The Galway Hooker Sailing Club has received €35,000 towards the development of a dedicated boatbuilding and training centre at Galway Docks.
The funding has been provided by the Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) West programme.
It is part of the Coastal Communities Development Scheme managed by BIM and funded by the Government and the EU under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund.
The new centre will provide a permanent base for the restoration, preservation and sailing of Galway hookers, traditional wooden vessels synonymous with Galway Bay and the west coast’s maritime history.
Welcoming the investment, BIM Interim CEO Richard Donnelly said:
“This FLAG investment demonstrates BIM’s commitment to sustaining vibrant coastal communities by supporting projects that protect marine heritage, build skills and create long-term social and economic value.”
“The Galway Hooker is an enduring symbol of our maritime identity, and this project will help ensure that both the vessels and the traditional skills required to maintain them are passed on to future generations.”
“The FLAG programme empowers community-led initiatives linked to the seafood sector, helping to diversify local economies and support meaningful employment. The work of the Galway Hooker Sailing Club is a strong example of how heritage preservation and community development can go hand in hand,” he said.
Founded in 2019, the Galway Hooker Sailing Club has already restored and maintained several vessels and now manages a fleet of 11 Galway hookers.
Over the past six years, the club has represented Galway at maritime festivals across Ireland and Europe and founded the Galway Docklands Festival in 2022 to celebrate traditional boatbuilding and maritime culture.
In 2025, the Oliver family entrusted one of the most renowned Galway Hookers, Claddagh, to the club. Its restoration will be the first major community-led project undertaken in the new workshop.
The club’s youth development officer, Maria Buckley said that “the new boatbuilding centre provides a safe, fully equipped space for hands-on restoration and maritime craft training”.
“It allows us to expand our programmes for apprentices, students, enthusiasts and local schools, while keeping traditional skills alive.”
A pilot Transition Year work experience programme is already underway, giving young people the opportunity to learn wooden boatbuilding directly from experienced craftspeople.
“There is enormous interest in the Galway hookers from people of all ages and backgrounds,” Maria added. “You don’t need to come from a sailing or fishing tradition to be involved. This is about inclusion, learning and pride in our shared maritime heritage.”
Collette Furey, who coordinates the club’s hooker skills course – combining classroom learning, boat restoration and on-the-water sailing – said the renewed focus on the hooker marks an important turning point.
“Galway hookers are more than boats; they are living symbols of our community and heritage. This project is about stewardship, not commercial gain – ensuring that boatbuilding skills and maritime knowledge continue for generations,”she said.
The boatbuilding and training centre will host regular workshop Saturdays and public drop-in sessions, encouraging community participation, woodworking skills development and a deeper appreciation of maritime heritage.
The closing date for applications to the FLAG Coastal Communities Development Scheme is January 29th, 2026. Further details are available at bim.ie.
