LON DUBH

Lon Dubh is a 120 year old Gleoiteog that joined our club in 2021 as our main sail training vessel. She has had many adventures on the water since, from an annual appearance in both Crinniú na mBád and the Cong Galway race, to travelling overseas to the Brest International Maritime festival in 2024 where she proudly sailed alongside Nora Bheag and Loveen.

History of Lon Dubh

An Lon Dubh (The Blackbird) was built as a 22' "row boat" (bád iomartha) around 1900 by Patrick Griffin (Peaitín Phatch Ó Gríofa) in Lettermore, Co. Galway. The boat was built for the Conneelys of Tuairín, Béal an Daingin.

Patrick Griffin (Peaitín Phatch Ó Gríofa) is a grand uncle of Antaine Phat Willie Ó Gríofa, whose family now own and sail the Naomh Ina - a 28' Gleoiteóg Mór built by Michael Staff Mac Donnacha in 2019.

In the late 1990s, the Blackbird was owned for a short time by Patrick Connolly (Patrick 'Fóidín' Ó Conaola). During this time the boat was repaired by Colm Walsh (Colm Mhichael Labhráis Bhreathnaigh), the same man who rebuilt another of our club boats, the Lovely Anne, around the same time.

Shortly after the repairs were complete, Patrick Connolly sold the boat to Finn McMullan, an architect from Ballindereen, Co. Galway. Finn named the boat The Blackbird, and she has spent the following number of years based in Kinvara alongside one of our other club boats, Asurnaí.

The Blackbird was not rigged when Finn bought her. He tasked the Hernon family with completing a new set of spars for the boat. After the spars were complete, the Hernons set about recutting an old set of sails from the Nóra Bheag to suit the Blackbird.

In 2018, Finn sold the Blackbird to Séamus McHugh. Séamus adjusted the name of the boat to An Lon Dubh which is the Irish for Blackbird. Around this time, some planking and repairwork was carried out on the boat by Ben Gabriel, a furniture maker based in Gort, Co. Galway. Séamus also had a new set of Hyde sails cut for the boat, along with a new mast which was made in Canada.

In March 2021, Séamus McHugh and McHugh Property Holdings kindly sponsored An Lon Dubh and offered her to Galway Hooker Sailing Club for sail training and club use. The crew set to work restoring and repairing An Lon Dubh back to sailing condition. In 2022 she was renamed Lon Dubh by our crew.

Her Restoration

Lon Dubh came to the club at a time of uncertainity in the world, a time where everyone was adapting to the reality of lockdowns and having to stay apart.

An Lon Dubh was launched in May 2021 at the Port of Galway, following just 10 weeks of work by over 60 volunteer crew.