By The Museum of Newport Irish History
The Museum of Newport Irish History announces the fifth and final presentation of its 22nd Annual Lecture Series, to be presented at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, at the Wyndham Newport Hotel, 240 Aquidneck Avenue, Middletown, and live-streamed via Zoom. The lecture is made possible by a generous gift from Frank Furtado, given in memory of his wife, Barbara Carr Furtado.
Guest speaker Steve Marino will present an illustrated talk titled: “The Great Cutter Race of 1905: An Irish Tale of Gilded Age Newport.” Steve will tell the tale of the 4-mile rowing race in Newport Harbor that pitted the members of the recently established Hibernia Racing Club of Newport against the champion cutter racing crew of the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Squadron, assigned to the USS Kearsarge. Racing cutters became popular in Newport Harbor during the Gilded Age, and thousands of Newport’s citizens, Navy sailors, tourists, workers, and gamblers assembled to watch these 12-man boats compete. The August 1905 challenge race remains legendary.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and complimentary light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available. Reservations are required for both in-person and Zoom participation. A $5 fee/donation to attend in person is payable at the door (no fee to Zoom). Those who join the Museum to attend the talk will have the $5 fee waived.
For a complete talk overview, speaker bio, and links to reserve, please visit the “Lectures” page at www.NewportIrishHistory.org.
For more information or assistance with reservations or memberships, please write NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com or phone Ann Arnold at (401) 841-5493.
Note: “Cutters” of the late 19th and early 20th century were not regular row boats nor Irish currachs. Cutters were common accessory vessels to Navy ships of the era and were used to move personnel from place to place. These wooden boats could accommodate twelve rowers and a coxswain. Racing cutters became a popular activity in Newport Harbor during the Gilded Age