23' Gaff-Rigged Galway Hooker (1916) - NÓRA BHEAG

NÓRA BHEAG was built as a 23ft Púcán in 1916 by Sean O Donnell (Johnny Labhcáis Ó Domhnaill) at Long Walk, Galway City. O Donnell also built An Faoileán, Regina Coeli and Uí Breasail, to name but a few.

Current owner Cóilín Hernon bought NÓRA BHEAG the year he did his Leaving Certificate. He subsequently went on to lovingly rebuild what remained of the boat in his back garden in Renmore in 1988. When the rebuild was complete, Cóilín’s mother, Nóra (Madden, of Feenish Island) was looking at the boat from the kitchen window and she said “sin í an bád a thóig muid” which translates to “that is the boat that reared us”. That is when Cóilín decided to name the boat after his mother. Nóra was known as ‘Nóra Bheag’ as her mother was also named Nóra.

The now Gleoiteóg (gaff rigged) NÓRA BHEAG has been sailed out of the Claddagh/ Port of Galway every season since 1988 by the Hernon family. The boat was previously owned by Cóilín’s grandfather, Patrick Madden (Nóra’s father) of Feenish Island, Carna. Patrick used the boat for trading and transport to and from Feenish Island, as well as for fishing.

In 2012 NÓRA BHEAG was shipped to Abu Dhabi in a temperature-controlled container to take part in a ‘Cultural Exchange’ with the Emirates as part of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover there. The exchange came full circle in June of that year when two Dhows (native Emirate boats, with similar lug sails to Galway’s Púcáns) sailed with NÓRA BHEAG (then rigged as a Púcán) on Galway Bay.

NÓRA BHEAG is quite distinctive, her black sails and red spars make her easy to identify. She joined the club in April 2019 and accompanied Lovely Anne on her launch day in Maree and Claddagh.
If anyone has any photos, memories or stories of Nóra Bheag we would love to see them in the comments.
Thanks to the Hernon family for the history and photos.