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Blessing of the Bay
The Blessing of the Bay ceremony held each year in the
Claddagh, Galway. He sees it as a colourful expression of ancient, local
faith.On a Sunday in mid August near the feast of The Assumption of Our Lady,
crowds come to Claddagh for the age-old blessing of Galway Bay. The reason for
the choice of a mid-August blessing is clear. About this date the herring
season opens, and most probably the blessing of the bay originated in the
anxiety of the Claddagh fishing folk to get God's blessing on their work, and
his help in bringing their light hookers and currachs safely home after each
voyage to sea.Volvo ocean race galway 2012 (30th June-8th July)
History of galway boats
The traditional boat of the Claddagh fishermen was the unique Claddagh Hooker,
named after the hooked fishing lines used before the introduction of
nets.
The hooker was constructed by hand using tarred timbers and was blackened by a
kind of emulsion of creosote and coal. Its sails consisted of three brown
sails, the main sail, the foresail on either side of the mast and a jib sail
extended beyond the bow. The special rust colour of the sails came from being
soaked in a solution made from tree bark, a process known as "barking".
There were four types of hooker, each of a different size: an bád mór, an
leathbhád, an gleoiteog agus an púcán.
During the 19th century the Claddagh fishing industry went into decline due to
increasing competition from larger trawlers which were fishing in Galway Bay.
This gradually led to reduction in the hooker fleet asthe larger and more
efficient trawlers began to take over. This trend continued into the 20th
century and as a result the hooker fleet was decimated. In 1980 there was no
Claddagh hooker to take the Dominican priest out to bless Galway Bay. This was
the first time this ever happened in the Claddagh.
In the past few years there has been a reversal in the fortunes of the Galway
hooker and some people, especially in Conamara, have began to restore old boats
and build new ones. The remaining Claddagh hookers are docked around the
Claddagh, and there are many who hope they can be restored to their former
glory. Click on the link below to learn more about the work being done by the
Cumann hÚicéirí na Gaillimhe.
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BOAT MAINTENANCE
To ensure the maximum enjoyment of the season, Truelight Marine offer service
programs, available weekly to suit your needs.
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BOAT REPAIRS
Truelight Marine specialises in boat repairs, generally carried out on-site,
but we also offer to repair your boat or boat engine at our workshop.
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BOAT SAFETY
While accidents do happen, knowledge and preparation go a long way toward
returning to the dock safely.
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TRANSPORTING YOUR BOAT
We provide door to door service and base our business on customer service and
satisfaction. We never compromise on these beliefs.
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