ON Saturday morning, October 6, the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, opened the 18th annual, Westport Helm Skate Festival.
The two-day boat competition, with a first prize of €2,000 for the biggest skate, is organised by Vinny Keogh, The Helm Bar, Westport, and attracts some of the top deep sea anglers from all over Ireland and the UK.
The weather forecast for the weekend was excellent, dry with some sunshine and a very light south-westerly breeze – ideal angling conditions.
The first call of a ‘skate on’ came at 12.15 p.m. from the skipper of the Fawnglass, anchored at the lighthouse. We were close by on the Inland Fisheries Ireland RIB (rigid inflatable boat) skippered by fisheries officers Padraic O’Malley and Barry Kelly, and within minutes we were alongside and I was aboard….
Connaught Telegraph. 30/10/2012. Read the article. ‘Killala’s Padraic hooks Helm Cup at skate event’
