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Displaying items by tag: Galway Hooker

A collaboration between Galway Bay Boat Tours, Galway Hooker Sailing Club and Galway Bay Seafoods, this will celebrate Galway’s maritime culture on October 21/22/23, a 3-day event in Galway’s Docklands, the harbour, the commercial Docks, Claddagh and along the seashore.

The festival will highlight Galway’s seafood and introduce the public to the city’s iconic Galway Hooker sailing boats and its maritime history, according to the organisers; “Get to meet the boat builders, sample seafood, take a guided walk around the Docklands, go on board a boat for a spin through Claddagh. There will be supervised sessions on how to drive a motorboat. The festival will have something for everyone, sea-themed activities, art competitions, crafts and entertainment for all the family.”

Speakers will talk about Galway’s maritime heritage, with rigging demonstrations of the Galway Hookers and a Parade of Sail.

The festival will finish with an auction in Claddagh Hall on Sunday evening, October 23.

Funds raised will go to Galway RNLI and LAST - Lost at Sea Tragedies.

Published in Galway Harbour

The risks to fishermen in Galway Bay during the first world war is theme of a Heritage Week talk by Donncha Ó hÉallaithe this Sunday evening.

Ó hÉallaithe will be followed by Dr Micheál Ó Fathartaigh of the Dublin Business School, who will examine the policies adopted by the new Irish state to promote the fishing industry.

He will also refer to episodes such as the Cleggan disaster, when 45 fishermen lost their lives off the Galway coast during a strong gale on October 27th, 1927.

The talks hosted by the Galway Hooker Sailing Club are free. The two talks will begin at 7 pm, with a short break between each, on Sunday evening, August 21st, in the Claddagh Hall on Nimmo’s Pier.

There will also be a photo exhibition which will feature the Truelight, the hooker built in Galway in 1922, along with historic images of the Claddagh.

The Truelight was built near the Spanish arch by Reaney boatbuilders in 1922, and it survived the Cleggan disaster of 1927 which Dr Ó Fahartaigh's presentation will refer to.

More information is here

Published in Galway Harbour
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Thunderstorms forced postponement of racing at the Cruinniú na mBád in Kinvara, Co Galway on Sunday for safety reasons, and the fleet will reconvene on Thursday.

However, An Mhaighdean Mhara was first boat home in the turf race from Parkmore to Kinvara on Saturday when hundreds of people attended the 43rd annual event.

The bád mór was followed by An Tonaí in light winds and an incoming tide, while gleoiteogs competed in the outer bay.

The St Catherine won the gleoteoig class, followed by Naomh Ciarán and An Phantra.

The Naomh Stiofáin won the gleoiteog beaga class, with second place going to the McHugh, according to festival organiser Dr Michael Brogan.

Sun was shining with record temperatures when the climín or seaweed contest took place in the inner harbour.

Climin race 2022 at Cruinniu na mBad Kinvara with Karen Weekes and Orla Knight the first female competitors Photo: Michael BroganClimin race 2022 at Cruinniu na mBad Kinvara with Karen Weekes and Orla Knight the first female competitors Photo: Michael Brogan

Solo transatlantic rower Dr Karen Weekes and Orla Knight became first females to compete, and the race was won by PJ and Michael from An Cheathrú Rua.

There to pay tribute to the festival effort was Independent TD for Roscommon-Galway Michael Fitzmaurice, who said he had taken a break from baling hay.

vRoscommon-Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice (Ind) on board An Tonaí at Parkmore pier, before it left for Cruinniú na mBád in Kinvara Photo: Michael BroganRoscommon-Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice (Ind) on board An Tonaí at Parkmore pier, before it left for Cruinniú na mBád in Kinvara Photo: Michael Brogan

“This is a long way out of my constituency, but these people have to be saluted for the work that has gone in to keeping this tradition alive,”Fitzmaurice said, standing on the deck of An Tonaí before it left with its turf cargo from Parkmore pier.

“It is keeping a torch lit, and it is great to hear that a lot of young people are involved in sailing these traditional vessels,” he said.

