Round-the-world travellers arrive home

A slice of toast, a glass of fresh milk, a bit of space and a night's (uninterrupted) sleep in the home bed - four Cork sailors intend to make the most of these little luxuries after an 18-month global circumnavigation in aid of the Chernobyl children's charity.

A floating bagpiper, two currachs, a kayak and a fleet of up to 50 other vessels including Cork's legendary yacht Moonduster greeted the 51-foot ketch Golden Apple on its return to its native port on Saturday morning. A Cork port tug spraying its fire hoses, and a flamboyant banner made by schoolchildren participating in International Low Tide Day at Roche's Point added to the festivities on land and at sea, while Crosshaven itself was en fete.

Also there were two crews doing their own bit for the global environment. With muscle, rather than diesel, the oarsmen in currachs built by Meitheal Mara in Cork raced the convoy in.

Such was the enthusiasm at the Royal Cork Yacht Club, where more than 1,000 people had gathered to cheer the crew, that the pontoon began to sink as the crew disembarked. Among the crowd were three of the Chernobyl children now living in Ireland - Alexei Barrett of Dublin, Vanya Cadogan of Ballineen, Co Cork and Anna Gabriel of Bandon, Co Cork.

Bearing garlands of paper flowers, the three children decorated the windburnt sailors. "A fantastic achievement," said the Minister for Education, Mr Martin, who led the official welcoming party, which included representatives of Cork Corporation, Cork County Council, the church, the Naval Service and the sailing community. If there was a customs officer around for the routine port check, he or she was keeping a discreet distance.

The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, despatched his own salute by fax, saying the triumphant return of Tony, Andrew, Rory and Rebecca Coveney served as an example to young people all over Ireland. "Their wonderful accomplishment continues a centuries-long tradition of Irish navigators stretching back to St Brendan," said Dr Woods in a statement.

The sailors' first official contact with the Irish State was 11 miles south of Roche's Point at 7.20 a.m. on Saturday when the naval patrol ship LE Aisling rendezvoused with Golden Apple and escorted her in. On board were the two eldest Coveney brothers, Patrick, and Simon - former skipper of the ketch and now a TD - and Adi Roche, of the Chernobyl Children's Trust.

Ms Roche has already spent some of the £400,000 raised in the venture. She hopes that a small orphanage for children may be built in Belarus, which would be named after the late Hugh Coveney. Also present at the yacht club was Natailai Gontchar, a former biochemist from Belarus, who now serves as the Irish charity's liaison officer.

The work isn't quite over for the four Coveneys. Having attended a 300-seat fundraising dinner in Carrigaline, Co Cork last night, they will talk to schools at the yacht club in Crosshaven today, and then the skipper, Rory, has a book to write which will be published by Mercier Press. Goldie, as the ketch is nicknamed, also needs considerable overhaul. But then it is unlikely that the boat, originally built for a man who never realised his dream to sail around the world, will be nosing out of the safety of Cork Harbour too soon.