List of
Ownership
| Owner List | Year | Owner Name | Vessel Name | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Owner | c1905-1912 | Named Banshee (unofficially) | Gaff Rigged (Gleoiteóg Mór) | |
| 2nd Owner | 1943 | Micheál Bowles | Named Banshee (officially) | – |
| 3rd Owner | Late 1940’s | Harry Knott, Dublin | Renamed Pamela | Transformed into small yacht |
| 4th Owner | Mid 1950’s | Fergus Cahill, Dublin | Various names – Myles na gCopaleen, Cú Uladh | |
| 5th Owner | 1980’s | Pádraig Ó Tuairsig, Inis Mór, Galway | Renamed An Cáilín Dubh | Major repairs made |
| 6th Owner | 1990’s | Johnny Moynihan, Galway | Full Rebuild | |
| 7th Owner | Mid 1990’s | Paddy Barry & Liam Ó Tuairsig | Renamed Cáilín Dubh | |
| Current Owner(s) | 2023 | Enda Ó Coineen & Liam Ó Tuairsig | Renamed Banshee | – |
| Caretakers | 2025 | Galway Hooker Sailing Club | – | – |
What began as a
Gleoiteóg mór
Built at a time where boatbuilding schemes were used to support coastal communities, the story of Banshee began at Semple’s Yard. The exact year Mark Mulkerrin and his two son’s completed the build is a mystery – either in 1905 when son’s Morgan and Patrick were still apprentice’s, or later, in 1912 when they were skilled boat builders.
Another mystery is her name – adopted as Banshee, after a woman who was seen at Semple’s Yard daily, during the build, yet disappeared the day she was launched, never to be seen again. With no official name, Banshee spent he first years sailing the waters of Connemara.
Her Years
as a Yacht
It was Michéal Bowles, uncle of current owner Enda O’Coineen, who officially named her Banshee. He bought her for £6 in 1943, had her decked at Reaney’s yard at Spanish Arch, before sailing her to Dublin. She was later sold to Harry Knott, who transformed her into a small yacht, complete with 4 berth cabin and a new name – Pamela. Here she caught the eye of Harry’s friend Richard Scott , who in time would go on to write a book called “The Galway Hookers”.
In the following two decades, she went through other names – Myles na gCopaleen, and Cú Uladh, however by the mid 1980’s, with the Hooker revival gaining strength, it was time to go back to Connemara.
Return to her roots
back to black
By the mid 2000’s and now known as An Cáilín Dubh, she was fully restored back to a Gleoiteóg Mór by boatwright Michéal Staff (Carraroe), A few years later she was bought by Paddy Barry and Liam O’Tuairsig before she changed hands again in 2023 when Paddy sold his share to Enda O’Coineen. Enda then renamed her back to Banshee and sailing her around Galway Bay for the next year. In early 2025, Enda passed her to Galway Hooker Sailing Club to become caretakers to ensure both her upkeep and to make sure that she kept sailing on a regular basis.