“This what Ireland is good at, all the villages around here are thronged with people today,” Fitzmaurice said.

“After a lot of beating and twisting and turning with Government, it has been agreed that when you own a bog, as people do in Connemara, you can cut it, you can give it or you can sell that turf yourself,” Fitzmaurice said.

Fine Gael Junior Housing Minister Peter Burke is due to sign the final regulations into law in the autumn, banning smoky fuel sales on retail premises and online, while preserving the entitlement of those with turbary rights to sell or give away their turf supplies.

“We have to remember that Bord Fáílte (former title for Fáilte Ireland) was the State body showing the person footing the bit of turf in the west of Ireland and the open fire – and sadly some people in Dublin 4 don’t understand our way of life, our heritage, our tradition, and, above all, our fuel supply,” Fitzmaurice said.

Declan O’Rourke, John Faulkner, Tony Trundel, Steve Johnston and Paul Mulligan were among musicians performing in Kinvara, and a hurling tournament was held in memory of festival founder Tony Moylan.

In 1979, Moylan persuaded three of the oldest wooden-built trading vessels with their distinctive “tumblehome” hulls to revive the sea journey from south Connemara to south Galway, where the limestone landscape meant communities had little access to turf.

Published in Galway Hookers

After a forced pandemic suspension, the Cruinniú na mBád festival of traditional craft returns this weekend to Kinvara, Co Galway.

The opening ceremony tonight, Friday, August 12th, will include speakers Dr Karen Weekes, the first Irish woman to row solo across the Atlantic, poster artist Lily Johnston, and local musicians attending will include Declan O’Rourke, John Faulkner, Tony Trundel, Steve Johnston and Paul Mulligan.

Kinvara’s Friday farmers’ market runs, as usual, this afternoon, while a hurling tournament will take place this evening in memory of festival founder Tony Moylan.

At the 40th anniversary cruinniú August 2019, a plaque dedicated to Moylan was unveiled at the Kinvara pier head, along with a wooden bench made by Kinvara men’s shed group.

Padraig Bailey tidies up the turf on the deck of the Galway Hooker, An Capall, after arriving off Parkmore on the the first leg of the turf race at the 2011 Cruinniu na mBad FestivalPadraig Bailey tidies up the turf on the deck of the Galway Hooker, An Capall, after arriving off Parkmore on the the first leg of the turf race at the 2011 Cruinniu na mBad Festival Photo: Joe O'Shaughnessy

In 1979, Moylan persuaded three of the oldest turfboats – Galway “bád mór” hookers, An Capall, An Tonaí and An Maighdean Mhara- to revive a sea journey from south Connemara to south Galway.

The wooden-built trading vessels with their distinctive “tumblehome” hulls had delivered turf to south Galway, Clare and the Aran Islands for generations, as neither the limestone Burren on Clare’s coast nor the Aran islands had landscape for turf.

An Tonai sails past Dunguaire Castle to Kinvara pier at the finish of the turf race at Cruinniu na mBad.An Tonai sails past Dunguaire Castle to Kinvara pier at the finish of the turf race at Cruinniu na mBad Joe O'Shaughnessy

As Afloat reported earlier, that vital freight journey will be remembered tomorrow, Saturday, August 13th, when a fleet loaded up with turf sods at Parkmore pier at 2.30 pm will sail into Kinvara at around 5 pm.

Saturday’s first event is horseshoe throwing from 12 noon, a village fete at the quay from 1 pm, the “Green Island” swim at 4 pm, and the fleet “sail-in” at 5 pm. Live music in Tully’s Bar on Saturday night will be performed by the Vibe Tribe.

On Sunday, August 14th, there will be outdoor mass at 12 noon and both horseshoe throwing and the village fete resume.

While Tully’s bar hosts a live “trad” music session from 3 pm, the race of hookers, including the bád mor, leath-bhád, gleoiteog and pucán, will set off from 3 pm out in the bay.

