Rathmullan regatta is an event that has been in existence for around 190 years. This particular one was filmed by Willie McElwee from Milford on a 16mm cine camera in 1960. The oil tankers anchored out at sea were owned by Shell Oil. They were awaiting scrapping as they were not allowed to go through the Suez during the Cold War and it wasn’t economically viable to send them around the Cape of Africa.

FROM THE ARCHIVES OF ARTHUR LYNCH 

Arthur Lynch was born in the townland of Leathardan, four miles north of Rathmullan. He went to St Garvan's NS in Drumhalla and after that to Loreto Convent in Milford where he was one of the first batch of children to avail of free education.

His father was a man who "raked" most nights and he brought him along with him - this is probably where he acquired llove of local history and lore. He married Ann in 1977 and worked in the building trade most of his life.

Arthur joined the Rathmullan and District Local History Society and took part in many enjoyable activities, such as talks, poetry nights and he did some videos on local people and events.He has a business which does wedding videos and covers some other events as well. Arthur also converts old analog videos to digital form.

Over the years Arthur has recorded a lot of people talking about their lives, very often these are quite ordinary lives but, as he says, “I know that in fifty years or more from now these stories might seem strange and interesting to a lot of people not least their descendants.I always say hearing it first hand is so much better than someone trying to describe something they themselves did not experience”.