Annie, Fiona, Eileen. The hookers of Galway have been serving the fishermen of the West since the 18th century. The Galway Hooker is the name given to the boat constructed specifically to deal with the unwieldy seas off the West Coast. It is most easily identified by the sail formation, which consists of a single mast with a main sail and two foresails. During their heyday they were used to ship goods throughout the West of Ireland. Everything from livestock to potatoes and peat were transported in the cargo area of these sturdy sailing vessels.

These the Galway Hookers have long since been replaced by power craft, they can still be viewed moored up in the Claddagh, the traditional home to Galway’s fishermen. Galway Hookers have experienced something of a revival as pleasure craft. Old boats have been painstakingly maintained and new ones constructed in response to the keen interest among enthusiasts and the public. The best place to see them in their full splendour is the annual Gathering of the Boats (Cruinniu na Mbad) Festival in Kinvara in early August.