Situated in the heart of the Claddagh, Galway City, the Galway Hooker Sailing Club is a diverse community of people who work together to restore and sail our traditional wooden boat, the Galway Hooker. Our club’s mission is to promote and teach the skills required to sail and restore these traditional boats in both our local Galway community and beyond, to help preserve our great Irish heritage.
Established in 2019, Galway Hooker Sailing Club is a non-for-profit organisation, with all proceeds re-invested back into the club to continue our mission. We are an all-inclusive club and membership open to anyone who shares the same passion and drive as our club vision, which is to keep this traditional type of sailing alive for future generations and restore as many Galway Hookers as we can back onto the water.
The club leads the organisation of what is probably the most iconic sailing race on enclosed waters in Ireland. This is the most iconic and historic of Irish sailing races first held in 1882 and recognised as Europe’s oldest inland sailing competition. This year’s race will be held on Saturday, June 28.the The Cong to Galway Sailing Race course follows the old steamer route from Lisloughrey Pier near Cong through the length of the 30-nautical-mile inland waterway from the shadow of Ashford Castle to the River Corrib in Galway City. Sailing through Lough Corrib, Ireland’s second-largest lake, and down the Corrib River, finishing at Corrib Village in Galway is a great experience. it is raced in two legs. the first leg concludes at Kilbeg, where sailors break for lunch and refreshments. The second leg navigates the lake’s narrower channels and winding riverways to reach the finish line at Corrib Village. The race brings together skill, strategy and scenery in equal measure.
“It is a race steeped in history,m” according to the Hooker Sailing Club. Originally run as a round trip from Galway to Cong and back—a distance of over 60 nautical miles—the race was once a key social and sporting highlight until it paused after 1931.Revived in 1972, the Cong to Galway Sailing Race has been a beloved annual tradition ever since, celebrating the maritime heritage of the region and its resilient sailing community. In recent years, the race has welcomed a growing fleet of cruisers and the Galway Hookers—traditional wooden working boats unique to the west of Ireland—have added a stirring visual and cultural spectacle.
It is a .Community Collaboration, organised by a coalition of local clubs: Galway Bay Sailing Club, Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club, Galway City Sailing Club, Spiddal Sailing Club, Galway Hooker Sailing Club. Together, they ensure the event remains a celebration of community, seamanship and history.
“Spectators are welcome along the race route and at Corrib Village to witness the dramatic finish of this historic race. For those interested in sailing, heritage, or simply a great day out by the water, the Cong to Galway Sailing Race promises a memorable experience. The day will finish with celebrations and prize giving at the Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club,” say the organisers.
