A 97-year-old Galway Hooker will make history next weekend when she leaves the Western shores bound for the Netherlands for an international scouting event.
Loveen, one of the boats with Galway Hooker Sailing Club, will head to the Netherlands between 8 and 17 August to represent Ireland’s traditional nautical heritage at the NaWaKa event.
The hooker will join a flotilla of other national sailing vessels during the festival, which will see sea scouts from all around Europe gather in Landgoed Zeewolde.
Scout groups are being encouraged to bring their own national sailing vessel to the 10-day spectacle, so it can be part of the shared learning experience and vibrant cultural exchange.
Port of Galway Sea Scouts are bringing 40 children and Loveen, and ten support crew from the Galway Hooker Sailing Club will also attend to assist the scouts.
The Hooker, a gleoiteog built in 1925, was gifted to Port of Galway Sea Scouts in 211 by the Dolan family, and caught the attention of people at home and abroad during her two-year restoration.
The restoration by Galway Hooker Sailing Club started in September 2019 and continued during the pandemic whenever possible, before launching in October 2021 at the Spanish Arch in Galway city.
The story generated huge interest both locally and online as it connected so many people to Galway.
