Fishing Boats Face Bleak Future

Date Published: 08-Aug-2008

THERE have been many threats in the past to the boating tradition in the Claddagh, but the latest one has come from a lack of Government funding, which is said to be threatening its very future.

For the first time in 47 years, King of the Claddagh, Michael Lynskey, missed out on sailing his boat during the annual ‘Blessing of the Bay’ ceremony, and indeed will have to miss Cruinniú na mBád next weekend as his Galway Hooker, or ‘Gleoiteog’, is not seaworthy to make the journey to Kinvara.

The 76 years old Claddagh native bought the boat, which was his second, from a Connemara man in 1991, and he now estimates that it is 100 years old. However, one winter when it was on the dry dock it was vandalised and will cost about €10,000 to repair.

“Every year I spend a lot of time and money keeping it seaworthy, so that it is safe at sea, but mine has reached a stage where it needs a thorough overhaul, and that is too expensive for me,” he told the Galway City Tribune yesterday.

“I have been going to the Blessing of the Bay since…