The cargo is thrown ashore from the Galway hooker An Tonai at Kinvara Pier following the 2011 Turf Race at Cruinniu na mBadThe cargo is thrown ashore from the Galway hooker An Tonai at Kinvara Pier following the 2011 Turf Race at Cruinniu na mBad Photo: Joe O'Shaughnessy

A children’s fancy dress contest takes place at 4 pm on Sunday, and the hotly contested climín or seaweed raft race is on the water at 4pm. Among the participants will be a team including transatlantic oarswoman Dr Karen Weekes.

The cruinniú award ceremony is scheduled for 5 pm, and there will also be an auction of paintings, before it closes on Sunday evening.

Published in Galway Hookers

When the highly-respected Organising Chairman Dr Mick Brogan declared - in May 2020 - that the annual Cruinniu na mBad - the Gathering of the Boats - could not be held in August at Kinvara in face of the spread of the COVID pandemic, "See You In 2021" became the mutually-supportive greeting among the festival's many enthusiasts.

Yet if ever there was a "Super-spreader Event Competition", then Kinvara's three days of intensive festivities afloat and ashore would win by a large margin. So there was no way it could be held in 2021 either.

But this weekend from 12th to 14th August, Cruinniu na mBad 2022 at Kinvara is back in turbo-powered style, complete with the promise of good weather to do it justice. It is a celebration of just about every aspect of life in the west of Ireland, presented with a nautical flavour. And apart from the traditional unloading of the turf which will have been sailed in across Galway Bay by the hookers from south Connemara, for those whose main interest is sailing the focus of the racing takes place right off the pierhead on Sunday afternoon.

An ancient festival, Cruinniu na mBad at Kinvara was revived on an annual basis in 1979An ancient festival, Cruinniu na mBad at Kinvara was revived on an annual basis in 1979

Published in Galway Hookers

The first appearance of a Galway Hooker on the Dutch canals is likely to create a lot of attention and there may even be links found between the traditional West of Ireland boat and historic vessels in Holland 

The ‘Galway Hooker Sailing Club’s Loveen Tour’ will take the 97-year-old vessel to represent Ireland’s traditional nautical heritage at NaWaKa, the Scout International National Water Kamp held every four years in the Netherlands with over 7,000 participants.

Loveen sailing on Galway BayLoveen sailing on Galway Bay

Loveen, whose story captivated the Galway sailing community during her two-year restoration, will be accompanied by 40 Galway Sea Scouts, their leaders and family members at the event.

Loveen during her refurbishment in GalwayLoveen during her refurbishment in Galway

The gleoiteog was originally built in Galway in 1925 and gifted by the Dolan family in 2011 to become a sail training vessel for the Port of Galway Sea Scouts. The Scouts needed help to make her seaworthy, so the Galway Hooker Sailing Club volunteers brought Loveen back to her former glory, starting work in 2019. In October 2021, she was launched and has made an impressive sight since when seen sailing in the Claddagh and on Galway Bay.

Next month Loveen will join a flotilla of other national sailing vessels during Nawaka, from August 7 to 18 in Landgoed Zeewolde, 40 km east of Amsterdam.

Colette Furey of the Galway Hooker Sailing Club told me (below) about the new voyage of Loveen…

Published in Tom MacSweeney
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Weather has once again forced the postponement of Féile an Spidéil, the regatta for traditional craft in Co Galway.

The regatta, which was originally set for June 12th off An Spidéil on the northern shores of Galway Bay, had been due to take place today, June 19th.

However, a forecast of force five winds gusting to force six from a north-west to northerly direction been issued for the west coast from Mizen to Erris Head for Sunday afternoon.

A large fleet of traditional craft had been anticipated for the 2022 event, but safety of crew and boats dictated another deferral to a date yet to be agreed.

In a statement issued in Irish on Saturday evening, organiser Jimmy Keady said that “ de bharr cúrsaí aimsire agus sábhailteacht na mbád agus criúnna, tá geallta an lá amárcah curtha ar athló”.

“Tá fórsa 5 le gustaí fórsa 6 geallta ag a 3 [a chlog] amárach,”the statement read.

The regatta programme aimed to include races for báid mhóra and leath bháid in the Galway hooker class.

