Warm Donegal welcome for Cornish sailor on round Ireland fundraising trip

A Cornish man who is sailing around Ireland to help some of the world’s most vulnerable children stopped off in Donegal Town to enjoy a break from the weather out at sea.
Richard Kerswell is making the journey on board his Macgregor 26 motor sailing yacht Pegasus. The Pegasuses Places trip is in aid of the charity Orphans in the Wild which supports orphaned children within their own communities in Tanzania.

Richard told Donegal Live: “You have families there with maybe five or six children and both parents die from AIDS, which is a big problem there.

“This charity was founded by people I was at school with. The directors don’t take wages or expenses, the fundraising platform doesn’t take a cut, so all the money raised goes to projects which support those orphans within their communities.”

Richard set out from his hometown of Penzance in Cornwall on May 2. He sailed via the Scilly Isles to Dunmore East in Waterford, arriving on May 6.

From there he travelled northwards on the Irish Sea, reaching Antrim and continuing his journey westward.

On arrival in Portnablagh, Richard took some time out to travel home for the funeral of a friend.

He has now resumed his journey and is very much looking forward to the next stages.

“One of the things I have really been looking forward to is sailing the west coast of Ireland,” he said. 

“I have some friends here that I am going to catch up with and I’m not in any hurry, so I am enjoying the trip.”

Despite the unseasonable feel to the weather, Richard feels he has been quite lucky so far.

“It’s been pretty perfect most of the time,” he said. 

“When it gets too much, I pull in somewhere sheltered. If I find somewhere I like, I’m happy to stay for a while.”

It was that search for shelter that brought him to Donegal Town. Having been accompanied by a pod of dolphins on arrival in Donegal Bay, Richard received a warm welcome from other boat users at the pier in Donegal Town. And there has been a lot of interest in his fundraising efforts.

“Everyone here has been really kind and supportive,” he said. 

The next leg will see Richard head towards Galway, then on to Shannon before rounding the south west of Ireland and sailing back towards Waterford. 

Anyone wishing to follow his journey or to make a donation can do so via Pegasuses Places on Facebook. 

More information on the work of the charity can be found online at orphansinthewild.org and on the Orphans in the Wild Facebook page.