See snakes at the Old Lyme Land Trust’s tent at the Lyme Art Association during the Midsummer Festival! Photo by sippakorn yamkasikorn on Unsplash.

OLD LYME — On Saturday July 30, the Old Lyme (OL) Land Trust will host displays of live reptiles and rescued raptors at the Midsummer Festival.

Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center will bring their snakes, turtles, eels and friends to the OL Land Trust tent on the lawn of the Lyme Art Association from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Get up close to these denizens, even to the point of holding some in your hands!

‘A Place called Hope’ will present rescued and rehabilitated eagles, owls, and hawks at the event. Photo from A Place Called Hope website.

From 1 to 3 p.m., A Place Called Hope will present rescued and rehabilitated eagles, owls, and hawks and talk about how these birds are saved and the care they receive.

These displays have been very popular at past festivals. The presenters are both informative and educational, and are happy to answer any questions about our forest and wetlands neighbors.

The displays will be located at the main entrance to the Lyme Art Association.

Information about the Old Lyme Land Trust, including trail maps will be available.

Visit oldlymelandtrust.org for more information.

New London Currach Rowers Maureen Plumleigh of Old Lyme and Brendan Downey of Mystic row in the one man-one woman race in the Annapolis Regatta, June 2022.

OLD LYME — Old Lyme folks are accustomed to seeing the sleek shells of the Old Lyme Rowing Association or those of the Blood Street Sculls plying the waters of Rogers Lake.

The summer of 2021 saw a different kind of boat arrive on Rogers Lake. The boats known as currachs had fewer rowers and each rower wielded two oars.

Maureen Plumleigh of Old Lyme explains that after a two-year gap forced by COVID-19, 2022 is a come-back year for currach rowing.

On Saturday, July 30, these rowers of Irish working boats — currachs — will welcome member teams from the North American Currach Association (NACA) to their annual Regatta at the Custom House Pier in New London. 

The New London-based team is a member of NACA, which currently consists of eight additional teams: Albany, N.Y., Boston, Mass., Philadelphia Pa., Pittsburgh, Pa., Annapolis, Md., Milwaukee, Wis., and Leetsdale, Pa.

The Regatta begins at noon and the schedule is as follows:

Races begin at 12 noon
4Man
4Woman
2Man
2Woman
1Man – 1Woman,
1 Man,
2Man -2Woman

Events conclude at approximately 4:30 p.m.

A typical race length is 1-2 miles.

Spectators may view the event free of charge from New London’s Waterfront Park.

To support this traditional Irish cultural sport, the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) John P. Holland Division will host an Irish cultural booth on the Pier during the races. The public is invited and there is no charge.

The awards ceremony for the regatta will be held at Hanafin’s 40 Thieves Irish Pub in Groton; with the awards being presented at 8 p.m. Coincidentally, Bushmill’s Irish Whiskey will introduce a new line of mixed drinks fashioned after the Netflix Peaky Blinders episodes. Live music and 20’s attire are encouraged. $5.00 for the tasting.  

Presently, the New London club is captained by Old Lyme’s Plumleigh. Practice sessions are held at least once a week, including every Thursday evening, and monthly meetings are held throughout the year. Contact Plumleigh for details on learning to row via this link.

Plumleigh states, “Irish rowing is open to everyone. And there’s no need to be Irish. Those interested may simply try it out, and then decide it if suits them. It’s an activity that, when viewed, looks easy, but ‘Rowing Irish’, differs greatly from the traditional rowing in shells. We welcome those who enjoy a new challenge!”

The modified four-seat Kerry-style Namhog (canoe) is the standard boat design for racing. In January 2006, Monty O’Leary from the Maharees area of the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland was invited to Connecticut to build three currachs.

The design is the same as that from several thousand years ago when the boats were used for trading and servicing towns along the western and north Atlantic coast of Ireland.  Cowhide covered the grid of a wood frame, which gave way to canvas in modern times, but otherwise the design remains unchanged.

This design creates a light boat that rides like a ping-pong ball on the surface of the ocean, which was helpful when rowing in the large Atlantic swells. 

‘The Mighty Soul Drivers’ will entertain at the free Midsummer Festival kick-off concert at the Florence Griswold Museum on Friday evening.

OLD LYME — The traditional Friday night lawn concert, which has heralded the start of Old Lyme’s Midsummer Festival for many years, is happening again this year after a two-year COVID-enforced hiatus.

The concert takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Florence Griswold Museum when The Mighty Soul Drivers will perform.

The event is free and all are welcome.

Bring your chair or blanket and enjoy the classic Soul sounds of Memphis, Muscle Shoals and points South. The band takes their inspiration from the giants of Southern Soul – O.V. Wright, Percy Sledge, Otis Redding and more, combined with contemporary tunes written in the classic style.

The Mighty Soul Drivers are famed for turning every venue they play into a Soul dance party!

A large crowd traditionally gathers to enjoy the Midsummer Festival kick-off concert on the grounds of the Florence Griswold Museum. File photo.

Pack a picnic or enjoy the onsite food truck fare.

Also, from 5 to 7 p.m., there will be free admission to the current exhibition at the Museum.

This concert is sponsored by All Pro Automotive and Benchmark Wealth Management.