Bádóirí an Cladaig, based in Galway city, had also planned to send several craft to the event, availability of crews and weather permitting.

The three city-based boats include the recently refurbished 31 ft leath bhád Mairtín Joe, the 32 ft leath bhád Croí an Cladaig, and the 40 ft Naomh Cronáin.

The Mairtín Joe was originally built by the Cloherty brothers in Mweenish, Carna in 1979 for Noel Ó Tuairisc in Indreabhán, Co Galway, and was sold on to Judge John Lindsay in Dublin. Before his death, he donated the vessel to Galway for promotion of sail training and tourism.

Published in Galway Hookers
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Féile an Spidéil, the regatta for traditional craft in Co Galway, has been postponed by a week due to weather.

A large fleet of traditional craft is anticipated for the 2022 event, which has been rescheduled for Sunday, June 19th.

It had been due to take place this weekend, but weather factors dictated a decision to put it back a week.

The regatta programme will include races for báid mhóra and leath bháid in the Galway hooker class, according to organiser Jimmy Keady.

Bádóirí an Cladaig, based in Galway city, aims to send three craft to the event, availability of crews and weather permitting.

The three city-based boats include the recently refurbished 31 ft leath bhád Mairtín Joe, the 32 ft leath bhád Croí an Cladaig, and the 40 ft Naomh Cronáin.

The Mairtín Joe was originally built by the Cloherty brothers in Mweenish, Carna in 1979 for Noel Ó Tuairisc in Indreabhán, Co Galway, and was sold on to Judge John Lindsay in Dublin. Before his death, he donated the vessel to Galway for promotion of sail training and tourism.

Peter Connolly of Badóirí an Cladaig said that the community group had the vessel since 2010, with Galway company Cold Chon sponsoring transport west.

Master builder Joe Joyce completed what is now effectively a replica of the original, he said.

Feile an Spideil is scheduled for 2 pm on June 19th.

Published in Galway Hookers
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A large fleet of traditional craft is anticipated for Féile an Spidéil which takes to the water off An Spidéil, Co Galway, on June 12th.

The regatta programme will include races for báid mhóra and leath bháid in the Galway hooker class, according to organiser Jimmy Keady.

Bádóirí an Cladaig, based in Galway city, aims to send three craft to the event, availability of crews and weather permitting.

The three city-based boats include the recently refurbish 31 ft leath bhád Mairtín Joe, the 32 ft leath bhád Croí an Cladaig, and the 40 ft Naomh Cronáin.

The Mairtín Joe was originally built by the Cloherty brothers in Mweenish, Carna in 1979 for Noel Ó Tuairisc in Indreabhán, Co Galway, and was sold on to Judge John Lindsay in Dublin. Before his death, he donated the vessel to Galway for promotion of sail training and tourism.

Peter Connolly of Badóirí an Cladaig said that the community group had the vessel since 2010, with Galway company Cold Chon sponsoring transport west. Master builder Joe Joyce completed what is now effectively a replica of the original, he said.

Feile an Spideil is scheduled for 2pm on June 12th.

Published in Galway Hookers
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Slipping out into Galway Bay before sunrise, several traditional craft from Galway Hooker Sailing Club participated in the Darkness into Light national fundraiser on  Saturday.

“When a community comes together, it’s amazing what can be done,” the club said after the highly successful event took place.

The vessels were on the water even as hundreds of people gathered from 4 am on Saturday in Salthill to walk the promenade and shoreline in aid of the charity Pieta.

The city-based club was one of a number of sailing and boating clubs around the country to support the national event, which raises awareness about suicide and fundraises for the support work conducted by Pieta.

Galway City Sailing Club and Galway Bay Sailing Club also responded to the on-water appeal.

“This morning the Galway community came out to walk, run, sail and motor into the day as the sun rose,” Galway Hooker Sailing Club said.

“It was a beautiful morning and we would like to thank everyone,” it said.

Over 3.7 million euros had been pledged to the charity last night, close to its 4 million euro target. Some 54,000 euros of this was raised across 19 venues in Galway, on and off water.

