Galway City gifted world's largest Galway Hooker - crafted by an expat in Chicago

Bádóirí an Chladaigh, the classic boat-building and training group in Co Galway, has announced the official donation and transfer of the Naomh Bairbre, the world’s largest Galway hooker, back to Galway County.

The handover ceremony took place in the Claddagh Basin on Saturday, July 20, attended by the new city mayor, Fianna Fáil councillor Peter Keane, alongside notable community figures.

The Naomh Bairbre’s new role as a sail training vessel and a floating arts space promises to enrich Galway’s maritime and cultural heritage, offering a unique platform for both seasoned sailors and budding artists.

When Connemara carpenter Steve Mulkerrins declared his intention to build and sail a Galway hooker from Chicago to his homeland, it seemed an ambitious dream.

Remarkably, not only did he accomplish this feat, constructing the largest Galway hooker ever in his shed with the help of many supporters, but he also sailed it through the Great Lakes and across the Atlantic in 2006.

Mulkerrins has now donated this magnificent vessel to serve as a sail training platform and a floating arts space in Galway City.

"At 47 feet (14 meters) long and with a 47-foot-high mast, the Naomh Bairbre is a striking presence in the Claddagh Basin," said Peter Connolly of Bádóirí an Chladaigh.

"We are delighted with Steve’s gesture, and we plan to ensure it becomes a municipal floating arts space for artists and musicians who can use it when it is not out sailing.

"Given Galway’s relative lack of artistic venues, this opportunity may prove invaluable for young artists."

Mulkerrins, originally from Maumeen, Co Galway, expressed his desire for the Naomh Bairbre to remain in Galway, emphasizing its heritage as a Galway hooker.

"I want it to stay now in Galway, as it is called a Galway hooker for a reason, and it will be a great boat for sailing training and day trips in the bay, and for artists in the winter."

He embarked on this project while living and working in Chicago for 12 years, and in Boston before that.

With the support of his wife Agnes and their three children, he imported wood from Co Wicklow in two 12-meter containers and invested a significant amount of his own money into the construction. The project saw contributions from various individuals, including balladeer John Flaherty.

The inspiration behind the ambitious journey was to honour the memory of his late father, Colm. The 3,200 km navigation from Chicago to the Hudson River marked the beginning of a meticulously planned voyage home. Naomh Bairbre traversed the Great Lakes, ventured to Newfoundland, returned south to New York, and finally made the Atlantic crossing in 2006. The journey culminated after 28 days at sea, with a triumphant arrival past the Aran Islands and into the quay at Maumeen, accompanied by his shipmates Pat and Tom Joyce, Coley Newell, and Barney Flaherty.