Galley Essentials with Amanda The small hooker “Theo” It’s August, which


reminds me of my friend George, who lives in Rosmuc, Ireland, and about now he’ll be racing in the annual Féile an Dóilín; Ireland's oldest and largest Galway hooker festival. I introduced you to George last June when we went on a discovery of Galway and now we’ll get reacquainted as I enlighten you on his special part of the world – Connemara. Connemara is the


broad, jagged peninsula to the west of Galway famous for its stony granite, bogs, green/white marble, small lakes, quartzite mountains and desolation. Surrounded by the Atlantic on three sides and Lough Coribb, Ireland’s largest lake, to the east there’s no wonder the name derives from the Irish Conmhaicne Mara meaning descendants of the sea. Mainly inhabited on the coast, there were few interior roads throughout the peninsula therefore the locals looked to the sea for transport. The conne c t ion be twe en


Connemara’s inhabitants and the ocean is best seen in the sturdy Galway Hookers, a powerful craft, clever by design in that it was not only able to carry substantial cargo, but also fi sh and scallop. Identifi ed by the distinctive sail formation, the rig consists of a single mast with a gaff main and two foresails. The boats were traditionally black being coated in pitch, and the sails were hand cut and woven from calico then varnished with tar and butter giving them a dark reddish color. In the early 1800’s the hookers were


well established, the Claddah fl eet in Galway alone numbered at least 100 vessels. Ranging in size from 20 to 45 feet they provided a vital link to the coastal towns whose population was around 60,000. Locals traditionally eked out a meager living from fi shing and kelp harvesting, but sadly the Great Famine, plus failed potato crops in 1878 and again in 1879, caused the area become 48° NORTH, AUGUST 2010 PAGE 36


Hooked on Hookers in Connemara


by Amanda Swan Neal


one of the poorest in Ireland, forcing many to immigrate to America. Depleted fi shing stocks and the advent of modern technology gradually sealed the hookers fate as a working vessel. Recently the last few remaining


hookers have been lovingly restored and new ones constructed creating an impressive fl eet of around 20 vessels that regularly race at various locations in Connemara. Using George’s cottage as a base, John and I spent numerous eventful days exploring the countryside, checking out hookers and savoring the local cuisine. In Roundstone, we met Michael Caine on the small hooker- like boat Theo, and enjoyed some fresh pollack he’d just caught. Whilst visiting the Clifden Boat Club, we wolfed down hearty mussels in cider as we watched a spring storm threaten the coast. Then a picnic on the riverside of pirate queen Grace O’Malley’s Ballynahinch Castle, saw us devour local smoked salmon from Connemara Smokehouse, followed by fruitcake. George was the perfect host.


He cooked scrumptious meals and insisted we not venture out on our days adventures, or even back home


to Mahina Tiare, empty handed, and loaded us up with fresh scones and barmbrack baked by his neighbor. Connemara has me hooked - someday I’ll return to sail a hooker, step a jig on her deck, and chat with folks to gather a more recipes to add to the following Connemara collection.


George’s Tropical Prawn Thai Red Curry 1 tablespoon peanut oil


1½ tablespoons red Thai curry paste 1 spring onion - diced 2 teaspoons fi sh sauce 1 can chickpeas 1 can coconut milk 1 cup chicken stock 1 lb pre-cooked king prawns 1 teaspoon lime juice


2 cups mango or pineapple - diced 4 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 3 tablespoons Thai basil Heat sesame oil in a large heavy-


based frying pan. Sauté spring onion 1 minute, add curry paste. Whisk in coconut milk, chicken stock and fi sh sauce. Add chickpeas and shrimp, bring to boil. Add lime juice, basil, mango and peanuts, simmer 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice or wide noodles.


Mussels in Cider


2 lbs fresh, live mussels 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter ½ cup shallots - fi nely chopped 3 garlic cloves - fi nely sliced 1 Granny Smith apple - peeled and cut into cubes 1 lemon


1¼ cups cider 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves Heat oil and butter in a large, wide


saucepan. Add shallots and garlic and sauté gently, stirring all the time, for about a minute. Add apple and cook 2 minutes. Add cider, grated lemon peel,


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