Founded in Dublin in 2006, Pieta was established to provide free, accessible one-to-one counselling to people suffering from suicidal ideation, engaging in self-harm or to those bereaved by suicide.

Published in Galway Hookers
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Irish Fishing industry 

The Irish Commercial Fishing Industry employs around 11,000 people in fishing, processing and ancillary services such as sales and marketing. The industry is worth about €1.22 billion annually to the Irish economy. Irish fisheries products are exported all over the world as far as Africa, Japan and China.

FAQs

Over 16,000 people are employed directly or indirectly around the coast, working on over 2,000 registered fishing vessels, in over 160 seafood processing businesses and in 278 aquaculture production units, according to the State's sea fisheries development body Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).

All activities that are concerned with growing, catching, processing or transporting fish are part of the commercial fishing industry, the development of which is overseen by BIM. Recreational fishing, as in angling at sea or inland, is the responsibility of Inland Fisheries Ireland.

The Irish fishing industry is valued at 1.22 billion euro in gross domestic product (GDP), according to 2019 figures issued by BIM. Only 179 of Ireland's 2,000 vessels are over 18 metres in length. Where does Irish commercially caught fish come from? Irish fish and shellfish is caught or cultivated within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but Irish fishing grounds are part of the common EU "blue" pond. Commercial fishing is regulated under the terms of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), initiated in 1983 and with ten-yearly reviews.

The total value of seafood landed into Irish ports was 424 million euro in 2019, according to BIM. High value landings identified in 2019 were haddock, hake, monkfish and megrim. Irish vessels also land into foreign ports, while non-Irish vessels land into Irish ports, principally Castletownbere, Co Cork, and Killybegs, Co Donegal.

There are a number of different methods for catching fish, with technological advances meaning skippers have detailed real time information at their disposal. Fisheries are classified as inshore, midwater, pelagic or deep water. Inshore targets species close to shore and in depths of up to 200 metres, and may include trawling and gillnetting and long-lining. Trawling is regarded as "active", while "passive" or less environmentally harmful fishing methods include use of gill nets, long lines, traps and pots. Pelagic fisheries focus on species which swim close to the surface and up to depths of 200 metres, including migratory mackerel, and tuna, and methods for catching include pair trawling, purse seining, trolling and longlining. Midwater fisheries target species at depths of around 200 metres, using trawling, longlining and jigging. Deepwater fisheries mainly use trawling for species which are found at depths of over 600 metres.

There are several segments for different catching methods in the registered Irish fleet – the largest segment being polyvalent or multi-purpose vessels using several types of gear which may be active and passive. The polyvalent segment ranges from small inshore vessels engaged in netting and potting to medium and larger vessels targeting whitefish, pelagic (herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting) species and bivalve molluscs. The refrigerated seawater (RSW) pelagic segment is engaged mainly in fishing for herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting only. The beam trawling segment focuses on flatfish such as sole and plaice. The aquaculture segment is exclusively for managing, developing and servicing fish farming areas and can collect spat from wild mussel stocks.

The top 20 species landed by value in 2019 were mackerel (78 million euro); Dublin Bay prawn (59 million euro); horse mackerel (17 million euro); monkfish (17 million euro); brown crab (16 million euro); hake (11 million euro); blue whiting (10 million euro); megrim (10 million euro); haddock (9 million euro); tuna (7 million euro); scallop (6 million euro); whelk (5 million euro); whiting (4 million euro); sprat (3 million euro); herring (3 million euro); lobster (2 million euro); turbot (2 million euro); cod (2 million euro); boarfish (2 million euro).

Ireland has approximately 220 million acres of marine territory, rich in marine biodiversity. A marine biodiversity scheme under Ireland's operational programme, which is co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Government, aims to reduce the impact of fisheries and aquaculture on the marine environment, including avoidance and reduction of unwanted catch.

EU fisheries ministers hold an annual pre-Christmas council in Brussels to decide on total allowable catches and quotas for the following year. This is based on advice from scientific bodies such as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. In Ireland's case, the State's Marine Institute publishes an annual "stock book" which provides the most up to date stock status and scientific advice on over 60 fish stocks exploited by the Irish fleet. Total allowable catches are supplemented by various technical measures to control effort, such as the size of net mesh for various species.

