Killaloe Sailing Club is located at Carrownakilly, Killaloe Co Clare. It is an Irish Sailing Association (ISA) affiliated dinghy sailing club which has been in existence since 1973. Initially, the club acquired about 1/10 of an acre from Clare County Council (located where the Killaloe Scouts’ sailing centre is now). The club was very successful then with up to 100 active members and regularly had up to 20 boats on the water for an evening’s sailing. KSC hosted numerous regattas in the early years including the Laser Westerns and the annual Laser Team Racing, which was very popular and attended by teams from as far away as Scotland.
In the early 1980s, with a large membership and little space, the club moved to its present three acre site. The purchase of this land was entirely funded by the work of the club members, with no outside financial assistance. Much work was done to raise the capital for this purchase including a very successful £300 club draw. Unfortunately, it took many years to clear the debt and the club declined from the 1980s and remained a very small operation through the 1990s until 2003, when an interest in Fireball dinghy sailing was rekindled.
In 2010, the club had grown to include 20 single and 17 family memberships. This number declined in 2011 to 10 single and 16 family memberships due to some members’ having to relocate and other personal issues.
In 2012, the club received Leader funding to enable it to purchase a number of boats, wet suits and buoyancy aids to open up membership of the club to people in the community, to enable them to access this sport without the need to invest upfront in equipment.
By 2013, through the enthusiasm of a passionate commodore and committee, and with the benefit of the Leader funding, the club has grown to 70+ members from all walks of life, including many family members, who are now playing a very active role in the club.
Current members are from the local area of Killaloe/Ballina and surrounding counties of Limerick and Tipperary. The club’s catchment area is predominately East Clare, North Limerick, and Tipperary and is open to anyone with or without a boat who is interested in learning to sail or improving their sailing abilities.
KillaloeSailing Club is a members club. It is not a limited company or a commercial venture. It is a non-profit making organisation, formed purely to advance the ethos of sailing and enjoyment of the outdoors on Lough Derg.