue service.
Mayo has also drawn Gerrit Verburg, the chief engineer aboard the new vessel. He received his training at Delfzyl Nautical College in the Netherlands where he is from, graduating in 1982. Gerrit joined the crew of the Celtic Explorer in September of 2002 accompanying the new vessel from Holland to Norway and again from Norway to Ireland, and has decided to base himself in Cong.
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