The west Cork harbour of Castletownbere is Ireland's biggest whitefish port. Killybegs, Co Donegal is the most important port for pelagic (herring, mackerel, blue whiting) landings. Fish are also landed into Dingle, Co Kerry, Rossaveal, Co Galway, Howth, Co Dublin and Dunmore East, Co Waterford, Union Hall, Co Cork, Greencastle, Co Donegal, and Clogherhead, Co Louth. The busiest Northern Irish ports are Portavogie, Ardglass and Kilkeel, Co Down.

Yes, EU quotas are allocated to other fleets within the Irish EEZ, and Ireland has long been a transhipment point for fish caught by the Spanish whitefish fleet in particular. Dingle, Co Kerry has seen an increase in foreign landings, as has Castletownbere. The west Cork port recorded foreign landings of 36 million euro or 48 per cent in 2019, and has long been nicknamed the "peseta" port, due to the presence of Spanish-owned transhipment plant, Eiranova, on Dinish island.

Most fish and shellfish caught or cultivated in Irish waters is for the export market, and this was hit hard from the early stages of this year's Covid-19 pandemic. The EU, Asia and Britain are the main export markets, while the middle Eastern market is also developing and the African market has seen a fall in value and volume, according to figures for 2019 issued by BIM.

Fish was once a penitential food, eaten for religious reasons every Friday. BIM has worked hard over several decades to develop its appeal. Ireland is not like Spain – our land is too good to transform us into a nation of fish eaters, but the obvious health benefits are seeing a growth in demand. Seafood retail sales rose by one per cent in 2019 to 300 million euro. Salmon and cod remain the most popular species, while BIM reports an increase in sales of haddock, trout and the pangasius or freshwater catfish which is cultivated primarily in Vietnam and Cambodia and imported by supermarkets here.

The EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), initiated in 1983, pooled marine resources – with Ireland having some of the richest grounds and one of the largest sea areas at the time, but only receiving four per cent of allocated catch by a quota system. A system known as the "Hague Preferences" did recognise the need to safeguard the particular needs of regions where local populations are especially dependent on fisheries and related activities. The State's Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, based in Clonakilty, Co Cork, works with the Naval Service on administering the EU CFP. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and Department of Transport regulate licensing and training requirements, while the Marine Survey Office is responsible for the implementation of all national and international legislation in relation to safety of shipping and the prevention of pollution.

Yes, a range of certificates of competency are required for skippers and crew. Training is the remit of BIM, which runs two national fisheries colleges at Greencastle, Co Donegal and Castletownbere, Co Cork. There have been calls for the colleges to be incorporated into the third-level structure of education, with qualifications recognised as such.

Safety is always an issue, in spite of technological improvements, as fishing is a hazardous occupation and climate change is having its impact on the severity of storms at sea. Fishing skippers and crews are required to hold a number of certificates of competency, including safety and navigation, and wearing of personal flotation devices is a legal requirement. Accidents come under the remit of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, and the Health and Safety Authority. The MCIB does not find fault or blame, but will make recommendations to the Minister for Transport to avoid a recurrence of incidents.

Fish are part of a marine ecosystem and an integral part of the marine food web. Changing climate is having a negative impact on the health of the oceans, and there have been more frequent reports of warmer water species being caught further and further north in Irish waters.

Brexit, Covid 19, EU policies and safety – Britain is a key market for Irish seafood, and 38 per cent of the Irish catch is taken from the waters around its coast. Ireland's top two species – mackerel and prawns - are 60 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively, dependent on British waters. Also, there are serious fears within the Irish industry about the impact of EU vessels, should they be expelled from British waters, opting to focus even more efforts on Ireland's rich marine resource. Covid-19 has forced closure of international seafood markets, with high value fish sold to restaurants taking a large hit. A temporary tie-up support scheme for whitefish vessels introduced for the summer of 2020 was condemned by industry organisations as "designed to fail".

Sources: Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Marine Institute, Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, Department of Transport © Afloat 2020