Did the title get your attention?

We begun our day tour with a walk to the Galway Hooker Sailing Club to observe restoration efforts on one of Ireland’s traditional wooden sailing boats.

A Galway hooker is a traditional wooden sailing boat from the west coast of Ireland, famous for its distinct black hull and dark red-brown sails. Developed in the late 18th century, these sturdy and agile vessels were built to withstand the rough seas of the Atlantic Ocean. The name “hooker” comes from “hook and line” fishing, which was the primary long-lining method used by local fishermen before nets became widespread. 

The restoration efforts we witnessed are on the 1924 hooker named Claddagh and the Galway Hooker Sailing Club is employing master boat builders from around the world expert in traditional wooden boat construction. It was quite fascinating watching one of the young craftsmen working on the boat while we were there.

Our next tour stop was the Galway Harbor. The harbor, aka Port of Galway, dates back to the 10th century, and is located directly in the heart of Galway City. There, we saw both old and new marine vessels, as well as commercial ships and small fishing boats.

Since lunch was on our own, Kay and I walked to The Kings Head Pub where we enjoyed the best chowder we’d ever eaten; it was filled with chunky seafood.