While the exact origin of the majestic Galway Hooker is somewhat elusive there is no doubt that this boat is intrinsically linked with the West of Ireland and its maritime history.
Its great strength and pace enabled it to navigate the stormy seas off the west coast during the late 18th and 19th centuries, with boats of varying sizes carrying cargo such as fish or turf from Connemara to the Aran Islands and the Burren of Co. Clare.
Larch, oak and beech were traditionally used in the building of these sturdy craft and the timbers were tarred with a mixture of creosote and coal. The hull was decked from the stem to the mast beam and a small cabin or cuddy provided cooking and sleeping quarters.
Depleting fishing stocks and modern technology eventually lead to the demise of the Hooker as a working vessel, which by the mid 1970s was at risk of becoming extinct.But a renewed passion for these wonderful icons of Galway has led to a fantastic revival and many Galway Hookers have been lovingly restored and new ones built.
These beautiful boats, which have three distinctive dark red-brown sails on a single mast, can increasingly be seen on Galway’s coastline especially at regattas and gatherings such as Cruinniú na mBád in Kinvara and Féile an Dóilín in Carraroe, where more and more people fall in love with the enchanting Galway Hooker.