1851 Great Exhibition: Official Catalogue: Class VIII.: Lord Monteagle
317. MONTEAGLE, The Right Hon. Lord, 7 Park Street, Westminster.
Model of a curragh, or light row-boat, portable by one man; used for fishing on the north-west coast of Ireland.
[Off the western coast of Ireland, which to a considerable extent is "iron-bound," the ancient Celtic boat called the curragh (carabus), or nivoque (navicula), has been constructed so late as the present century. It was constructed with a frame of osiers woven in basketwork, and covered over with a hide. It is accurately described by Julius Solinus, as well as in the following passage from Caesar "Imperat militibus Caesar ut naves — faciant cujus grueris eum superioribus annis usus Britannhe docuerat. Carina primum ac statumina ex levi materia fiebant, reliquam corpus navium viminibus contextam coriis integebantur."— De Bello Civ., lib. i. § 54.
This ancient boat has been superseded within the last 40 years by the modern curragh, or canoe, of which the present model is given on a scale of an inch to a foot. Strained canvas, coated with tar, is now used in preference to horsehide, as less liable to stretch when exposed to sea-water.
These peculiar boats are well adapted to the coasts of Ireland; they are easily hauled up by the fisherman, and carried to his own cottage. Against a heavy sea and wind they possess great superiority over boats built with wood. But they are only suited to line fishing, from the necessity that the men should remain steady to their seats.
When going before the wind, a light lug-sail is sometimes set, and though apparently unsteady and unsafe, these curraghs, when managed with dexterity, bear a heavier sea than any other open boat. They are usually manned by four rowers, each using two paddles.
The original curragh, or carabus, as it is called by Latin writers, was well known in ancient times. "Cara- bus parva Scaplia ex vimine facta, gine contexta crudo cordio genus navigii prwbit."—Isidor xix. 1.
The Commentator on Caesar (Notes Var.) observes: " Non dubito quia vox Carabus vox sit Britannica aut Belgica,"—Anglice, coricle. See farther, Charnock's Naval Architecture, vol. i. p. 222.]