Galway Hooker (Púcán sail on top)
| 
The 'McHugh', off Caladh Thaidhg Pier |
|
The
Galway Hooker is a wooden sailing vessel, that started life as a
working boat in Galway Bay, primarily a fishing boat and cargo boat,
bring turf to the Aran Island, for example.
The beautiful boats usually
have a black hull and tan or black sails. The Galway Hooker carries
three sails (with the exception of the Púcán, which carries two sails).
There are four different classes of Hooker, the Bád Mór (Big Boat)
(35-44 foot/10.5-13.5 metres in length), the Leath Bhád (Half Boat),
(28-35 foot/8.5-10.5 metres in length), the Gleoiteog (24-28 foot/7-8.5
metres in length) and the Púcán (approximately the same size as the
Gleoiteog).
With the coming of coal to the Aran Island, and
engined boats, the Galway Hooker's era as a working boat was over from
the 1960s and few were to be seen in Galway Bay until a revival in the
late 1970s.
Féile an Dóilín has been an integral part of this revival, and, indeed, the Féile has come to national prominence in recent years for the largest gathering ever of Galway Hookers at a regatta.
| |
