ADVENTURER AND AUTHOR Tim Severin passed away yesterday aged 80 at his home in West Cork.
Born in India in 1940, Severin became renowned for retracing legendary journeys of historical figures such as Marco Polo, Genghis Khan, and Sinbad to name a few.
In Ireland he is often best remembered for his ‘Brendan Voyage’ across the North Atlantic in a skin-covered boat.
In 1976, Severin was part of a five-man crew who set out in a leather-clad boat from the Kerry coast to row the Atlantic.
The voyage aimed to prove that an Irish monk, St Brendan, discovered America 900 years before Christopher Columbus.
We are saddened to hear of the death of Tim Severin whose Atlantic crossing inspired The Brendan Voyage. In 2013, with Liam O'Flynn and Shaun Davey we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the first performance of The Brendan Voyage. Tim was a gentleman. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/SC0b8fMeE9
— RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (@RTE_NSO) December 18, 2020
The boat, made from ox-hide on a frame of oak and ash, reached Newfoundland in 1977 and now resides at Craggaunowen museum in Kilmurry, Co Clare.
He is survived by his wife Dee, daughter Ida, son-in-law James Ashworth, and his two grandsons George and Guy.
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